The 60th Annual Country Music Association Awards will be held on November 18, 2026, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC, Disney+ and streamed the next day on Hulu. Lainey Wilson will return as host for the third consecutive year.
Ella Langley leads nominations, with nine, which ties Miranda Lambert and Wilson's record for most nominations gained by a female artist in a single year.
Background In May 2026, the Country Music Association announced that its broadcast contract with ABC and Disney would be extended through 2032. They also announced the ceremony would be simulcast live from ABC and Disney+.
On August 25, 2026, the family and estate of Dolly Parton announced that she had died after a "brief battle with cancer". Dubbed the "Queen of Country Music", Parton was the 1978 recipient of Entertainer of the Year, she had forty-four CMA award nominations and won nine CMA awards. She also hosted the ceremony twice and was the recipient of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Parton's profound influence on popular culture, country music, and the Country Music Association are expected to impact the production of the 60th ceremony; although no dedications or special performances have been announced as of September 2026.
Following her first nomination for Single of the Year in thirteen years, and her first nomination as the main artist, Taylor Swift took to social media stating “Looks like I haven’t yee’d my last haw thank you CMA…See you there Nov 18”, seemingly confirming that the global icon will be attending the ceremony for the first time in ten years.
On September 14, the association announced that Brooks & Dunn, would receive the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first duo to receive the honor. Composed of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, it is the best selling country duo of all time, 1996 recipients of the Entertainer of the Year award, and currently hold the record for most wins in CMA Awards history, at twenty, including sixteen wins for Vocal Duo of the Year. The duo also hosted the ceremony three times. A statement by the CMA chief executive officer Sarah Trahern accompanying the announcement read, "few artists have left a mark on Country Music quite like Brooks & Dunn. As the most awarded duo in our genre’s history, Kix and Ronnie have spent more than three decades shaping the sound of Country Music. Their music has set a standard that still resonates with new generations of artists, while continuing to win over new generations of fans. We are proud to celebrate everything they’ve given to this genre and the mark they continue to leave on its future".
Nominees Nominations were announced on September 10, 2026 on Good Morning America by Lee Ann Womack and Hannah Harper, and were also broadcast on the CMA's official YouTube channel. The eligibility period for nominees is from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. Entertainer of the YearAlbum of the YearLuke Combs Cody Johnson Ella Langley Chris Stapleton Lainey WilsonAin’t in It for My Health — Zach Top Dandelion — Ella Langley Middle of Nowhere — Kacey Musgraves Parker McCollum — Parker McCollum The Way I Am — Luke CombsMale Vocalist of the YearFemale Vocalist of the YearLuke Combs Cody Johnson Chris Stapleton Zach Top Stephen Wilson Jr.Miranda Lambert Ella Langley Megan Moroney Kacey Musgraves Lainey WilsonVocal Group of the YearVocal Duo of the YearLady A Little Big Town Midland Old Dominion The Red Clay StraysBrooks & Dunn Brothers Osborne Dan + Shay Muscadine Bloodline Thelma & JamesSingle of the YearSong of the Year"Be Her” — Ella Langley “Choosin’ Texas” — Ella Langley "I Knew It, I Knew You” — Taylor Swift “Somewhere Over Laredo” — Lainey Wilson “The Fall” — Cody Johnson“Be Her” — Ella Langley, Smith Ahnquist, Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt "Beautiful Things” — Megan Moroney, Jessi Alexander, Jessie Jo Dillon, Connie Harrington “Choosin’ Texas” — Ella Langley, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor “Dry Spell” — Kacey Musgraves, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne "Gary” — Stephen Wilson Jr.New Artist of the YearMusician of the YearAvery Anna Carter Faith Emily Ann Roberts Tucker Wetmore Stephen Wilson Jr.Tom Bukovac, Guitar Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar Rob McNelley, Guitar Charlie Worsham, GuitarMusic Video of the YearMusical Event of the Year”Choosin’ Texas” — Ella Langley “Dry Spell” — Kacey Musgraves “Gary” — Stephen Wilson Jr. “The Fall” — Cody Johnson “White Horse” — Chris Stapleton“A Song To Sing” — Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton “Horses and Divorces” — Kacey Musgraves (feat. Miranda Lambert) “I Can’t Love You Anymore” — Ella Langley and Morgan Wallen “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” — Carly Pearce and Riley Green “McArthur” — HARDY, Eric Church, Morgan Wallen, and Tim McGrawWillie Nelson Lifetime Achievement AwardBrooks & Dunn
International Awards The international nominees were announced on September 3, 2026. International Artist Achievement AwardGlobal Country Artist AwardInternational Country Broadcaster Award Jordan Davis Drake Milligan Tucker Wetmore Lainey Wilson Wade Forster Gareth James Johnston Tami Neilson Shannon Ella Bob Harris Baylen Leonard Justin Thomson
Milestones and achievements Some, as reported by Billboard. Women account for four of the five nominees in the Single of the Year category for the first time ever. Ella Langley's dual nominations for "Choosin' Texas" and "Be Her" make her only the fifth artist in CMA history to ever be nominated twice in the same year for Single of the Year, for two works as the main artist; joining Miranda Lambert (2010), Alan Jackson (2002), Merle Haggard (1970), Johnny Cash (1969). Jay Joyce's nomination as a producer on Wilson's "Somewhere Over Laredo" is his fourteenth Single of the Year nomination, putting him second to Tony Brown for most nods in the category as a producer. Miranda Lambert surpasses Reba McEntire as the most nominated women in the Female Vocalist of the Year category, with nineteen. McEntire scored eighteen nods between 1983 and 2017. Shane McAnally becomes the most nominated person in the Song of the Year category after earning his eleventh nod for "Dry Spell", breaking a tie with Alan Jackson, who has ten nominations. Little Big Town earn their twenty-first consecutive nomination for Vocal Group of the Year, extending the longest consecutive nomination streak in CMA history. Brooks & Dunn currently is the most-winning CMA Awards act of all time with twenty wins. They have an opportunity to extend that lead this year. Lainey Wilson could become just the second woman to win Female Vocalist of the Year five years in a row. Only Miranda Lambert has accomplished the feat. Lainey Wilson could become the first woman to win three Entertainer of the Year trophies. Chris Stapleton could extend his Male Vocalist of the Year win count to nine. He currently holds the record in this category with eight wins. Ella Langley could win the top five awards in a single ceremony, only accomplished by Alan Jackson (2002).
References