On Nov. 2, the 11th annual Josie Music Awards (the JMAs) returned to Music City.
Honoring the best in the independent music industry across all genres, the JMAs handed out 244 total awards at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
The JMAs, the largest independent music award show in the world, were created by mother-daughter duo Josie Passantino-Boone and Tinamarie Passantino in 2015.
The pair wanted to create a space for independent music artists, songwriters and industry professionals to gather and celebrate their work.
The night’s top award, the lifetime career achievement honor, went to Lorrie Morgan.
The 66-year-old country singer, a top country stars of the ’90s, is known for her hits “Five Minutes,” “What Part of No,” and “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength”.
Morgan’s son Jesse Keith Whitley presented her the honor before she hit the stage to perform “A Picture of Me (Without You).”
Another one of the night’s top honors, the songwriter legend award, went to Steve Dorff, a songwriter who has written over 20 top 10 pop and country hits.
He was presented the award by John Berry and Bobby Tomberlin.
To see the night’s full winners list, read on.
Songwriter Achievement Winners:
To learn more about the Josie Music Awards, head to josiemusicawards.com.
Audrey Gibbs is a music journalist at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@tennessean.com.
Here is the full list of winners in Nashville for the 11th Annual Josie Music Awards 2025 – The Tennessean
