The Detroit Lions will host the Green Bay Packers for the 86th annual Thanksgiving Day Classic at Ford Field on Thursday, Nov. 27, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. The NFC North rivals last met in Week 1, when Green Bay earned a 27-13 win. This year’s holiday matchup will have more than divisional stakes; it will also feature one of Detroit’s most celebrated musical figures, who has been selected to perform the National Anthem.
The National Anthem Singer at the Packers vs. Lions Game
Renowned gospel musician CeCe Winans will take the field to perform the National Anthem before Thursday’s kickoff, returning to her hometown for one of the NFL’s most enduring holiday traditions.
Winans, 61, is one of gospel music’s most decorated and influential voices, known for her powerful vocal delivery, crossover appeal, and decades of award-winning work.
CeCe Winans is coming HOME this Thanksgiving 🙌🏿 Detroit gospel royalty—a voice that’s brought so much comfort—will sing the national anthem at the Detroit Lions 2025 Thanksgiving Day Game.
Grio Fam, will you be tuning in?https://t.co/rgo22LvYFO
— theGrio.com (@theGrio) November 26, 2025
Winans was born Priscilla Marie Winans in Detroit and grew up in a large family with seven brothers and two sisters. She says Thanksgiving is always centered on faith, family, food, and football.
“The Lions games were on all the time in our home. The idea that my family and I are part of such a rich heritage of music flowing from our hometown is so amazing, and we thank God every day,” she said in a statement. “I am so honored to come home and be a part of a very special Thanksgiving tradition. It’s going to be awesome.”
A 17-time Grammy Award winner, Winans holds the record for the most Grammys earned by any female gospel artist. Across her more than four decades in music, she has also received 33 Dove Awards and has been inducted into both the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her accolades extend to multiple Soul Train, Essence, and NAACP Image Awards.
Winans first gained national attention as half of the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans, performing alongside her brother BeBe. They found mainstream success with R&B-gospel hits such as “Addictive Love” and “I’ll Take You There,” helping to bring the gospel genre to broader audiences.
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She launched her solo career with the Grammy-winning album “Alone in His Presence,” and over the past 30 years has released many albums, including recent projects like “More Than This.” Among her most recognized songs today are “Goodness of God,” “Come Jesus Come” and “Holy Forever.”