“Surprise Revealed: Inside Lainey Wilson 2023 CMA Awards Night with Secret Boyfriend ‘Duck’ Hodges!”
Devlin “Duck” Hodges showed up in full support of his girlfriend, Lainey Wilson, at the grand event of the 2023 CMA Awards held at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday. The couple stole the spotlight as they strolled down the red carpet hand in hand, with Wilson being the leading nominee in nine different categories.
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Wilson, the talented “Heart Like a Truck” singer, donned a striking black strapless jumpsuit with dramatic flared legs embellished with black satin ruffles. She accessorized her ensemble with a cowboy hat and eye-catching jewelry. Hodges, the former NFL player turned real estate agent, looked dashing in an all-black suit, perfectly complemented by his own cowboy hat.
During the ceremony, Wilson delivered a powerful rendition of her latest single, “Wildflowers and Wild Horses,” setting the stage on fire. As the night progressed, she secured two wins out of her nine nominations, including the coveted titles of music video of the year and musical event of the year for her collaboration with HARDY in “Wait in the Truck.”
Lainey Wilson
The public unveiling of their relationship occurred at the ACM Awards in May 2023, two years after they began dating in 2021. Reflecting on the decision to keep their romance private, Wilson shared with PEOPLE earlier this year, “I said, ‘We gonna see if you’re in it for the right reasons.’ Turns out, he is.”
Describing their shared experiences and camaraderie, she fondly expressed, “He’ll FaceTime me, and he’ll be with HARDY and Morgan [Wallen] and Luke [Combs], and I’m like, ‘Stop stealing all my buddies.’” Their initial meeting at Silverados, a local spot with free drinks, highlighted their shared down-to-earth values.
Now, openly discussing their relationship, Wilson expressed her happiness, stating, “Duck is the kind of dude who high-fives me on the way in the door and on the way out and says, ‘Go get it.’ He knows how important this dream is to me.”
The 2023 CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, aired live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 8th at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with exclusive streaming on Hulu the following day. For more on the latest from country music’s biggest night, explore PEOPLE’s comprehensive coverage of the CMA Awards.
