
Justin Timberlake’s Memphis, Tenn. roots were showing strongly on Wednesday night at the Country Music Association Awards in Nashville when he joined New Artist of the Year winner Chris Stapleton on stage for a couple of duets.
The pair joined forces on Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” and Timberlake’s “Drink You Away” and fans couldn’t have been more pleased.
“We had these nominations and thought we were gonna get, maybe, a slot to perform,” Stapleton told ABC News before the Wednesday night show. “So I called him up and asked him if he’d be interested in doing it and he was like, ‘Yeah man, I’m in. Just tell me when to show up.'”
Timberlake has repeatedly shared his respect for Stapleton on Twitter, style website Refinery 29 says. The upcoming artist also took home awards for Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year on Wednesday night.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Cybersecurity Experts Are Sounding the Alarm on DOGE
- Meet the 2025 Women of the Year
- The Harsh Truth About Disability Inclusion
- Why Do More Young Adults Have Cancer?
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Michelle Zauner Stares Down the Darkness
Contact us at letters@time.com