CMT Awards 2023: Wynonna Judd Pays Tribute to Late Mom Naomi Judd During Performance

Wynonna Judd used the stage at the 2023 CMT Awards to pay tribute to her beloved mother, the other half of The Judds. Naomi died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound last year at 76, following decades of battling depression and mental illness. Wynnona told Entertainment Tonight that her return to the CMT Music Awards is “bittersweet.” She performed “I Want To Know What Love Is” alongside Ashley McBryde. During the performance, Wynonna pointed to the sky and said, “Mama, you need to be here.” Last year marked Wynonna and Naomi’s first TV performance in two decades at the 2022 CMTs. The performance turned out to be the duo’s final one together. Days after her passing, The Judds were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. “I’m going to use my time to talk to anyone out there who is struggling,” Wynonna told ET’s Cassie DiLaura. “It’s an opportunity to help somebody.” 

Days before the show, Wynnona gave fans an update about how things are currently for her. In a series of Instagram posts on her property in Tennessee with family and loves ones. She captioned the post: “How it’s going.”

Last year, she told CBS Sunday Morning that she said goodbye to her mother in the hospital after she was rushed there on the date of her death. “I got the call, and I went over, and I saw her, and that was that,” Wynonna said. “I said goodbye to her in the hospital, and I closed her eyes, and I kissed her forehead, and that was that. And the next thing I know, I’m sitting here on the front porch, on the side porch … you know, and I’m just tryin’ to figure out what’s next.” 

Since her death, Wynnona and Ashley have been fighting to have some death records sealed from the public. In the filing, they note the “private, incredibly sensitive” information within the files. 

According to Radar Online, the file allegedly contains handwritten notes by the detective on worked the case, body camera photos of the scene and the weapon, and photographs of texts with Ashley Judd and the Judd family psychologist. Also included is the pair of 911 calls from the tragic incident, an audio recording of Naomi Judd, and a slew of photos from the home exterior and interior.