New spouse, new child (or baby on the way), new tour, new companion animal, new extravagant purchase, and new number one: Wednesday night may have been the night when country music’s biggest singers walked the red carpet at the CMA Awards, but many of them were also going through major life changes at the same time, and they wanted to chat to PEOPLE about it! Listen in on the details:

Parker McCollum, who is now 30 years old and hails from Texas, has described this year as “the best year of my life by far.” He has received his first major awards and has been invited to perform at high-profile concerts, but there is an even more important reason why he considers this to be “the best year of my life.” His wedding to his bride, Hallie Ray Light, will take place on March 28.

But putting aside the romanticism of the situation, McCollum based his evaluation on some very practical factors.

He remarked, “It’s quite visible how much more productive and efficient my life is after I got married.” “It’s extremely noticeable how much more efficient my life is since I got married.” “Business is improving. I believe that just having a real location that you can call home will make it a lot simpler for you to negotiate the life of a road warrior. It was a great assistance to me.”

He rushed to clarify that it is not meant to imply that he is all work and no pleasure. In addition to the fact that his wife is often able to accompany him on the road, she and he are well aware of the significance of date evenings.

“It’s a bit difficult to get them in there, but we do our best,” he said. “This year has been so hectic for me. In all honesty, she deserves to be called a saint for putting up with my way of life to the extent that she has.

“Everybody’s like, ‘Are you nervous?’ Pardi stated. “No, I’m 37. I’m prepared to become a mother. There will never be a more convenient moment than right now.”

So, what exactly is it that he’s looking forward to?

The straightforward singer-songwriter from the country, who takes pleasure in working on his farm outside of Nashville, was unable to contain his dry sense of humor.

He said it with a deadpan expression, “I’m eager to be a parent so I have an additional ranch hand.” “She will make her way out there. I’ll show her how to drive a tractor, how to mow the grass, and other such tasks. She’ll be prepared for it.”

Taking the jokes into consideration, Pardi continued by saying that his wife is already well into the planning stages for the nursery, and that if he has the time, he may even make it a do-it-yourself project. He added, “I’m going to have to tear down some closets and two-by-fours.”

Charlie Worsham, a great guitarist as well as a singer-songwriter, was beaming on the red carpet as he spoke about the “wonderful season” that his 19-month-old son Gabe had lately entered. Worsham, who is 37 years old and has been on tour with Dierks Bentley’s band this year, said of Bentley’s son that he is walking and climbing on everything. “He’s such a kook. ” “He’s so silly. It’s at the point when he has the most potential to endanger himself without even realizing it.

In addition, he said that being a father had an impact on him in a manner that he had not anticipated: “I love how it informs my emotions and how that feeds back into my music. There are methods that you can occasionally accomplish it or get halfway there, but it’s kind of tough to mix this work with a regular life and a family life. However, there are ways that you can do it sometimes.

Worsham said, despite this, that his time spent with his family has assisted him in reevaluating his priorities. “Because it’s so difficult to say no in the music industry,” he said, “it’s a wonderful decision clarifier.” “You believe that if you decline their offer only once, they won’t bother calling you again. However, since I now have something at home that is far more essential, it is not as difficult for me to decline your invitation.

SPRING NUPTIALS: Travis Denning and his longtime love Madison Montgomery got engaged in October 2021, but according to him, they both have excellent reason to delay having a wedding this autumn. The nuptials will take place in the spring. The completion of Montgomery’s master’s degree is the unwavering focus of his efforts. And Denning, of course, is unable to focus on anything other than his own Georgia Bulldogs at the moment, who are now ranked first among colleges and universities.

“I ain’t got time to be concerned about a football game when I’m trying to get married,” said the convicted fan, “so we want to plan a spring wedding.” [Case in point:] “I ain’t got time to be worried about a football game while I’m trying to get married.”

The date has been decided upon, and he has verified that a location has been reserved. In addition, he said that he has composed “a couple” songs that may be performed during the wedding. It’s a surprising shift for an artist who isn’t renowned for putting out a lot of love songs, but he recently said that he’s been tapping into his more romantic side: “I’m writing what I know these days.”

