Shaboozey and Stephen Wilson Jr. took the CMA Awards audience on an emotional walk Wednesday night (Nov. 19).

Standing on a set made to look like a lush field of wheat at dusk, both country stars’ voices sounded raw and gorgeous over an emotional accompaniment provided by the band on stage with them. ‘Boozey and Wilson took turns singing verses before joining together at the end, crooning, “So let’s stay out here for a while, my friend/ Let’s stay and walk the line ’til the end/ I know you’re tired, hell, so am I/ We can’t take the same road again.”

The ballad was featured in this year’s film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk, a harrowing tale about a dystopian society in which a selection of young men enter an annual contest in the hopes of winning fame and fortune, which they can only secure after outliving the rest of the competitors on a days-long walk across the country. “I feel so excited,” ‘Boozey told Billboard on the CMAs red carpet shortly before the show. “I think it’s going to be a really special performance, doing it with my boy.”

“Took a Walk” wasn’t the only performance Wilson delivered Wednesday night. Shortly before taking the stage with his duet partner, he did a solo, stripped-down rendition of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” for the crowd at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Have you played Billboard’s “A Little Bit Country” Crossword?
Play now!

Also speaking to Billboard before the ceremony, Wilson explained how his two performances were linked. “I’m a big Stephen King fan,” he said. “I play this song called ‘Stand By Me,’ which I’m playing tonight as well, because of a movie called Stand By Me based off a Stephen King [story called The Body]. It’s been haunting me my whole life.”

“Fast-forward these years later, I get invited to sing this song and write this song with Shaboozey for a Stephen King movie called The Long Walk,” he added on the carpet. “The world is weird, life is weird and I’m just here for it.”

Both stars were nominated for the same award this year, receiving nods for new artist of the year. The prize ultimately went to Zach Top.

The ceremony comes as Shaboozey is working on a new album. In October, he exclusively told Billboard, “[It’s about] feminism, I’ll say that.”

“Femininity is probably the best word I can use,” he added at the time of the upcoming full-length, which he says is just about finished. “There’s a story there … It’s a Western concept album about femininity — I shouldn’t have told you that!”

Lainey Wilson has been all over Wednesday night’s (Nov. 19) CMA Awards. Not only is she hosting, and not only did she kick the awards into high gear with a big country covers medley, but she’s also one of the night’s big winners, taking home album of the year for her acclaimed Whirlwind set.

“Mama, daddy, look, check it out!” Wilson exclaimed as she accepted the award from banjo picker and occasional comedy legend Steve Martin, along with his collaborator Alison Brown. “I was absolutely not expecting this,” the country great attested about the win, also shouting out her Granny “somewhere” in the audience.

Wilson went on to thank fans who showed up to her Whirlwind Tour, and to salute herself for staying true to her artistic process throughout the turbulent recording of the award-winning album. “I remember being that little 11-year-old girl who would come home from school and pick up my guitar and pour my heart and soul into that guitar,” she testified. “And that’s how I navigated and communicated. And that’s exactly what I did these last two years of my life, when I felt like my life was changing, but I still felt exactly the same.”

Before awarding her the album of the year, Martin and Brown performed some dueling banjos for the audience, and even bantered a little comedy — quipping about how they were excited enough to be presenting at the CMAs to even do it for free, which was apparently all they were being offered. Martin and Brown released the bluegrass album Safe, Sensible and Sane earlier this year.

With 20 studio albums under his belt, country superstar Kenny Chesney had plenty of songs to choose from for his performance at the 2025 CMA Awards — so many, in fact, that he couldn’t pick just one.

Hopping on stage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Chesney was introduced by host Lainey Wilson, who highlighted him as a “four time CMA Entertainer of the Year” before ceding the stage. Dressed in a simple straw hat and plain long-sleeved tee, Chesney pulled out his classic country track “American Kids,” strumming along with his band. By the time he reached the chorus, Chesney had the whole arena singing along about “growin’ up in little pink houses” and “makin’ out on living room couches.”

