By Megan Riedlinger
6:03pm PST, Nov 9, 2022
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Blue was the color of the night at the 2022 CMA Awards! Wonderwall.com is breaking down the hits and misses from one of country’s biggest nights — from the onslaught of blue hues to the plethora of velvet ensembles. First up? A look that combined the two! It’s hard to believe Reba McEntire is 67! The country superstar arrived looking lovely in this dreamy blue velvet gown, which included a super low neckline and tiny slit up the center that showed off her silver peep-toe pumps.
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Katy Perry donned a denim getup from Marques’ Almeida to the country music festivities. The risky pick included off-the-shoulder sleeves and a plunging neckline, but it was the skirt that made things weird. It included a denim bow at the waist of the skirt, which also featured fraying at the edges. Despite the oddly casual fabric and funky silhouette, we did appreciate how she accessorized the look…
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Carrie Underwood continues to take her album title, “Denim & Rhinestones,” literally! The star arrived in this ballgown comprised of different denim hues, which featured off-the-shoulder sleeves, a low neckline and a thigh-high slit. Though it was certainly a fashion risk, we appreciated the different textures of the fabrics and the way she matched her shoes to the the palest shade. Let’s take a closer look at the detailing on this one…
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Carrie Underwood’s dreamy blue gown included intricate layers and fabric textures, resulting in a truly unique piece that stood out amongst a sea of blue frocks.
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Navy is an underrated red carpet color! Jessica Chastain proved that when she arrived at the CMA Awards in this spaghetti strapped Gucci gown in the rich shade. The couture piece included stunning embellishments that reminded us of a starry night’s sky, and paired perfectly with her red lip.
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Kelsea Ballerini tapped Balenciaga for the big night, selecting this neon blue gown by the fashion house. Unfortunately, we weren’t wild about this frock that featured gloved long sleeves and a dramatic train, but we’ll take a look at it from another angle…
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Kelsea Ballerini’s Balenciaga frock included cutouts at the back. And though we really appreciated the shade, another star on the carpet that night rocked a similar Balenciaga gown in the same hue that we liked a little better…
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We loved the hue of MacKenzie Porter’s electric blue Balenciaga gown, which was nearly identical to Kelsea Ballerini’s Balenciaga pick. But unlike the glove component of Kelsea’s design, MacKenzie’s long-sleeved frock brought the right amount of elegance to the red carpet, and felt plenty dressy thanks to the lengthy train. Making this look even better? The perfectly matching accessories like her clutch and her stunning drop earrings…
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MacKenzie Porter added beautiful turquoise drop earrings to her bold blue dress, keeping things monochromatic on the red carpet.
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Sorry, Miranda Lambert, but this one scored a miss from us. The sleeveless pink and black Thierry Mugler frock fell flat, though we did appreciate that it was vintage.
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Carly Pearce’s white gown was splendid, featuring a keyhole cutout at the neckline, long sleeves and a side slit, but it was her accessories that eclipsed the pretty dress. The star opted to jazz things up with teal, adding those phenomenal gemstone-clad sandals and some jewels. Let’s see those next…
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Carly Pearce’s earrings also brought a pretty shade of teal into the mix. Check out the stunning stones on her drop earrings!
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Another star in winter white? Danielle Bradbery, who opted to rock this show-stopping Monot gown fashioned with sashes that trailed behind her on the red carpet. The halter-style design included a fitted silhouette and a side slit that helped show off her matching strappy Jimmy Choo sandals.
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That’s how you do it, Dierks Bentley! Though many of his colleagues opted to rock cowboy hats and jeans, Dierks dressed up for the occasion in this sharp navy tuxedo. We loved the bow tie, the embellishments on his coat and the way he completed things with dressy black boots.
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Nope! Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town’s pale pink Azzi & Osta look wasn’t a hit in our books. The strapless frock had way too much happening — ruching, a belt, weird embellishments to name just a few — and the added elbow-length gloves truly lost us. Fortunately, her band mate faired much better…
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We adored Karen Fairchild’s Alaia gown. From the fiery orange shade to the sheer illusion effect of the lace and that dramatic feathered skirt, this memorable look is one of Karen’s best ever.
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Though we appreciate the dedication to the country western theme, we weren’t wild about Jenee Fleenor’s coral minidress. It included silver embellishments down the arms, fringe at the neckline and more shiny embroidery down the skirt. And though we didn’t love the look, we did appreciate the commitment to silver with the matching cowboy hat and boots.
