Megan Moroney is one of the most-nominated artists at the 2025 CMA Awards, going into the ceremony with six nominations including Single of the Year (“Am I Okay?”), Album of the Year (Am I Okay?), Song of the Year (“Am I Okay?”), Female Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year (“You Had To Be There”) and Music Video of the Year (“Am I Okay?”).
During the ceremony, the country superstar will be performing her latest hit, “6 Months Later,” and she shared a few details about the performance while speaking to the Country Music Association (CMA) backstage ahead of the show.
“You can expect a slumber party vibe. We’re kind of doing a nod to the music video,” Moroney explained, before revealing that there will be “a whole lot of pink” as part of the color theme of her upcoming album, Cloud 9. “It’s going to be a girl’s night within the CMA Awards.”
At the CMA Awards last year, Moroney took home the award for New Artist of The Year. She shared that “amazing things have happened” since that night, and the show coming back around has given her a chance to reflect on that major achievement.
“With the CMA awards happening so soon, I’ve seen a lot of the old clips resurfacing, and it just makes me emotional, honestly, to just see how shocked I was,” she said. “It honestly felt like an out-of-body experience. So it’s like watching someone that’s not even me. It’s amazing, and I just feel like since then so many amazing things have happened.”
One of those things is Moroney’s collaboration with Kenny Chesney, “You Had To Be There,” which is up for Musical Event of the Year. Moroney said she “freaked out” when she heard that bit of news, and the “first thing” she did was call Chesney and invite him to the awards with her.
“I said, ‘Kenny, you got to come to the awards with me.’ I was like, ‘We got to go. What if we’re never nominated for a CMA together ever again?’ And so I called Kenny first and then my parents. Definitely a lot of excitement and it’s just really amazing.”
The 28-year-old Georgia native and Chesney got to know each other when Chesney brought Moroney on his 2024 Sun Goes Down Stadium Tour last summer. Moroney now calls Chesney a “great friend and a great mentor” and overall “just the best,” and she can’t wait to share the night with him on Wednesday (Nov. 19).
“Before I met Kenny, I was obviously a really big fan and didn’t know what to expect, but Kenny Chesney is exactly the kind of person you think he is,” she shared. “He’s so kind and generous, and if I needed him right this second, he’d pick up and give me whatever advice I needed. So I feel really lucky to have someone who’s on top of the mountain that I’m climbing. He has a lot of great advice, whether it’s life or career, and I’m really excited to spend the CMA awards with him. We’re going to have a great time.”
In addition to Moroney, The 59th Annual CMA Awards will also feature performances by Kelsea Ballerini, Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Old Dominion, The Red Clay Strays, Chris Stapleton, BigXThaPlug, Luke Combs, Riley Green, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Shaboozey, Zach Top, Tucker Wetmore, Lainey Wilson and Stephen Wilson Jr. and more.
This year’s CMA Awards will feature a wide range of presenters and special guests, including Lady A, Jessica Capshaw, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lauren Daigle, Jordan Davis, Elizabeth Hurley, Cody Johnson, Bert Kreischer, Brandon Lake, Ella Langley, Steve Martin, Leanne Morgan, NE-YO, Chris O’Donnell, Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry, LeAnn Rimes, Alan Ritchson, Lara Spencer, Billy Bob Thornton, Grace Van Patten, Gretchen Wilson, and Bailey Zimmerman.
Hosted by country superstar Lainey Wilson, “Country Music’s Biggest Night” will broadcast live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday, November 19 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC and is available the next day on Hulu.
