CMAs: Watch Performances By The Highwomen, Halsey, Kacey Musgraves, & More

Mickey Bernal/WireImage

CMAs: Watch Performances By The Highwomen, Halsey, Kacey Musgraves, & More

Mickey Bernal/WireImage

The coolest thing that happened at last night’s CMA Awards: Ashley McBryde won New Artist of the Year. (Not bad for a Girl Going Nowhere.) Also, a lot of big names performed.

Most prominently, there was a “Women Of Country” medley featuring (deep breath) Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles, Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Martina McBride, Gretchen Wilson, Tanya Tucker, Crystal Gayle, and all four of the Highwomen: Amanda Shires, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, and Natalie Hemby. A smaller assortment of stars — Dierks Bentley, Chris Janson, Sheryl Crow, Joe Walsh, John Osborne of Brothers Osborne — performed “Me & Bobby McGee” by recent bar-band frontman Kris Kristofferson to celebrate him winning the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Speaking of Willie Nelson, he and his smoking buddy Kacey Musgraves performed “Rainbow Connection.” Halsey was there for some reason to do “What If I Never Get Over You” and “Graveyard” with Lady Antebellum. Chris Stapleton and Pink duetted on “Love Me Anyway.” And a number of noteworthy names turned out to do singles from their latest albums: Morris’ “Girl,” Miranda Lambert’s “It All Comes Out In The Wash,” Eric Church’s “Some Of It,” et al.

You can watch all of that below, but first, go listen to the Ashley McBryde album and tell me why she wasn’t granted a performance last night.

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