The 2019 CMA Awards' Best Dressed Stars

The 2019 CMA Awards — country music's biggest night —— held its 53rd annual awards ceremony on Nov. 13, 2019. The Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. hosted the event, which aired live on ABC and featured multiple memorable performances from some of country music's most recognizable stars.

Carrie Underwood returned to host the CMAs for the 12th time. However, this time she was without her usual hosting sidekick, Brad Paisley. Instead, the songstress was joined in her hosting duties by two of country music's living legends — Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire. Having three female co-hosts for the 53rd Annual CMAs was entirely fitting, considering the 2019 ceremony's emphasis on women in country music. And, as expected, the ladies of country music totally dominated the evening, which kicked off with an epic performance featuring Underwood, McEntire, and Parton, along with a bevy of other country music superstars, such as Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Tanya Tucker, and The Highwomen.

Of course, the 2019 CMAs served as a chance for your favorite country artists to serve some serious looks — and boy, did they bring the sparkle! Here were all the best dressed stars at the 2019 CMA Awards.

Dolly Parton has still got it, y'all. The subject of the popular 2019 podcast Dolly Parton's America, the "I Will Always Love You" songstress is still making major career moves. The Broadway musical 9 to 5, for which Parton penned music and lyrics, made its West End debut in January 2019 — and, in November 2019, the country icon will be premiering her first Netflix series, Heartstrings. 

However, while she may be one of country music's busiest artists, Parton proved at the 53rd Annual CMA Awards that she still has those powerhouse vocals and performance abilities that catapulted her to international stardom. Parton opened the show alongside Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, and other female country music artists for a mesmerizing "Women in Country" performance, and she dazzled the crowd with a faith-based medley later in the show. Of course, in typical Parton style, the "Jolene" singer looked spectacular through it all. Before taking to the 2019 CMA Awards stage and stunning the audience of country music's biggest stars, Parton walked the red carpet in a sparkling gold and white Jackson Lowell dress, complete with a thigh-high slit and long sleeves, according to People.

Hannah Brown's season of ABC's The Bachelorette may not have ended with the former Miss Alabama USA finding her happily-ever-after fairy tale romance, but, at the 2019 CMA Awards, the reality star proved she doesn't need a fiancé on her arm to pull off a wedding-ready look.

Brown floated down the red carpet in a voluminous, all-white ball gown with a belted waist, mock neck, and cap sleeves. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Brown revealed she was hoping her dazzling Atelier Zuhra dress would help her manifest the coveted Mirror Ball trophy, for which she's competing with her Dancing with the Stars partner (and CMA Awards date), Alan Bersten. 

"[Dancing with the Stars is] something that's really been a special part of my journey and I would love to have that endgame be with a beautiful trophy in my hand," Hannah Brown told ET. She continued, joking, "This is my way of manifesting it." She added, "Just wearing a mirrorball!"

The 2019 CMA Awards marked a huge milestone in Carrie Underwood's career, as 2019 was the 12th year the star co-hosted the awards show. While Underwood usually serves as co-host alongside Brad Paisley, her chemistry with her 2019 co-hosts — country music legends Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire — was palpable. Underwood, while not a country music veteran like Parton and McEntire, was more than able to hold her own alongside the icons — and the "Cry Pretty" songstress looked every bit the superstar she is while doing so. 

Ahead of the ceremony, Underwood stunned in an art deco-inspired, glittery, gold Elie Madi gown with a high neck, long sleeves, and sheer paneling. The star completed her red carpet look with a dramatic sea-foam green tulle train, which added an angelic feel to her chic ensemble. Of course, this was only one of Underwood's 12 dazzling looks for the evening. 

"We love each outfit, so we can never pick favorites," Underwood's stylist, Courtney Webster, told People. "But we always love putting together looks that will be part of CMA history, especially on such a special night dedicated to all the women of country!"

The year 2019 has been quite the exciting time for country music star Maren Morris — and we're not just talking about her big CMA win for album of the year, which she sweetly dedicated to her late friend and music producer Busbee. 

The "Girl" songstress, who celebrated her first anniversary with husband, Ryan Hurd, in March 2019, announced in October that she's pregnant with a baby boy, whom she and Hurd are expecting to welcome in 2020. "The irony is just too rich that after a year of living in the 'GIRL' headspace, the universe would give us a baby boy to even things out," Morris wrote in an Instagram post announcing the news.

Nearly one month after making the reveal, the expectant mother floated down the 2019 CMA Awards red carpet in a dramatic two-piece Honayda gown, featuring a plunging neckline and oversized long sleeves. And, considering Morris has a baby boy on the way, the soft, baby blue hue of her dress was perfectly fitting. 

Jennifer Nettles, Sugarland frontwoman and The Righteous Gemstones actress, didn't mince any words with the look she donned for the 2019 CMA Awards. Nettles arrived to the award show wearing a sleek white pantsuit complete with a dramatic, hot pink cape designed to send a message to the country music industry — literally. 

The back of Nettles' eye-catching cape featured a drawing of a woman's face and the Venus symbol, along with the words "equal play." Posing for photographers on the red carpet, Nettles lifted her cape to reveal the messages printed on its interior, including the strongly worded, "Play our f*@#in records."

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Nettles explained the message she hoped to send with her ensemble, which was designed by Christian Siriano and featured art by Alice Mizrachi. Nettles told ET, "When I heard that the CMAs were going to be celebrating women this year, I thought, what a fantastic opportunity ... to send a message to the rest of the industry that says women are supremely underrepresented and people want to hear our music and our records played on country radio and on country playlists just as equally." 

Kacey Musgraves has been credited with redefining country music for a new generation, and the bevy of accolades with which she's been presented certainly seem to prove that both fans and critics alike enjoy the singer's interpretation of the genre. At the 53rd Annual Country Music Association Awards, the "Space Cowboy" songstress won the award for female vocalist of the year, as well as the music video of the year for her colorful ballad "Rainbow." 

