Lainey Wilson is returning to host the CMA Awards for the third time, and her second time by herself. In 2024, Wilson joined Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, before taking it over by herself for the first time last year. For Wilson, it’s a massive – and daunting – honor.
“I don’t know if you can ever fully prepare for that, especially being a solo female doing it,” Wilson tells Entertainment Tonight. “The last solo female to do it was ’91 with Reba [McEntire], besides last year for me. I’m just honored. It’s huge.”
Understandably, McEntire was one of the first people Wilson reached out to when she was offered the chance to do it by herself in 2025.
“I told Reba, a couple months back, I was like, ‘Hey, don’t tell nobody, but hey, your girl’s hosting the CMAs by herself,’” Wilson said on SiriusXM’s The Highway in 2025. “She’s like, ‘What?’ So she was happy to pass the torch. It’s a huge deal, and I’m so honored to just be invited, much less to be nominated. And then for them to ask me to host the whole thing. it feels good to be able to just champion country music, and champion all my buddies and all my friends who have worked so hard to be there. It’s awesome.”
Wilson has been nominated for an impressive 28 CMA Awards, including three this year. She has a total of 12 CMA Awards, including two Entertainer of the Year trophies, a category she is nominated in again this year. She is also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year and Single of the Year, the latter for “Somewhere Over Laredo.”
Lainey Wilson Speaks Out About the Loss of Dolly Parton
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Dolly Parton passed away on August 25, 2026. Wilson had become friends with Parton over the years, but is still feeling the late country music legend’s presence, wherever she goes.
“To tell you the truth, I feel like she’s just with me,” Wilson says. “She is just with me in a crazy way. I feel like I’m seeing butterflies everywhere. I’ve been seeing them; she’s still here.”
When news of Parton’s death was announced, the “Phone, Keys, Wallet” singer took time to honor the Country Music Hall of Fame member in a heartfelt letter she shared on social media.
“My Dolly,” Wilson begins. “I felt like you were my friend before we even met. You made everybody feel that way. But once we became friends, boy did we have a lot to talk about… I sure am glad you called a couple of weeks ago. We got to talk about the business, the sacrifice, how special Carl Dean was to you and how important Duck is to me.”
Wilson reveals that, during their phone call, Parton gave Wilson advice about her marriage to Devlin “Duck” Hodges, whom Wilson wed in May.
“You told me that ‘it’s all great and stuff that Duck lets you be you, but you better make sure you let Duck be himself too,” Wilson recalls. “You also told me to take my time reading the book of Revelation and that I might need to go on back to Psalms for a minute to catch my breath. We talked about how we both feel like we were called into this business, and you told me you felt like you weren’t finished.
“Well my friend, you are not,” she continues. “The kind of love and light you shined in your lifetime is the kind that never goes away. I am thankful the Lord gave you a gift, you decided to share it, and the Lord decided to share you with us. I can’t wait to see you again, and I know when I hug your neck in heaven someday, you are still gonna be saying, ‘Don’t mess up [my] hair, Lainey girl.’ I will always love you, my friend.”