Christmas in Little Big Town at the Opry was a seminal moment in country music, filled with many unforgettable performances, including Orville Peck’s incredible rendition of “Christmas All Over Again” by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers!

However, viewers witnessing Peck for the first time were likely asking themselves one question: Why was he wearing a mask?

The answer is complicated. Here’s everything fans need to know:

Why does Orville Peck wear a mask?

A hugely successful queer country music star, Peck has worn a different mask every time he took the stage. While ultimately no one Really knows the backstory behind Peck’s eccentric fashion choices, which hasn’t stopped the influential artist from answering questions about his masks over the years.

Although the star once joked that he “woke up one day and it was on my face,” Peck prefers to keep the story behind his face covering mostly a secret.

In a 2020 interview with GQPeck revealed that it’s ultimately up to his fans to theorize the meaning of his many, many masks.

“The only reason I don’t talk about it in detail is not because I want to avoid questions, but because I want people to have their own opinion on it,” he explained. “I don’t want to lay it out and nail it down. I just don’t think it matters.”

While his music stands out on its own – albums like 2022’s Bronco reached number 11 on the billboard Top country albums charts, his mask has become a topic of conversation for fans and critics alike.

Will Orville Peck ever show his face in a performance?

Early in his career, Peck wore various types of fringe masks that completely covered his face – and while his mask appears to be getting smaller over time, he hasn’t completely dropped the iconic fashion choice from his repertoire yet.

“I reveal a little more and more every time,” Peck explained in a 2024 interview with Rolling Stone. “I don’t want to go into it too much, but it’s kind of a parallel to my songwriting and what I want to be as an artist and a person, which is to be more and more vulnerable and to reveal a little bit more of myself through my music.” I know So I don’t know where it’s going to end and I don’t know what it’s going to look like in the end. But I think this is important.”

Will he (partially) hide his face for the rest of his career? That’s a question only Peck can answer.

“I really like evolution in artists and I think the mask has always meant a lot to me artistically,” he said. “But I’m getting bored. For me it loses quality. But I also think that sticking to one thing sometimes holds you back a little.”

Ultimately, fans may suspect that Peck puts on the mask every time he takes the stage for one reason and one reason only: Because he can!