CMA Awards Fashion Celebrities
Fashion at the CMA Country Music Awards — Nashville's biggest night of country music and style
The CMA Awards — the Country Music Association Awards — are country music's biggest night, presented in Nashville each fall by the Country Music Association. This page covers the awards, the association behind them, and the red carpet where country glamour meets high fashion: designer gowns and tailored suits alongside the cowboy hats, boots, fringe and rhinestones that make CMA night its own kind of fashion event.
Country Music's Biggest Night
The Country Music Association Awards — the CMA Awards — are country music's biggest night: the annual ceremony at which the Country Music Association honors the year's outstanding achievements in country music. The first CMA Awards were presented in 1967, and the show has been held every year since, growing from an industry banquet into one of the most-watched award ceremonies on television, broadcast live from Nashville.
The awards cover the full breadth of the genre, from entertainer, album, song and single of the year to vocalists, duos, groups, musicians and music videos. Winners are determined by the votes of CMA members — the artists, songwriters, musicians, executives and other industry professionals who belong to the association — which gives the trophies a particular weight inside the country music community.
Red Carpet Fashion at the CMA Awards
For a fashion guide, the ceremony begins before the first award is handed out. The CMA red carpet is where country style meets couture, and it has a character all its own among award shows. The women of country music arrive in designer gowns — sequins, metallics, dramatic trains and bold color — while the men pair tailored suits and tuxedo jackets with the polished boots and, very often, the cowboy hats that are part of a country artist's working wardrobe the rest of the year.
Country signatures run through the night's styling: fringe and rhinestones, turquoise and tooled leather, denim dressed up rather than down, and hair and makeup worn big in the Nashville tradition. Because so many attendees also perform during the broadcast, a single star may work two or three looks in one evening — carpet, stage and after-party — and the fashion coverage follows every change. It is that mixture of glamour and genuine western wear, worn by people who live in both, that makes CMA night a red carpet unlike the film and pop award shows.
The Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in Nashville in 1958 and is widely credited as the first trade organization formed to promote a single genre of music. Its work goes well beyond one awards night: the association promotes country music year-round, supports music education — including through the CMA Foundation — and presents CMA Fest, the multi-day Nashville festival that began as Fan Fair in 1972 and now draws country fans from around the world each June.
The CMA Awards sit at the top of that calendar. Held each fall, the ceremony anchors a week of industry events, showcases and parties in Nashville, and its red carpet has become the definitive annual photograph of how country music dresses when it celebrates itself.
Following CMA Awards Fashion From Here
This page is the CMA home of the Celebrity Events guide. From here, the natural next stops are the other award nights in this section — the Grammy Awards for music's peer-voted honors, and the Academy Awards and Golden Globes for film's biggest carpets — together with the MTV Video Music Awards for pop's most theatrical styling. The official CMA Awards site carries the current year's nominees, performers and broadcast details, and the Country Music Association's own site covers CMA Fest and the association's year-round work.
Common Questions
What are the CMA Awards?
The CMA Awards are the Country Music Association Awards, presented each year by the Country Music Association to honor excellence in country music. First held in 1967, the ceremony recognizes artists, songwriters, musicians, producers and videos, with winners chosen by votes of CMA members — the artists, executives and industry professionals who make up the association.
Where are the CMA Awards held?
The CMA Awards are held in Nashville, Tennessee, the home of the Country Music Association and the center of the country music industry. The ceremony takes place each fall and in recent years has been staged at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville, with the red carpet arrivals held nearby.
What do country stars wear on the CMA Awards red carpet?
CMA night style blends Nashville glamour with high fashion. Expect couture and designer gowns alongside the signatures of country style — cowboy hats, polished boots, fringe, denim and rhinestones — and sharp tailored suits for the men. Performers often change looks between the red carpet, their performance and the after-parties, which makes the night one of the most-watched fashion events in music.