Last week, GRAMMY winner and renowned Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the first musical guest on the show after its controversial short-lived suspension and return to the air. McLachlan performed “Better Broken,” the title track from her brand new album – her first in 11 years – which released September 19. In her signature style, simple unadorned piano and vocals in duet, McLachlan reminds the Kimmel audience exactly why she’s so beloved all around the world. Her voice is rich and plaintive, leaning into the sadness and reckoning in the lyric. It’s immediately clear a decade-plus is too long to wait for new music from McLachlan.
Not only was she appearing on late night television to promote Better Broken, but also Lilith Fair: Building A Mystery – The Untold Story, a new documentary directed by Ally Pankiw that celebrates, explores, and canonizes the enormous impact the Lilith Fair all-women festivals had on folk, indie, and popular music in the late ’90s. (Watch the official trailer below.) An excellent and moving documentary, Building A Mystery is available to stream now via Hulu, a film and television streaming platform that, like Jimmy Kimmel Live!, is owned by ABC / Disney. At the documentary’s Los Angeles premiere, McLachlan and several of her artist colleagues refused to perform music from the film as previously planned, standing in solidarity with Kimmel as he was mid-suspension for his comedic remarks on the murder of Charlie Kirk.
On Kimmel’s historic first night back on the air, just a few days later, it was a perfect full circle moment as McLachlan performed as if honoring a raincheck for her refusing to play at the documentary premiere in protest. With Margo Price as the final musical guest before Kimmel’s suspension and McLachlan the first after its return, it was a mighty pair of activism-minded artist bookends to help reinforce the importance of freedom of speech and expression for creatives who work in any/all media and formats. From Lilith Fair to JimmyKimmel Live!, these rights are vital for everyone in this country and around the world – and for the art that they create.
On Monday, September 8, 2025 the Country Music Association announced the nominees for the 59th Annual CMA Awards. With six nods a piece, country stars Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, and Ella Langley tied each other for the lead in total nominations at the longest-running country music awards show. The CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 19 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC and will be available to stream the next day on Hulu.
Following Wilson, Moroney, and Langley in nominations is a quickly rising star at the very top of most listeners’ minds these days, Zach Top, who will vie for awards in the Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and New Artist of the Year categories. Fiddler Jenee Fleenor, a five-time winner of Musician of the Year, is nominated again in the category this year, alongside guitarists Brent Mason, Rob McNelley, and Derek Wells and pedal steel genius Paul Franklin.
In addition to Top and Fleenor other notable nominees from the bluegrass and Americana worlds include the War and Treaty (Vocal Duo of the Year), Chris Stapleton (Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Music Video of the Year), and the Red Clay Strays (Vocal Group of the Year).
Shaboozey is nominated for the second year in a row for New Artist of the Year, and relative newcomer to the genre Post Malone gained two nominations this year (remarkably, one less nomination than in 2024), for F-1 Trillion (Album of the Year) and “Pour Me A Drink” featuring Blake Shelton (Musical Event of the Year).
It’s clear that whatever your preferred subspecies of country music, this year’s batch of nominees for the CMA Awards holds more than enough variety to satisfy your tastes. From the most polished radio-ready pop country to gristly full-bore rock and roll, from high femme glamor bops to ’90s vocals (and of course the hairstyles, too), there’s plenty of Good Country to be found among this year’s nominations.
Find the full list of nominees for the 59th Annual CMA Awards below:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Luke Combs Cody Johnson Chris Stapleton Morgan Wallen Lainey Wilson
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
“4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson Producer: Jay Joyce Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
“Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” – Luke Combs Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
“Am I Okay?” – Megan Moroney Producer: Kristian Bush Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank
“I Never Lie” – Zach Top Producer: Carson Chamberlain Mix Engineer: Matt Rovey
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley & Riley Green Producer: Will Bundy Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Am I Okay? – Megan Moroney Producer: Kristian Bush Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank
Cold Beer & Country Music – Zach Top Producer: Carson Chamberlain Mix Engineer: Matt Rovey
F-1 Trillion – Post Malone Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore
I’m The Problem – Morgan Wallen Producers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi Mix Engineers: Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi
Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson Producer: Jay Joyce Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
SONG OF THE YEAR
“4x4xU” Songwriters: Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere, Lainey Wilson
“Am I Okay?” Songwriters: Jessie Jo Dillon, Luke Laird, Megan Moroney
“I Never Lie” Songwriters: Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols, Zach Top
“Texas” Songwriters: Johnny Clawson, Josh Dorr, Lalo Guzman, Kyle Sturrock
“you look like you love me” Songwriters: Riley Green, Ella Langley, Aaron Raitiere
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Kelsea Ballerini Miranda Lambert Ella Langley Megan Moroney Lainey Wilson
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Luke Combs Cody Johnson Chris Stapleton Zach Top Morgan Wallen
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady A Little Big Town Old Dominion Rascal Flatts The Red Clay Strays
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn Brothers Osborne Dan + Shay Maddie & Tae The War And Treaty
MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
“Don’t Mind If I Do” – Riley Green (featuring Ella Langley) Producers: Scott Borchetta, Jimmy Harnen, Dann Huff
“Hard Fought Hallelujah” – Brandon Lake with Jelly Roll Producer: Micah Nichols
“I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson (with Carrie Underwood) Producer: Trent Willmon
“Pour Me A Drink” – Post Malone (feat. Blake Shelton) Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome
“You Had To Be There” – Megan Moroney (feat. Kenny Chesney) Producer: Kristian Bush
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Jenee Fleenor – Fiddle Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar Brent Mason – Guitar Rob McNelley – Guitar Derek Wells – Guitar
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
“Am I Okay?” – Megan Moroney Directors: Alexandra Gavillet, Megan Moroney
“I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson (with Carrie Underwood) Director: Dustin Haney
“Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson Director: TK McKamy
“Think I’m In Love With You” – Chris Stapleton Director: Running Bear
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley & Riley Green Directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ella Langley Shaboozey Zach Top Tucker Wetmore Stephen Wilson Jr.
Photo Credit: Lainey Wilson by Cece Dawson.
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