All of the Best Quotes from the 2019 CMA Awards

“I’m the same guy I was in high school, I just have a really cool job.”

— Luke Combs, on how fame has changed him, on the red carpet

"What do you call three women hosting the CMAs? Your lucky night!"

—Dolly Parton, on hosting the show alongside Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood

"I have loved every second of working with them, except maybe the part about us all sharing a dressing room. I mean, it's a fog of hairspray and shoes and costume changes. There are racks of clothes and ressed everywhere and for some reason, Dolly's rack is so much bigger."

—Carrie Underwood, joking about Dolly Parton's "rack"

"Carrie and Reba, I just love them. They're big now, I know they have a lot of fans and they're big on social media. Now I'm big on social security!" -Dolly

"Dolly! That's not true! You know you're ageless and timeless...and that parts of you are barely legal." -Reba

—Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire, joking about Dolly's age

“What do you have against men?” - Carrie

“Well me, if I get lucky!” - Dolly

—Joking about the female-centric show

"He said, 'You're real good. You're no Reba. But you're real good.' I cherish those little moments that are like that, that are truth and guidance from voices that we respect and admire. And I'm thankful for that and for this, and for the opportunity to step up."

—Ashley McBryde, talking meeting John Prine, after winning the CMA for New Artist of the Year

"Shay, I love you, man. You're my best friend in the world and you're my favorite singer in the entire world and I'm so thankful I get to do this with you."

—Dan Smyers of Dan + Shay, to Shay Mooney after the pair won Vocal Duo of the Year

"I would be really remiss if I didn't mention a huge facet of why this album sounds the way it does and we miss him so dearly. He texted me the morning that we got the nomination for album of the year this year and we were so excited, and that's our friend Busbee. His wife, Jess, is here tonight and she looks so beautiful. Thank you for sharing your husband with us once a month. My heart just goes out to you and your beautiful daughters. I hope that when they listen to this record or any of the songs that he made that made us all better, they know how amazing their father was."

—Maren Morris, on her late producer, Busbee, who passed away from brain cancer at 43

"Ultimately, I just want to say that the female creative spirit, female energy, it's really needed right now. It's really important and it's something that earth needs and so, whether it's me that's up here or any of the other women in this catagory, I just think that it's a beautiful thing and I'm very appreciative."

—Kacey Musgraves, accepting her award for Female Vocalist of the Year

"If they gave the award for this show tonight, I'd have to give it to Reba McEntire's performance. Kelsea Ballerini: If you want to know what an entertainer is, take a guitar, and just a single voice in the middle of an arena and shrink a room. Fantastic performance tonight. Luke Combs, this is your award in the future, hoss, I can tell you that."

—Garth Brooks, recognizing other performers while accepting his award for Entertainer of the Year