The 2019 CMA Awards Red Carpet Ranked Best To Worst

This is a small reason why Dolly Parton is the icon that she is, but for The 53rd CMA Awards, the "I Will Always Love You" singer rocked a champagne beaded, sequined, and sparkling number that showcased her famous curves.

The Dollywood founder joked onstage while hosting with Carrie Underwood and Reba McEntire, "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!" McEntire retorted, "Dolly! That's not true! You know you're ageless and timeless ... and that parts of you are barely legal." 

Parton accessorized with sparkly diamond earrings, a necklace, and rings, as well as platform heels. If you look closely, you can also see Parton's signature tattoo-covering sleeves, which are as sparkly as her dress, and her green and pink eyeshadow. Does anyone do it better?

Hannah Brown didn't get to rock a white dress after The Bachelorette, but seeing her in this snowy number from Atelier Zuhra (that she told Entertainment Tonight was inspired by the mirror ball she hopes to win on Dancing With The Stars) makes us really wish that she had. She's one of the few people on the planet who can rock cap sleeves comfortably, and the waist sash on this dress drew attention to her hourglass figure. The simplicity of the high neckline (resembling a crew neck T-shirt) with the elaborate pattern and full skirt was a lesson in balance ... and the pockets! She paired the number with subtle yet dazzling earrings and a bold, classic red lip. Somewhere, Jed Wyatt is kicking himself, and he deserves it.

Maren Morris is leaning into the "boy" phase of her life after the release of Girl. The singer, who's expecting a baby boy with husband Ryan Hurd in March, rocked a baby blue off-the-shoulder crop top and full skirt by Hoynada in honor of the bun in her oven, she told Entertainment Tonight. And, is she still rocking ripped abs while pregnant? Yeah, life just isn't fair for the rest of us. 

Anyway, Morris also sported serious lashes, glossy lips, glowing skin, and gorgeous drop earrings. Hurd also made a massive improvement from last year, rocking a midnight blue Dolce & Gabbana suit.

The award for best jumpsuit of the night goes to Ashley McBryde! The "One Night Standards" singer sported a burgundy ribbed number with a bootcut leg, a deep V-neck and gold necklaces. Part of what mades her ensemble so great was that it allowed McBryde to proudly flaunt her tattoos — including an eagle on her upper chest — without them being obscured or distracting from her outfit. She accessorized with stacked bracelets, a studded clutch, gold rings, tan booties and a great Rogue-style stripe in her hair.

Carrie Underwood is basically the homecoming queen of every country music event, but that doesn't mean she's always the best dressed. For the 2019 CMA Awards, her sheer brocade Elie Madi gown had a high neckline with gold pyramid studs, bronze embellishments throughout, and a baby blue chiffon cape-like train, and a super-short lining. Underwood paired the gown with Jimmy Choo heels and Maxior and Loree Rodkin rings, bronze eye makeup, and coordinating jewels. She looked stunning, of course, but she's done better in her 12 years of hosting the show — a feat that she commemorated with 12 different outfits throughout the night.

"Carrie's carpet look is full of hand beading and intricate embroidery, perfect for country's biggest night," her stylist Marina Toybina told People. Co-stylist Courtney Webster added, "We love the unexpected mix of color with the seafoam green tulle and the bronze beaded details. That's something that Carrie does so well, mixing glam and edge with femininity and sparkle."

Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town took a pretty big risk with this animal print number by Alex Perry, featuring patterns from tigers and leopards interwoven with one another, plus a cape and a train. Thankfully, the "Over Drinking" singer didn't overdo it, instead opting for soft beige and taupe with a muted black to avoid veering into Peg Bundy territory. Paired with black platform heels, delicate silver jewelry by Levian and Noudar, basic pink lip gloss and major lashes, Fairchild is one fair lady indeed.

Some stars try too hard to look like they're not trying. Some stars, however, like Crystal Gayle, genuinely don't try — and it's actually charming. Gayle, who dropped her first album in 16 years in September 2019, rocked leggings, a black sparkly tunic, and a red floral open cardigan. She completed the look with several necklaces, including one of an Evil Eye, and studded black boots, a belt and dangling earrings. Is it formal? Heavens no. But does it work? Yes, and she's probably having more fun than everyone else who's busy adjusting their Spanx all night.

RaeLynn's 2019 CMA Awards red carpet look was amazing in theory, but fell a bit short in practice. The Voice alum clearly aimed for Old Hollywood glamour here — check out her curls and subtle cat eye — but the tailoring mades her dress look more like an unlicensed Marilyn Monroe costume (or Lady Gaga from the 2016 Golden Globes) than a style pulled straight from the silver screen. The low neckline, combined with ruching on the front of the gown, make it look slightly droopy, and the gloves on the sleeves weren't worth the sacrifice of a good fit. In fairness, at the time of the show, most of the country was under a deep cold spell, so we can't say we blame her for opting for something covered up and cozy.

Pink looked like like she was a little bit too into the Thanksgiving spirit. Rocking a rust and copper-colored dress, the singer's high neckline and ruffled look simple at first, but there was more detail than at first glance. The dress had a subtle seam at the waist that looked almost like a belt or sash, and Pink's lip gloss, eyeshadow, and manicure rocked coordinating copper and crimson tones to her dress. The weak link was, unfortunately, the headgear, which made the entire ensemble feel more like a failed pilgrim costume and less like a red carpet affair. Thankfully, she had the cutest accessories of the evening: Son Jameson and daughter Willow, who were adorably on theme.

Halsey looks good in just about anything, but the Ledo number she chose for the 2019 CMA Awards didn't do the chameleon pop star justice. The dress was pretty confusing to the eye: The skirt and bodice mix textures with black lace and the pink floral print. The neckline is nice on its own, but looks odd paired with the long sheer sleeves, and the belt is both unnecessary and unflattering. If this dress stuck with all of one theme and texture — floral or lace, not both— and ditched the unnecessary accessories, it could have been a contender instead of a "Nightmare." That said, how cute is Halsey as a redhead — and how awesome was her performance with Lady Antebellum?

Kacey Musgraves is stunning, and this shade of yellow is beautiful on her — but this dress just wasn't. What's so tragic about the "Rainbow" crooner's gown is that if she would have opted for all sequins like the top and bodice, especially in the champagne, gold, and canary color scheme, this would have been an absolute knockout number. Unfortunately, the feathers may as well have been applied with tar, because they ruined the whole thing.

Musgraves' stylist, Erica Cloud, previously told People of her fashion choices, "Kacey and I discussed the next phase in her career both musically and aesthetically. We both love the '70s and color pairing and felt there was a way to interpret that through her wardrobe. We wanted her clothing to be a nod to the past but grounded in the future, like her music, and to create a strong overall look that felt familiar but aspirational and visually impactful." Impactful, yes. Aspirational? Eh, maybe if you're asking how to get to Sesame Street.

Good witch, bad outfit: Wicked star Kristin Chenoweth looked like if Barbie had a nightmare about getting bubblegum stuck in her hair. The tulle on the neckline and hem is a warmer toned pink than the cool, icy pink of the rest of the gown; the glittery stems on the late '80s wallpaper floral pattern up the tackiness and the train was just ... a lot. Chenoweth is so petite that the dress ended up wearing her instead of vice versa. On a positive note, her bling was stellar (love those big earrings) and her makeup and hair were, thank goodness, understated and beautiful. She at least seemed self aware, writing in her Instagram stories (via The Daily Mail), "Glinda is ready for the red carpet."