Gotta stay prepared, y’all. The 2025 CMA Awards are quickly approaching, and the night should be a stellar one, with performers like Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton performing their duet “A Song To Sing” together for the first time live, and all of these groups joining previously announced acts Luke Combs, Ella Langley, Lainey Wilson, Zach Top, Stephen Wilson Jr., Megan Moroney, Shaboozey, BigXthaPlug and Tucker Wetmore. The CMAs also recently announced a second round of performers, including Red Clay Strays, Riley Green, Patty Loveless, Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Kelsea Ballerini and Old Dominion. View this post on Instagram Outside of the performances, I am sure there will be many other memorable moments from the night with Lainey Wilson hosting. Wilson has shared that she hopes the CMA Awards let her poke some fun at her friends and colleagues in her script, but we will have to wait and see if that wish comes true for the “Hang Tight Honey” singer. But before we see what Wilson has up her sleeve, we at Whiskey Riff have been having some fun taking a stroll down memory lane, reliving iconic and comical moments from the CMA Awards over the years. Right off the bat, some memorable moments you may be thinking of include Alan and George straight-up blasting pop country on stage, the time Charlie Rich got so intoxicated that he lit John Denver’s envelope on fire, or when Sturgill Simpson trolled the entire show when he busked outside of the arena with his Grammy in his guitar case. But actually, we are revisiting a moment today that occurred a few short years ago, when Miranda showed up to the 2020 CMAs with her own, fully stocked cooler filled with her favorite drinks to sustain her and her tablemates throughout the evening. Given that the awards show occurred during the pandemic, the setup was very different from how it typically is, with artists seated at tables to maintain social distancing. On top of that, only nominees and performers were allowed in the building, and no fans attended that year’s ceremony. Because of these changes to the ceremony, Miranda Lambert wanted to make sure she was comfortable during the awards show, taking no chances that the bar situation would be different, along with the other changes—and I respect it, honestly. Miranda Lambert was actually caught on live TV during the show, grabbing a flask out of said cooler and refilling her cup with an unspecified liquor (though I’d venture to guess it was Tito’s), which got some social media attention at the time. She later shared on TikTok that she did, in fact, bring it herself, noting to fans: “Always be prepared y’all.” Ain’t no shame in her game. And let’s be honest, there’s really no other way to get through an awards show like that… @mirandalambert Always be prepared y’all. #cmaawards ♬ original sound – Miranda Lambert Let’s be honest, some of the best viral moments from the CMA Awards come after artists have had a few drinks, like Luke Combs nailing the bass note during “Delta Dawn” in 2023. They should set Miranda Lambert and Luke Combs next to each other this year. I bet these two would get into some trouble… in the best way possible. @whiskeyriff Someone get him on “Delta Dawn” // : @Amanda Grace #whiskeyriff #cmaawards #countrymusic #lukecombs #deltadawn ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff The post CMA Awards 2020: Miranda Lambert Rolls Up To The Awards With A Fully Stocked Cooler – “Always Be Prepared” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.