country
MUSIC PEOPLE
NEWS
DECEMBER 2025 Volume 56 Number 12 Issue 670
Editor Kelly Gregory
Contributors David Allan, Janet Aspley, Donnie Ayers, Craig Baguley, Jonny Brick, Chris Brown, Tony Byworth, Rosie Carter, Don Cusic, Larry Delaney, Julie Flaskett, Marshall Gardener, Michael Hingston, Stan Hitchcock, Tony Ives, Sianna King, Spencer Leigh, John Lomax III, Bryce Martin, Adrian Peel, Paul Riley, Chris Smith, Tom Travis, Walt Trott, Dan Wallace, Dave Watkins, Jack Watkins
New release consultant Steve Tidbury
Photographers Patricia Presley, Barry Dixon
Advertising countrymusicpeople @ gmail. com
Printed by Micropress Printers Ltd micropress. co. uk
Distributor Seymour International Press Distributors Ltd. 2 East Poultry Avenue London EC1A 9PT Telephone + 44 020 7429 4000
Country Music People is published the last Thursday of each month by KICKIN’ CUTS LIMITED
24 Darley Close, Wittering, Peterborough PE8 6EQ, UK
+ 44 07787 203131 + 44 01780 783689
countrymusicpeople @ gmail. com www. cmpcountry. com
© 2025 Kickin’ Cuts Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of the Publisher. The Publisher accepts no responsibility for statement of fact or opinion expressed by contributors. The views of the contributors are not necessarily those of Country Music People or its editor.
Please recycle this magazine
59TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS
T he 59th Annual CMA Awards was
held November 19 at Nashville’ s
Bridgestone Arena, with host Lainey Wilson taking home the night’ s biggest prize, Entertainer of the Year. The threehour ABC broadcast saw multiple artists scoring multiple wins.
Newcomer Zach Top claimed New Artist of the Year, while Wilson, Riley Green, and Ella Langley each collected three trophies. Brooks & Dunn quietly made history with their 20th CMA win, setting a new record for most awards won by any act.
Wilson opened the show with an elaborate medley that incorporated nods to various artists in attendance— from Chris Stapleton to viral sensation
Shaboozey— before wrapping with duets alongside Little Big Town and Keith Urban. It was ambitious, if occasionally chaotic.
The evening’ s performances ranged from arena-rock production numbers to acoustic sets. Luke Combs, The Red Clay Strays, and breakthrough artists like Tucker Wetmore and Stephen Wilson Jr. took their turns on stage. The night’ s oddest pairing saw rapper BigXthaPlug joining Combs, Shaboozey, and Stephen Wilson Jr., while a Miranda Lambert- Chris Stapleton collaboration proved more conventionally satisfying.
Kenny Chesney marked his upcoming Country Music Hall of Fame induction with a two-song medley of his hits
4 country music people