The annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards, held last night (November 19) at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, featured two significant performances from artists representing the fusion of hip-hop and country: Shaboozey and BigXThaPlug . Shaboozey, in particular, earned a standing ovation for his stirring set.
The evening’s performances saw BigXThaPlug join country star Luke Combs on stage. The pair delivered a rendition of “Pray Hard,” a track from BigX’s critically acclaimed third project, I Hope You’re Happy , which was released in August 2025. The album is noted for its blend of Hip Hop and country elements.
While BigXThaPlug is mainly recognized as a traditional rapper, Shaboozey has found fame deeply immersed in the country music wave. The Virginia native’s 2024 smash hit, “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” became a cultural phenomenon following his major co-sign from Beyoncé on her COWBOY CARTER album. The song dominates the charts, reaching the top of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and breaking records, including the most time spent at No. 1 on the Billboard Radio Songs chart. During the award show, singer Lainey Wilson gave a nod to the track by riffing on “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” with Shaboozey while he was in the audience.
Shaboozey later took the stage to prove his staying power, moving beyond his massive hit to perform his more recent single, “Took A Walk.” This song is taken from the soundtrack of the film The Long Walk . The stage presentation for the performance incorporates the movie’s theme, decorated to resemble a field, with Shaboozey walking along a path as he sang. He approached a guitar-wielding Stephen Wilson Jr. and, alongside a full band, the dynamic set earned a standing ovation from the audience. The CMA Awards telecast had kicked off earlier with a performance by Luke Combs.
Would you like to find a video clip of Shaboozey and Stephen Wilson Jr.’s standing ovation performance at the CMAs? You can watch the performance on the official CMA YouTube channel.
The duet by Shaboozey and Stephen Wilson Jr. performing “Took A Walk” was uploaded to the CMA YouTube channel shortly after the ceremony, so you should be able to find the full performance there. The scenic, cinematic set designed to look like a field earned them a standing ovation.
Additionally, the performance by BigXThaPlug and Luke Combs of “Pray Hard” is also available on the CMA YouTube channel. This performance was notable for the on-air broadcast having contributed bleeped out, although the official uploaded video may not include those censors.
You can search on YouTube for:
“Shaboozey & Stephen Wilson Jr. – ‘Took A Walk’ | Live at CMA Awards 2025”
“BigXthaPlug feat. Luke Combs – ‘Pray Hard’ | Live at CMA Awards 2025”