Country music fans in the UK will be able to experience one of Nashville’s biggest nights live, as BBC iPlayer’s Country Music Channel broadcasts The 59th Annual CMA Awards in the early hours of Thursday 20th November. Hosted by Grammy, CMA and ACM Award-winning artist — and Grand Ole Opry member — Lainey Wilson, the star-studded ceremony will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena between 2am and 4am UK time.
The CMA Awards will celebrate the very best in country music, featuring one-of-a-kind performances, emotional collaborations and the presentation of the industry’s top honours. BBC iPlayer’s Country Music Channel will be live from 7.30pm on Wednesday 19th November, offering an evening of programming to set the scene before the live broadcast begins.
The channel’s lineup includes Grand Ole Opry Live: 100 Years of Country Music (7.30pm), showcasing unforgettable performances from Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde and Darius Rucker at the Royal Albert Hall; Country at the BBC (9pm), featuring classic performances from icons like Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton; Dolly Parton at the BBC (10.30pm), a celebration of the country legend’s best BBC moments; Later… with Jools Holland: Country (11.30pm), featuring appearances by Taylor Swift, Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris; and Country Music Summer Festival 2025 (12.30am), hosted by Cody Johnson and Ashley McBryde, with performances from Brooks & Dunn, Jelly Roll, Kelsea Ballerini, Shaboozey and more.
All programmes will be introduced by BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris, presenter of The Country Show (Thursdays, 9-10pm). BBC Four will air a 90-minute highlights edition of the CMA Awards the following week, while BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds will broadcast a two-hour special on Saturday 22nd November (12am–2am). Highlights will also feature on The Country Show with Bob Harris on Thursday 20th November.
This year’s CMA nominees include Ella Langley, Megan Moroney and Lainey Wilson — each earning six nominations — followed by Zach Top with five, and Riley Green and Cody Johnson with four each. The coveted Entertainer of the Year category will see Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson compete for the night’s top honour.
First held in 1967, the CMA Awards is the longest-running annual music awards show on network television in the United States, celebrating the artists, songwriters and musicians who define country music’s ever-evolving sound.