Colorful is perhaps the perfect word to describe Musgraves, as the country music superstar is no stranger to rocking bold looks (and making bold statements). For the 2019 CMA Awards, Musgraves posed for photographers on the red carpet wearing a feathery, canary yellow gown designed by Valentino, which featured long, feathered bell sleeves and sparkling sequin detailing (via Entertainment Tonight). 

While her husband, Ruston Kelly, was nowhere to be found, the raven-haired star brought one of her BFFs, supermodel Gigi Hadid, as her CMAs date. While far from a country music pro, Hadid did wear a pair of white Western-inspired boots to walk alongside her pal. Talk about total BFF goals!

For most people, running into an ex is a pretty awkward situation –  especially if your ex's current girlfriend is one of the most recognized pop stars in the world. However, for country music superstar Miranda Lambert, seeing her ex-husband, Blake Shelton, out and about with girlfriend Gwen Stefani is nothing new. And, if being in the same room with her former husband does, in fact, bother Lambert, it's certainly hard to tell. After all, the "Tin Man" songstress married NYC police officer Brendan McLoughlin in February 2019, following their months-long, whirlwind romance — and the star definitely still seemed to have her newlywed glow as she walked the 2019 CMA Awards red carpet.

Ahead of the ceremony, Lambert looked pretty in pink as she posed for photographers in a bold, eye-catching fuchsia gown, complete with a plunging neckline, a thigh-high slit, and sparkling floral embellishments. Later, Lambert traded her pink gown for a short, red, reflective minidress, which she donned while taking to the CMAs stage to perform her hit single "It All Comes Out in the Wash."

Perhaps we should call Reba McEntire "fancy," because the country music legend definitely didn't let us down with the looks she wore while co-hosting the 53rd Annual CMAs. 

On Nov. 5, 2019, McEntire confirmed to Us Weekly that she and her boyfriend of two years, Skeeter Lasuzzo, had split. The country music star told the publication that the breakup was amicable, saying, "We still talk and we're friends, but just decided to go our separate ways."

Of course, breakups are never easy — but McEntire obviously didn't let a broken heart keep her from looking (and sounding) her best at the 2019 CMA Awards. Ahead of the ceremony, the star stunned on the red carpet, wearing a sleek, sparkling, black evening gown with a figure-flattering, mermaid silhouette. Later, McEntire graced the CMAs stage with a jaw-dropping performance of her hit song "Fancy," during which she sported not one, but three incredible looks — a lilac gown with a white feather boa, a sparkling ruby dress, and, for the number's final outfit change, a shimmering red jumpsuit that just may be our favorite of 2019 (sorry, Fleabag). 

Halsey is on a quest to prove there's no genre of music she can't make her own. 

In April 2019, she made her K-pop debut alongside the mega-famous Korean boyband BTS, lending her vocals to their hit single "Boy With Luv." Obviously, Halsey isn't one to shy away from experimenting with her craft. Still, nothing could have prepared us for the heart-wrenchingly beautiful duet she performed with country music trio Lady Antebellum at the 2019 CMA Awards. Wearing a baby pink pantsuit, the star sat alongside Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood to perform a stunning rendition of the group's hit "What If I Never Get Over You," before they went on to dazzle the crowd with a performance of Halsey's hit song "Graveyard." 

Ahead of her CMAs debut, Halsey channeled major old Hollywood glam vibes. The singer floated down the red carpet, posing for photographers in a floor-sweeping dress with a floral print designed by Nedo. Along with large, colorful rose motifs, the black ball gown featured an off-the-shoulder, plunging neckline — and its long, lace sleeves added an extra touch of elegance.

Kelsea Ballerini might not have taken home the coveted female vocalist of the year award at the 2019 CMA Awards, but the "Love Me Like You Mean It" songstress certainly had a lot to smile about. 

Ahead of the awards ceremony, Ballerini spoke with Entertainment Tonight about her upcoming third studio album, telling ET that the album — the title of which has yet to be announced — is set for an early 2020 release date. "It's the first album that I've not only written everything, but I've also co-produced," Ballerini revealed. She continued, "So, I'm like, really invested in it. I'm really excited."

Before taking to the 2019 CMAs Awards stage to perform a stunning acoustic performance of her song "Homecoming Queen," Ballerini sparkled — literally — in a Raisa Vanessa two piece ensemble in various shades of blue that came straight from the runway. Ballerini's show-stopping look featured a maxi skirt with a thigh-high slit and a long sleeved crop top, both of which were embellished with glittering jewels reflective of the country music star's bright future. 

Kristin Chenoweth might not be known as a country music superstar — but, trust us, this woman can sing. Chenoweth — who TV fans likely recognize from shows like The West Wing, Pushing Daisies, and Glee — got her start on Broadway, garnering critical acclaim for her performances in popular musicals such as You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Wicked. However, the Broadway gal happens to be an Oklahoma native, and Chenoweth has been quite vocal about her love for her Oklahoma country roots, which she channeled in 2011 for her fourth studio album, Some Lessons Learned. 

As evidenced by Kelsea Ballerini's reaction to seeing Chenoweth on the red carpet at the 2019 CMA Awards, the singer's star power reaches far beyond the bright lights of Broadway. While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Ballerini caught a glimpse of Chenoweth and immediately stopped the interview to have a fan girl moment, telling the former Wicked star, "You're so beautiful! I'm obsessed with you!" Ballerini then hugged Chenoweth, who appeared to be channeling Barbie in a one-shouldered, floor-length, bubblegum pink gown, complete with tulle detailing, jeweled embellishments, and a dramatic mermaid silhouette.