Country music star Lainey Wilson, the reigning CMA and ACM Entertainment of the Year award winner, will be performing at the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day game featuring the Dallas Cowboys, the league announced Sunday, Oct. 13. This year, the Cowboys will face their NFC East rival, the New York Giants, at AT&T Stadium.
Last month, 17-time Grammy Award-winning rap superstar Kendrick Lamar was announced as the Super Bowl halftime show headliner in New Orleans on Feb. 9.
The Pulitzer Prize winner will have a lot of eyes on him when he takes the field at the Caesar Superdome. Last year’s Super Bowl attracted 123.7 million people — the largest TV audience on record, according to Nielsen.
While the Super Bowl is without question the NFL’s most watched game of the entire year, with many considering it to be a national holiday, the NFL’s most watched game of the regular season happens a few months earlier.
The NFL’s Thanksgiving game continues to break regular season viewership records. Last year’s game against the Washington Commanders averaged 41.8 million viewers, only beaten in ratings by 2022’s game between Dallas and the Giants with over 42 million viewers.
Wilson, coming off a Best Country Album win at this year’s Grammys, will follow in the footsteps of Reba McEntire, the Jonas Brothers and last year’s performer Dolly Parton.
Along with football and music, the halftime show will kick off the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign for the 28th time. The Red Kettle campaign itself is entering its 134th year.
The Salvation Army said it has raised over $3 billion since the first Red Kettle kickoff halftime show almost 30 years ago.
In a statement, Wilson called it an honor to kick off the Red Kettle campaign.
“We truly can do more good when we come together to serve those in need in our communities,” she said.
The Cowboys-Giants game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28, on Fox.