The 59th CMA Awards felt shiny and new on Wednesday night. Credit that to an influx of exciting fresh faces like Ella Langley, Zach Top, Stephen Wilson Jr., and the Red Clay Strays, and a new host in Lainey Wilson, who injected some much needed personality and vitality to a show about to mark its 60th year. Still, there are bound to be some stale moments, or ones that leave us shaking our heads. Here’s our list of the best, worst, and most WTF things we saw at the 2025 CMAs.

Best: Backup Dancers Galore

Backup choreography during country music performances? We’re here for it — and honestly, we want more of it! The country queens delivered killer sets all night, most backed by a crew of female dancers right by their side. It started at the top of the show as host Lainey Wilson kicked thing

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