đ„ âI DIDNâT EXPECT TO CRY TONIGHT⊠BUT SHE DID THAT.â The entire CMA froze in place when Ella Langley sang the first note of âChoosinâ Texasâ leaving Riley Green shaking and George Strait whispering, âThatâs how you keep country alive.â Ella didnât just perform, she took over the stage. Tears, chills, and a wave of raw emotion ripped through the arena. But the moment that made the crowd gasp wasnât on TV, it was what Ella whispered into the mic mid-song â the part they didnât broadcast. WATCH the full jaw-dropping moment below đđ https://freshha

Ella Langley brought her current single âChoosinâ Texasâ to life with a spirited, true-to-country performance at the 2025 CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 19).
Donning a western-inspired red and white ensemble with fringe, the country superstar strummed her acoustic guitar and belted out the lyrics to the anthemic track amid a backdrop of sparkling stars, a nod to the Lone Star State.
Langley launched her show-stopping performance with a couple doing a lively two-step at the end of the stage as she performed the song.
âSheâs from Texas, I can tell by the way/ Heâs two steppinâ âround the room/ And judginâ by the smile thatâs written on his face/ Thereâs nothinâ I can do/ It doesnât take a crystal ball to see/ A cowboy always finds a way to leave/ Drinkinâ Jack all by myself/ Heâs choosinâ Texas, I can tell,â Langley sang on the songâs irresistible chorus.

The glittery visuals, combined with her confident performance, further cemented her status as one of country musicâs rising superstars.
Co-written by Langley alongside Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor, âChoosinâ Texasâ will appear on Ella Langleyâs forthcoming new album, which has yet-to-be announced. Of writing the song with Lambert, Langley gushed, âIâve looked up to Miranda Lambert for as long as Iâve known who she was, and sheâs somebody who I just would have loved to write a song with. So getting the chances to write âChoosinâ Texasâ with her and a couple other songs off this record has, I mean, it was just one of the coolest things. I mean, who gets to do something they dreamed about as a little kid? And I was like, that little kid got to come out and experience that day.â
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Langley was nominated for six awards, including Single Of The Year (âyou look like you love meâ), Song Of The Year (âyou look like you love meâ), Female Vocalist Of The Year, Musical Event Of The Year (âDonât Mind If I Doâ), Music Video Of The Year (âyou look like you love meâ), and New Artist Of The Year.
Ahead of the show, Ella Langley opened up about her six nods during an interview with ABC, sharing, âItâs crazy⊠just grateful is the only word I can give out. Wow. It was just really cool to see that three women were most-nominated. That was probably the most exciting part for me. Itâs just so cool because weâre all three so different, but we all love country music and just holding down the fort up there for other women to come through. And let me tell ya thereâs a lot of good ones coming through, so this ainât gonna be the last time three women are most nominated.â
The 59th Annual CMA Awards featured unforgettable performances from BigXthaPlug, Luke Combs, Megan Moroney, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Shaboozey, Zach Top, Tucker Wetmore, Lainey Wilson, Stephen Wilson Jr., Kelsea Ballerini, Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Riley Green, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Old Dominion, The Red Clay Strays, Chris Stapleton and more.

In addition to performances, the show also featured a star-studded list of presenters and special guests, including Lady A, Alison Brown, Jessica Capshaw, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lauren Daigle, Jordan Davis, Elizabeth Hurley, Cody Johnson, Bert Kreischer, Brandon Lake, Ella Langley, Steve Martin, Leanne Morgan, NE-YO, Chris OâDonnell, Kimberly Perry, LeAnn Rimes, Alan Ritchson, Lara Spencer, Billy Bob Thornton, Grace Van Patten, Gretchen Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman and more.
âCountry Musicâs Biggest Nightâ also honored Vince Gill with the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. The 68-year-old country music legend was celebrated with a special tribute performance before accepting the coveted award.
The 59th Annual CMA Awards was a production of the Country Music Association.âŻRobert DeatonâŻwas the ExecutiveâŻProducer,âŻAlan Carter was the Director and Jon MacksâŻwas the Head Writer.
Hosted by Lainey Wilson, the 2025 CMA Awards broadcast live from Nashvilleâs Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 19 (8:00â11:00 PM ET) on ABC and will be made available to stream the following day on Hulu.