Denning also disclosed that he and Montgomery had added another Great Pyrenees to their family. The new dog, a female called Nancy and named after a character from the Netflix show Stranger Things, is now keeping company with Ranger, who they acquired as a puppy the previous year. He was overjoyed to announce that the two canines are now “the best of friends.”

It will be Riley Green’s first opportunity to perform at a stadium tour, and he will also have the chance to spend more time with his girlfriend Sophia Sansone, who is Luke Combs’ day-to-day manager. Both of these factors contribute to Riley Green’s excitement about the prospect of going out on the road with Luke Combs in the upcoming year.

The two have been seeing one other for close to a year now. “I’ve got a lot of ex-girlfriends who would be blown away by that figure,” he remarked with a grin. “I’ve got a lot of ex-girlfriends.”

Sansone has already made a number of appearances on Green’s tour bus; however, he pointed out that she’ll have a choice when it comes to Combs’ tour, and he’s not quite certain that she’ll choose his show. He stated that since she travels with a lot of bags, she should use Luke’s bus because it has a lot more space in the rear than other buses.

Green has said that he is already considering ways in which his music may reach the higher levels of a stadium. Green, who is 34 years old, stated, “It’s something I never thought about when I was growing up playing clubs.” “It’s really about finding a way to put that same energy into it and singing songs that you know you believe in,” she said. “It’s really about finding a way to put that energy into it.” I believe that people are able to discern whether or not something is genuine.

One song that he has collaborated on with Thomas Rhett called “Half of Me” is quickly climbing the charts and is expected to be a hit with the listeners. “It’s fantastic to be able to ride Thomas’ coattails for a single,” Green remarked with a smile. “It’s great to be able to ride Thomas’ coattails for a single.” It’s been so exciting to hear the crowd shouting it louder with each passing week.

This week, Ingrid Andress was pleased to have some great timing as she made her way onto the red carpet at the CMA Awards with a recently minted number one single, “Wishful Drinking,” which was a duet between her and Sam Hunt. Since its debut in December of last year, the happy-sad confection, which she helped co-write, has been making a gradual but consistent ascent up the list.

Andress, who is now 31 years old, said that there were moments in her life when she believed she would never see the day: “I was thinking, there’s no way. And, well, I guess that’s all. Really out of control!

What kind of celebration was she having?

By attending the CMAs and “hanging out with all of my country family,” as Andress, who had just released her second album titled Good Person, explained it, “hanging out with all of my country family.” “It seems like this is the one time of the year when we truly have the chance to meet up with one another. It’s an honor to be considered for a nomination, and I’m always thrilled when I am, but what I really look forward to is the chance to meet new people.

This was the first time she went to an award presentation with a date, and she took her boyfriend of two years, Ben Hughes. This was also the first time she attended an award show.

She admitted that it was a significant move before turning to her signature dry humor and said, “We’ll see how it goes.”

Priscilla Block, who was walking the CMA red carpet for the first time, remembered precisely what she was thinking at the same moment a year ago: “Wishing I was here.”

The singer-songwriter, who is 27 years old, said that “this is a great night for me.” It has also been a significant year for her since she has published her first album, titled Welcome to the Block Party, and has followed up her breakout hit, titled “Just About Over You,” with the song “My Bar” and a duet with Justin Moore titled “You, Me and Whiskey.”

According to Block, her life has “changed a lot, yet it hasn’t changed a lot at the same time.” I’ve had the same close circle of friends and family around me for a long time, and I believe it has helped things go well. However, there are many more people, so that’s a positive.”

She said that her current success has enabled her to indulge in one particularly lavish purchase: “I bought a vehicle for myself.” It’s a relief to not have any more duct tape stuck to my vehicle at this point.

She continued by saying that there was “nothing special” about her new wheels.

She said, “I’m driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee that I bought from a secondhand car dealership,” as her mode of transportation. Although I’m not much of a spender, I’m grateful that it still functions well.