Kelsea Ballerini appeared in multiple ensembles during the 2025 CMA Awards held on Wednesday evening in Nashville, Tennessee. All attire worn by the 32-year-old artist—whose former partner, Chase Stokes, recently responded to online harassment—featured variations of the color red.
She initially attended the red carpet in a strapless Christian Siriano Fall/Winter 2025 gown, complemented by red pointed-toe heels. Subsequently, she performed her composition I Sit in Parks while barefoot, wearing a sparkly, thin-strapped dress. Her final wardrobe selection consisted of a hooded garment with a pronounced, low-cut front extending to her midriff, revealing a modest degree of cleavage.
Ms. Ballerini informally modeled this final look in an impromptu photoshoot conducted in a bathroom area of Bridgestone Arena, posing before white tiled shower stalls. She accessorized with stacked bracelets and appeared in makeup featuring a softer mauve lip in lieu of her earlier bold red lipstick.
She later disseminated images of her red-carpet attire to her 4.4 million Instagram followers, captioning the post with a reference to her track I Sit in Parks from the Mount Pleasant EP: “i sit in parks. i also sit at the @cma awards. and i feel like the luckiest. ❤️.”
Earlier in the week, Mr. Stokes—who had reconnected with Ms. Ballerini following a brief separation—publicly rebuked individuals posting derogatory remarks on her TikTok account in connection with her song People Pleaser. Certain commenters referenced him and his former partner, Outer Banks co-star Madelyn Cline. Mr. Stokes characterized the comments as inappropriate and instructed such individuals to “grow up.” The specific comments appear to have been removed.
The 2025 CMA Awards featured musical performances by Patty Loveless, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Old Dominion, and Brandi Carlile, among others. Vince Gill received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award following a tribute performance. In a press statement, CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern commended Mr. Gill as a distinguished contributor to country music and an 18-time CMA Award recipient.
Prior to the ceremony, several award winners were announced, including Post Malone and Blake Shelton for Pour Me a Drink, and Ella Langley and Riley Green for CMA Music Video of the Year. Additional public figures served as presenters or special guests, including Billy Ray Cyrus, Elizabeth Hurley, Jessica Capshaw, Alison Brown, Lauren Daigle, Jordan Davis, and Steve Martin.#newsafro_
