Post Malone and Chris Stapleton Open the 2024 CMA Awards with Rocking ‘California Sober’ Performance

The CMA Awards are off to a great start thanks to Post Malone and Chris Stapleton!

On Wednesday, Nov. 20, Malone, 29, and Stapleton, 46, opened the 58th annual country music awards show with a rocking performance of “California Sober.”

Both musicians took the stage wearing cowboy hats and were strumming their guitars as they belted out the lyrics to the track, which was featured on Malone’s country album F-1 Trillion.

“She said, ‘I’ll take you on a little trip/Come on, give these lips a try,” they sang, smiling at one another. “She said, ‘Baby, give me one more kiss/Before I kiss your ass goodbye.’”

In addition to his performance with Stapleton, Malone — who’s a first-time nominee at the CMAs — will also take the stage to perform “Yours,” a song inspired by his daughter.

Check out all of PEOPLE’s full CMA Awards coverage here.

Stapleton went into the night with five nominations, including the coveted entertainer of the year prize, and took home an early single of the year win for “White Horse.” Malone, meanwhile, is nominated for four.

Earlier this week, Malone leaned in to country music even further by teaming up with Jelly Roll for The Big Ass Stadium Tour throughout North America in summer 2025.

The massive tour kicks off April 29 in Salt Lake City and makes stops in major cities across the country before wrapping July 1 in San Francisco.

Malone’s F-1 Trillion was released in August and reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The project included star-studded collaborations including the No. 1 single “I Had Some Help” with Morgan Wallen, as well as “Pour Me a Drink” with Blake Shelton, “Guy for That” with Luke Combs and “What Don’t Belong to Me.”

The 58th Annual CMA Awards broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on ABC. The show streams the following day on Hulu.