Miranda Lambert Opens CMA Awards with Medley of Hits

Miranda Lambert opened the 55th Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 10, with an energetic medley of some of her biggest hits. The country superstar, who is nominated for three awards including Entertainer of the Year, began the medley by diving into her 2005 single, “Kerosene.” This part of the performance was reminiscent of Lambert’s debut on the awards show back in 2005, as the screen behind her showed flames and red lights shone all around the stage.

Lambert then segued into another fiery song, “Mama’s Broken Heart.” She showcased her energetic singing style and signature sass through the performance, all while dressed in a blue Western-themed body suit with red fringe. The next song to be included in the medley was her latest hit, “Bluebird,” followed by “Little Red Wagon” and “Gunpowder & Lead.” She ended the performance with the first lines of “Gunpowder & Lead,” singing, “County road two thirty-three under my feet / Nothin’ on this white rock but little ol’ me.”

Miranda Lambert had three award nominations coming into the night’s ceremony — including Entertainer of the Year, which she has never won. Her other CMA nominations included Female Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year, for “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” with Elle King.

Lambert’s latest single, “If I Was a Cowboy,” came out in October, and now marks the beginning of a new album cycle after her successful Wildcard project. The hitmaker has also recently released the stripped-down songwriter’s collab album, The Marfa Tapes, with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall, and her first-ever dance remix for “Tequila Does.” She and her Pistol Annies trio also returned for their debut holiday album, Hell of a Holiday, last month.

Back in their usual format after the pandemic-impacted 2020 show, the 55th Annual CMA Awards aired live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 10. The night featured dozens of performances and awards presentations for a glitzy ceremony dubbed “Country’s Biggest Night,” and was hosted by superstar Luke Bryan for the first time. You can check out Sounds Like Nashville’s full coverage here.