Some friendships in country music are just too rowdy for the front row.
Word around the Bridgestone Arena is that Miranda Lambert and Ashley McBryde, two of country’s most unapologetically real women, are apparently not allowed to sit together at the CMA Awards anymore. The reason is simple. When these two get together, they turn a buttoned-up night of industry pats on the back into a back-of-the-class giggle fest, and we are here for every second of it.
Back in 2020, Miranda pulled up to the CMAs with a full cooler and a pocket flask like it was tailgate season. That same night, Ashley was right beside her at the table, and the two were having what looked like the best time in the building. In the middle of a pandemic, with everything feeling stiff and strange, they were the reminder that country music is supposed to be fun. It was refreshing, it was real, and apparently, it was a little too much for the folks in charge of seat assignments.
@mirandalambert Always be prepared y’all. #cmaawards ♬ original sound – Miranda Lambert
Ashley later admitted in an interview that she and Miranda are never seated together at award shows anymore. While she did not come right out and say they got banned, she hinted that their playful behavior might have had something to do with it. According to her, they spent most of that night talking trash and hyping each other up, which, if you ask us, is exactly what award shows need more of.
When you are in a room full of people that do what you do, it is nice to be able to sit down and talk trash about each other, because they do. Especially Miranda and Ashley. Ashley followed it up by saying that is why they do not seat them together anymore. Honestly, if that is the kind of energy they are bringing, they should be sitting front and center every year.
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The truth is, Miranda and Ashley are a rare kind of duo. They are talented as hell, but they also do not take themselves too seriously. They remind us that behind the glitz, behind the awards and performances, country music is still about people. Real people. The kind who bring coolers to fancy events and crack jokes about each other between performances.
What makes this all even better is the bond the two share off stage. Ashley has said in multiple interviews that Miranda has been a guiding light in her career, especially when the fame started to feel like too much. From giving social media advice to helping Ashley get comfortable in her own skin as a rising star, Miranda has always been in her corner. That kind of support does not come around every day in the entertainment world, and when it does, it is worth protecting, not splitting up with a seating chart.
It is pretty clear that Ashley and Miranda could not care less about the politics of award shows. They have both reached a point in their careers where showing up is more about seeing their friends and making memories than collecting hardware. If the CMAs want to keep things interesting, maybe next year they should put these two right back at the same table, roll some cameras, and just let the magic happen.
Until then, we will be over here hoping for a reunion and maybe a little flask action too. Because in a world full of rehearsed speeches and polite claps, Miranda and Ashley bring the kind of chaos we did not know we needed.
