Country music sensation Lainey Wilson and her boyfriend, former NFL player Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges, made a striking couple at the 2023 CMA Awards. The event took place at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, where Wilson was the artist with the highest number of nominations in nine different categories.
The couple graced the red carpet together before the ceremony began. Wilson was dressed in an elegant black strapless jumpsuit with accentuated flare legs adorned with black satin ruffles. She completed her look with a cowboy hat and statement jewelry. On the other hand, Hodges, who has now moved into real estate, wore an all-black suit, complemented with a matching cowboy hat.
During the event, Wilson electrified the audience with a passionate rendition of her latest single “Wildflowers and Wild Horses”. By the middle of the show, she had already bagged two out of her nine nominations – music video of the year and musical event of the year, both for “Wait in the Truck” with HARDY.
Devlin “Duck” Hodges and Lainey Wilson. Photo by: JASON KEMPIN/GETTY
Hodges and Wilson started dating in 2021 but didn’t reveal their relationship to the public until he accompanied her to the ACM Awards in May 2023. In a previous conversation with PEOPLE, Wilson shared why they decided to keep their relationship under wraps initially. The singer joked about testing Hodges to see if he was in the relationship for the right reasons, which, to her delight, he was.
Wilson also talked about how they met through mutual friends in Nashville and bonded over their shared love for budget-friendly hangouts. After sharing their relationship with the world, Wilson expressed her happiness about being able to discuss it openly.
“Duck is the type of guy who cheers me on as I walk in and out the door, telling me to ‘go get it’,” she shared, expressing how supportive Hodges is about her dreams.
The 2023 CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, was broadcasted live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and was exclusively available for streaming on Hulu the next day