Billy Ray leaves girlfriend Liz Hurley awkward with | Music News

The 59th Annual Country Music Association Awards have formally kicked off.

The CMA Awards are being broadcast live on ABC from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Hosting tonight is nation singer Lainey Wilson, who is also up for six nominations tonight.

Billy Ray Cyrus and his British actress girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley introduced the first award of the night time. As the couple took the stage to announce the winner for Single of the Year, the Achey Breaky Heart singer launched into an awkward speech about his ‘hero’ Johnny Cash as Liz awkwardly stood by her man wanting beautiful in a crimson gown.

The couple, who went public with their relationship in April, made their award show debut at the CMA Awards. They had been launched by Lainey as “2025’s most exciting new duo.”

They hit the stage holding palms, Elizabeth wanting unbelievable in a low cut purple gown while Billy Ray wore an all black ensemble paired with a cowboy hat and sun shades.

Elizabeth and Billy Ray reached the microphone and as she said “Good evening!” Billy Ray shortly cut in and started to wax on about the late Johnny Cash. “My hero was a man in black. Johnny Cash,” he started.

“Johnny once said that when you got a song that you’re singing from the gut, you want the audience to sing it from the gut also.” And they gotta give you the chance to know that that’s what you are dwelling. And that’s your fact. And that’s what you are doing,” he went on to say.

Elizabeth stood by his side with a nervous smile plastered on her face before jumping back in to say, “And the artists in this class did just that. They are the nominees for single of the 12 months.”

Before revealing the winner, Billy Ray made it a point to mention that Johnny Cash won the award twice before. She laughed nervously as the couple fumbled with the envelope for a second before announcing You Look Like You Love Me by Ella Langley and Riley Green.

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Fans seen the awkward second, taking to X, previously Twitter to talk about the couple’s unusual look. “Elizabeth Hurley at the CMA’s has the same look on her face. I get when I stroll into a Starbucks… Lost,” one viewer wrote.

“What am I lacking? When I feel of Academy award presenters, I feel of actors. When I feel of #CMA Awards, I’m not sure Elizabeth Hurley would have been in my short listing. Oh effectively,” another wrote, as one noted, “Elizabeth Hurley is 60 and still bedazzling.”

Other presenters at the CMA Awards included Steve Martin, LeAnn Rimes, Bert Kreischer, and Ne-Yo, among others. After Elizabeth and Billy Ray introduced, Lainey announced that Johnny Cash’s spouse and singing companion, June Carter Cash, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2025, along with Tony Brown and Kenny Chesney, who took the stage shortly after.