Gone country! Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and more celebrities were the stars of the show at the 2018 Country Music Association Awards in Nashville on Wednesday, November 14.
While Urban and Kidman cried together after his Entertainer of the Year win and Lambert performed her No. 1 song with Jason Aldean following sexism remarks, there was still plenty that went on behind the scenes. Keep scrolling to find out what you missed!
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Gone country! Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and more celebrities were the stars of the show at the 2018 Country Music Association Awards in Nashville on Wednesday, November 14. [ami-related id="1372814" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/pictures/cma-awards-2018-red-carpet-fashion-see-celeb-dresses-gowns/" title="CMA Awards 2018 Red Carpet Fashion" target="" showsubt="false" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Carrie-Underwood-CMA-Awards-18.jpg"] While Urban and Kidman cried together after his Entertainer of the Year win and Lambert performed her No. 1 song with Jason Aldean following sexism remarks, there was still plenty that went on behind the scenes. Keep scrolling to find out what you missed!
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Gone country! Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and more celebrities were the stars of the show at the 2018 Country Music Association Awards in Nashville on Wednesday, November 14. [ami-related id="1372814" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/pictures/cma-awards-2018-red-carpet-fashion-see-celeb-dresses-gowns/" title="CMA Awards 2018 Red Carpet Fashion" target="" showsubt="false" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Carrie-Underwood-CMA-Awards-18.jpg"] While Urban and Kidman cried together after his Entertainer of the Year win and Lambert performed her No. 1 song with Jason Aldean following sexism remarks, there was still plenty that went on behind the scenes. Keep scrolling to find out what you missed!
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Maren Morris and husband Ryan Hurd shined as they took in performances. The “My Church” singer spoke to reporters about how her collaboration with Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton and Mavis Staples came about. “I had just planned on attending the CMAs as a nominee and just coming to enjoy the show, and then I got a phone call from Chris Stapleton and Morgane Stapleton, his wife, and they asked me if I wanted to sing with them and Mavis Staples at the awards. And so I immediately said yes, without a doubt. Was just like, ‘Yep, I'll be there,’” she explained. “And I've just grown up on Motown and Stax and soul. ... I feel like I fell into the coolest part of the night, just the most soulful, and I just met Mavis for the first time when we did rehearsals and she's a ball of fire. She's just the queen.”
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
The Pistol Annies — made up of Lambert, Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe — kicked back after singing “Got My Name Changed Back.”
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Urban and Kidman posed for a selfie during the telecast. The singer gushed about his family backstage after his big win. “I feel very blessed that I have the support of my family like I do,” he told reporters. “It's a beautiful thing, having two artists, because we understand the passion and the responsibility of what we get to do. Very important.”
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Aldean and wife Brittany Kerr, who are expecting their second child together, were all smiles. On the red carpet, the country crooner spoke about his “Drowns the Whiskey” duet with Lambert. “It's gone on to be a big old hit for us which was obviously … nice, but I loved this song in the beginning and I thought she'd sound great on it, and I tell people I think just having her on it took a great song and made it even greater,” he raved.
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Thomas Rhett and his wife, Lauren Akins, posed with Dennis Quaid. The “Sixteen” singer admitted to reporters that he missed an entire line of his song “Life Changes” after Lauren gave him a sneaky kiss on the cheek during his performance.
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Mike Fisher — with Dierks Bentley — cheered on wife Carrie Underwood as she cohosted, performed and won. “I'm a working mom, working wife same as all the other ones out there. My job's kinda weird, but you just figure your way through it. And women, we ladies are good at that,” the “Cry Pretty” songstress told Us Weekly and other reporters. “And I'm honored to get to hold some pretty incredible titles. Mom is definitely one of them. I'm just excited. I'm excited that they get to see their mom do that and see me on stage, and hopefully I can be an inspiration to my children and to other working moms out there. Because we got this.”
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Kimberly Williams-Paisley kneeled down to talk to Kidman during the awards show. The Father of the Bride actress’ husband, cohost Brad Paisley, revealed the gift he gives Underwood each year. “I just always get her flowers, and it's a good move,” the “Bucked Off” singer told reporters. He added that the American Idol alum’s reactions “make the whole [show].”
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
American Idol judges Bryan and Richie stayed close throughout the night. The country star opened the awards show with a performance of “What Makes You Country” that featured Cole Swindell, Chris Janson, Luke Combs, Jon Pardi, Lindsay Ell and Ashley McBryde.
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush of Sugarland kept it positive even after Brothers Osbourne took home Vocal Duo of the Year.
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Ballerini cozied up to seat buddy Kidman. “I feel like not only is it kind of like the reunion of everyone in country music, this community. And it's towards the end of the year, so I feel like we're all kind of sprinting to the CMAs and we get here and we're like, ‘Oh, it's the end of the year. We're all together,’ and it feels like that,” the “Miss Me More” singer said of what the broadcast means to her. “It feels like a good release of just, of a big year.”
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp got a taste of country when he presented at the 2018 CMA Awards.
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Shortly after news of their relationship broke, Bachelor alum Lauren Bushnell and boyfriend Chris Lane cuddled up at the awards show.
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Bentley congratulated Urban after his Entertainer of the Year win. “I love curiosity, and I love passion, and I feel fortunate that I have both of those in spades,” the former American Idol judge told reporters. “I feel exactly the same as I did when I moved to town 26 years ago. … I get excited to get in the studio. I get excited to try and put a show on.”
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Jimi Westbrook, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman and Phillip Sweet of Little Big Town looked happy as could be, though Old Dominion bested them in the Vocal Group of the Year category.
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Richie presented Urban with the Entertainer of the Year statue, and the two artists celebrated with a long hug before the “Coming Home” singer gave a speech about his wife and kids.
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Morgan Evans and Trisha Yearwood supported their spouses’ performances as Ballerini gave a showstopping rendition of “Miss Me More” and Garth Brooks debuted “Stronger Than Me” for his wife.
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Mason Ramsey and Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley matched in coordinating cowboy hats.
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association
Lauren Alaina and Danielle Bradbery posed for photos together. The “Worth It” songstress teased spending time with Rhett while collaborating on a new music video. “We actually did stay and vacation a little bit,” she told Us. “He had Lauren with him, and I had my friends with me.”
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