Then Chesney headed to the arena’s B-stage for a performance of his Uncle Kracker duet “When the Sun Goes Down,” greeting his fans in the crowd and grooving to the song’s sultry lyrics. But before he closed out his performance, Chesney gestured to a graphic behind him paying tribute to Grammy-winning country songwriter Brett James (“When the Sun Goes Down” writer) who died in a private plane crash in September. “Thank you so much, Brett James, we love you,” Chesney shouted to conclude his number.

While Chesney wasn’t nominated as a soloist at the 2025 CMA Awards, he did feature on Megan Moroney’s “You Had to Be There,” which earned a nod for musical event of the year at the ceremony.

Have you played Billboard’s “A Little Bit Country” Crossword?
Play now!

Along with serving as the evening’s host, Wilson also snatched up six nominations at the awards, which tied him for the most nods of any artist in 2025, alongside fellow singers Ella Langley and Megan Moroney. Throughout the evening, stars including Luke Combs, Shaboozey, Brandi Carlile, Kelsea Ballerini and more took to the stage for their own performances.

Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl has detailed the company’s approach to generative AI in a new blog post published Wednesday (Nov. 19). The missive arrived just hours after WMG announced a settlement and licensing deal with Udio, effectively ending its part in a blockbuster copyright infringement lawsuit against the AI music company, which it brought alongside the other two majors.

In Kyncl’s address, he stressed that while it’s “early days” for AI, “this is the moment to shape the business models, set the guardrails and pioneer the future for the benefit of artists and songwriters.” The CEO also revealed his thought process when going into meetings with AI companies, saying that his three non-negotiables include “partners who commit to licensed models”; economic terms that benefit and “reflect the value of music”; and giving the company’s signees a choice to “opt-in” to any use of their names, images, likenesses or voices in new AI-generated songs.

Kyncl also stated his belief that AI tools will further democratize music creation, adding that to stand out “in a sea of AI-generated content, real artistry identity and vision” is needed. He additionally stressed that the music industry should focus on engaging fans and getting them to lean in, saying, “the more interactivity users have with the music they love, the more value is created.”

Read the full blog post below.

AI is still in its early days. Investment is surging, talent is pouring in, and a crop of new, ambitious startups are working with music again for the first time in more than a decade. This is the moment to shape the business models, set the guardrails, and pioneer the future for the benefit of our artists and songwriters.

We’re approaching this new era with one priority above all else: protecting and empowering the artists and songwriters who are our reason for being. Every decision we make, every partnership we forge, every principle we establish is designed to ensure that they benefit from AI’s possibilities.

Every AI deal we make is guided by three non-negotiable principles:

1. We will only make agreements with partners who commit to licensed models;
2. The economic terms must properly reflect the value of music;
3. And, most importantly, artists and songwriters will have a choice to opt-in to any use of their name, image, likeness, or voice in new AI-generated songs.

WHY THIS MOMENT MATTERS

Over the last 25 years, we’ve experienced the democratization of music distribution. Many predicted it would lead to the demise of our industry, but the skeptics were proven wrong.

The barriers to entry have fallen, the world has gotten smaller, and artists are global from day one. Fans love having unlimited personalized access, streaming is driving unprecedented growth, and music is more valuable than ever.

Now, we are entering the next phase of innovation. The democratization of music creation.

We believe Generative AI will lead to a new explosion in creative and commercial opportunities, and that authentic talent will be even more in demand for two reasons

OUR APPROACH

Our approach is clear: legislate, litigate, license. We lobby for legislation that sets clear guidelines. We deploy litigation to halt bad actors. And we use licensing as the most powerful way to shape the future. Licensing is how we can safeguard our artists and songwriters, while collaborating with tech partners, to propel new fan experiences that drive additional revenue. 

The partnerships we forge will offer a variety of specific use cases. Each of them adheres to our principles, winning important protections for artists and songwriters, while ensuring that they share in every dollar that’s earned. And as the services grow their revenue, so will the pay outs. 

This space is moving lightning fast. Past lessons teach us that delaying only lets others define our future. The music business learned that during the file-sharing era. And the film & TV industries are still regretting not embracing streaming sooner. So for artists and songwriters to win, the music industry needs to be a leading force in the formative stages of AI, not a passive participant. We will steer the course in this new era to deliver greater value for our artists, songwriters, and their music. 

This is only the beginning.

Robert Kyncl