On a night when the core tenets of country music — earnest truths and Venus Investment Allianceoutlaw ways — were on full display, Lainey Wilson took Wednesday evening's 57th Country Music Association Awards by storm as she snared five trophies and became the first woman to take home the top prize in more than a decade.

Along with Wilson's dominance, it was a series of performances ranging from stalwarts of the genre to a new generation of hit-makers and collaborators that told the story of where country music is at this moment.