Morgan Wallen Surprises Fans With Ella Langley Duet — and Throws Shade at Award Shows
With the 59th Country Music Association Awards fast approaching, all eyes are on this year’s nominees — but it seems Morgan Wallen won’t be one of the faces in the crowd. Despite being up for three major awards — Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year (for I’m the Problem) — the country superstar once again hinted that he has no plans to attend the ceremony.
A Surprise at the Ryman
Wallen made the comment during a surprise appearance at Ella Langley’s sold-out show at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Saturday, November 7. Langley, 26, has been enjoying a breakout year, headlining her Still Hungover Tour and leading the CMA field with six nominations, including Female Vocalist and New Artist of the Year.
Before bringing Wallen out, Langley told the audience how special the night was for her:
“There’ve been a lot of artists play here that I am such a fan of, and Mr. Jason Isbell is one of them. I’ve been singing one of his songs for so long, and there ain’t no better person to come out and help me with this one than Mr. Morgan Wallen!”
The crowd erupted as Wallen walked onstage to join her for a duet of Jason Isbell’s 2013 hit “Cover Me Up.”
“It Takes a Lot More Than an Awards Show…”
Langley revealed she had spent two whole tours trying to convince Wallen to perform the song live with her. Wallen grinned and joked:
“Yeah, it takes a lot more than an awards show to get me out to Broadway these days, I’ll tell you that.”
The remark drew laughter from the audience — but also underscored his complicated history with award shows. Despite 18 career CMA nominations, Wallen skipped last year’s ceremony entirely after several controversies with the industry.
A Show-Stealing Duet
Their impromptu performance of “Cover Me Up” was nothing short of electric. Fans flooded TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) with clips of the duet, with one user writing:
“They need to release a cover of this together or do this at every show because… omg.”
The emotional ballad — one of Wallen’s longtime live staples — showcased the vocal chemistry between the two Alabama-born artists. Langley’s soulful tone blended seamlessly with Wallen’s gritty delivery, leaving the crowd in awe.
Ella Langley’s Big Year
In addition to her viral collaborations with Riley Green (“You Look Like You Love Me”) and now Wallen, Langley has quickly become one of the most talked-about rising stars in country music. With six CMA nominations, including Single, Song, Musical Event, Music Video, Female Vocalist, and New Artist of the Year, she’s poised for a major night when Lainey Wilson hosts the CMA Awards later this month.
@hanleyriggs UMMM… @morganwallen came out with @Ella Langley singing “Cover Me Up”#morganwallen #ellalangley ♬ original sound – Hanley Riggs
Whether or not Morgan Wallen shows up to the ceremony remains to be seen, but his Ryman cameo proved one thing — when he does take the stage, it’s worth the wait.