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Morgan Wallen looked very sharp at the CMA Awards, bridging the gap of cool and classic with this burgundy tux paired with a black t-shirt and velvet loafers.
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A vision in red! Jessie James Decker arrived in this fitted Area number with spaghetti straps and a super low neckline. We loved the slinky silhouette and the way the star opted to rock a glamorous wavy hairdo.
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Yikes! What’s happening here, Sam Williams? The star stepped out in this bright red suit — complete with embroidery and embellishments — that we actually liked, but the styling went horribly wrong. The undone dress shirt, a choker and layered necklaces around his neck was the first place things went awry, and the shiny silver cowboy boots didn’t help matters, either.
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Parker McCollum proved it’s possible to embrace cowboy couture without looking too casual. The crooner rocked a black cowboy hat and boots with a pale blue dress shirt, cream jacket and jeans for a polished red carpet look.
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Lindsay Ell took a walk on the wild side in this cheetah print gown, complete with a lace-up neckline and thigh-high slit. We loved the bold all-over pattern, the way she paired it with platform black pumps and the interesting detail along the back of this standout dress…
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Gorgeous! Lindsay Ell’s cheetah print frock included a lace-up detail along the back as well, and she wisely rocked an artfully messy updo to show off the feature.
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Luke Bryan’s wife Caroline Boyer also opted for animal print, though we didn’t like the silhouette as much as Lindsay Ell’s. Caroline’s halter-style piece included a keyhole cutout, belt at the waist and subtle train detail, which felt underwhelming compared to Lindsay’s bolder pick.
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Jake Owen can always be counted upon for a good menswear moment at country shows. He didn’t disappoint in this holiday-ready red velvet jacket, paired with a white dress shirt, skinny black tie, dress pants and black boots.
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Sarah Drew served up ethereal vibes in this white tulle creation, which included a strapless sweetheart neckline and corset-like bodice, a full-length tulle skirt, subtle gold embellishments throughout and a tulle cape-like detail over top that was the icing on the cake.
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Does Ernest know he’s at an award show? The singer arrived in a tan bomber jacket, white t-shirt and baggy trousers, rounding out his too-casual look with a baseball hat, sunglasses and cowboy boots.
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Dustin Lynch certainly cleaned up nicely at the CMA Awards this year! The star rocked this monochromatic burgundy ensemble and finished things off with a tan cowboy hat and boots.
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It was Priscilla Block’s first ever CMA Awards and she knocked it out of the park when it came to a bold red carpet ensemble! The singer embraced the pantashoes trend and nailed it with this unique look. Her all-over purple ensemble included the funky pantashoes on the bottom and a matching long-sleeved gown on top, complete with an asymmetrical train for maximum glam.
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Ashley McBryde kept things cool in a black dress that was anything but boring. The country crooner opted for this one-shouldered black ballgown with a sweetheart neckline and full skirt. We loved the subtle shimmery embellishments at the waist, and the way she added a matching black clutch to keep things simple.
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Brian Kelley showed off the right way to wear a cowboy hat and boots, selecting pairs in the tan variety and adding them to his chic navy blue velvet suit. The star added a pale blue unbuttoned dress shirt to complete his country cool look.
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Velvet was certainly trending on the CMA Awards carpet. One of our favorite takes on the rich fabric? Lainey Wilson’s mustard velvet suit, which she accessorized in true country style with a cowboy hat and turquoise jewels.
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Kelleigh Bannen went for a slinky David Koma LBD at the CMA Awards, rocking this thin-strapped gown with a dangerously high slit and daringly low cutouts at the neckline. Shiny silver sandals that complemented her gown’s embellishments finished off this high fashion getup.
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We adore Bailey Zimmerman’s sweet songs, but we weren’t in love with the way he rocked shiny silver sneakers on the CMA Awards red carpet. His otherwise simple all black ensemble didn’t ruffle any feathers, we just wish he would have opted for dressier footwear.
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Caitlyn Smith’s gown provided a groovy pop of jewel-toned shades. The long-sleeved gown had a plunging neckline and a thigh-high slit, but it was her shoe selection that made this one of the coolest looks of the night…
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Caitlyn Smith added these incredibly chunky rainbow platform pumps to the mix, complete with a bright purple heel.
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Country music legend Jeannie Seely served up this chic western look that covered it all — fringe, a matching cowboy hat and a whole lot of turquoise — for a stellar red carpet showing.
