The 2026 CMA Awards are set, and Ella Langley is the name to beat. The Country Music Association announced the nominees for “The 60th Annual CMA Awards” on Thursday, with Langley leading the field with nine nominations. The ceremony airs live Nov. 18 on ABC and Disney+, and will be available the next day on Hulu.
The biggest winner is Langley, whose total of 12 nominations leaves her above both Miranda Lambert, who received seven, and Kacey Musgraves, whose name appears on the ballot alongside producer Ben West for a combined total of five. Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Stephen Wilson Jr. each earned four nominations. Dave Clauss, Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson each secured three.
The nominations hold real weight. Lambert’s fresh nods bring her total to 19 Female Vocalist of the Year nominations, the most any artist has earned in CMA history. She still stands as the most-winning female in CMA Awards history, with 14 wins to her name. Stapleton has a chance to add to his Male Vocalist of the Year record; he presently holds eight wins in that category, and a ninth would push the record even farther beyond anyone else’s reach.
A win for Wilson would mark a historic first. She stands to become the first female artist to claim three Entertainer of the Year Awards. She also holds a chance to be the second woman to take Female Vocalist of the Year for five straight years, a feat Lambert has already accomplished. The group deciding the nominees is made up of a voting body of 7,083 people.
First-time nominees and Swift’s return
A total of thirteen individuals were nominated for a CMA award for the very first time this season. Among those on the list are Smith Ahnquist, Avery Anna, Jack Antonoff, Tim Cofield, Carter Faith, Austin Goodloe, Muscadine Bloodline, Emily Ann Roberts, Caylee Robillard, Laura Sisk, Joybeth Taylor, Thelma & James and Ben West.
Antonoff’s nomination is notable for its connection to Taylor Swift. He earned his first CMA nod for Single of the Year as a producer of Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You,” from Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5.” Swift has been nominated 28 times and won 10. Her last win came in 2017 for Song of the Year with “Better Man.”
Wilson will return as host. She will lead “The 60th Annual CMA Awards” live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. It marks her third consecutive year in the role and her second consecutive year as solo host.
Entertainer of the Year contenders
One of these five artists will walk away with the night’s top prize.
- Luke Combs
- Cody Johnson
- Ella Langley
- Chris Stapleton
- Lainey Wilson
Single of the Year
This prize recognizes the work of artists, producers and mix engineers alike, and the list below names those who were put forward for it.
- “Be Her” — Ella Langley. Producers: Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Ben West. Mix Engineer: Dave Clauss.
- “Choosin’ Texas” — Ella Langley. Producers: Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Ben West. Mix Engineer: Dave Clauss.
- “I Knew It, I Knew You” — Taylor Swift. Producers: Jack Antonoff, Taylor Swift. Mix Engineer: Laura Sisk.
- “Somewhere Over Laredo” — Lainey Wilson. Producer: Jay Joyce. Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce.
- “The Fall” — Cody Johnson. Producer: Trent Willmon. Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke.
The category lists Langley twice, each time paired with the same production team. On both of those tracks, Clauss is credited as the mix engineer.
Album of the Year
Awards for the Album of the Year nominees have gone to artists, producers and mix engineers alike.
- “Ain’t In It For My Health” — Zach Top. Producer: Carson Chamberlain. Mix Engineer: Matt Rovey.
- “Dandelion” — Ella Langley. Producers: Devin Dawson, Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Ben West. Mix Engineer: Dave Clauss.
- “Middle of Nowhere” — Kacey Musgraves. Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Luke Laird, Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Tashian. Mix Engineers: Serban Ghenea, Konrad Snyder.
- “Parker McCollum” — Parker McCollum. Producers: Frank Liddell, Eric Masse. Mix Engineer: Eric Masse.
- “The Way I Am” — Luke Combs. Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton. Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews.
Langley’s “Dandelion” gives her another chance to take home hardware. The album helped drive her nine total nominations.
Songwriting and vocalist categories
Songwriters are the recipients of the Song of the Year award. Here is the list of those nominated:
- “Be Her” — Songwriters: Smith Ahnquist, Michael Hardy, Ella Langley, Jordan Schmidt.
- “Beautiful Things” — Songwriters: Jessi Alexander, Jessie Jo Dillon, Connie Harrington, Megan Moroney.
- “Choosin’ Texas” — Songwriters: Luke Dick, Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor.
- “Dry Spell” — Songwriters: Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves, Josh Osborne.
- “Gary” — Songwriter: Stephen Wilson Jr.
The five women nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year are Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Kacey Musgraves and Lainey Wilson. The five men nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year are Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, Zach Top and Stephen Wilson Jr.
The nominees for Vocal Group of the Year include Lady A, Little Big Town, Midland, Old Dominion and The Red Clay Strays. For Vocal Duo of the Year, the list features Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, Muscadine Bloodline and Thelma & James.
This year’s crop of nominees includes two first-timers in the duo category. Muscadine Bloodline and Thelma & James each received their first CMA nomination.
Collaborations, musicians and videos
Artists and producers are eligible for the Musical Event of the Year award, and the people up for it this year are:
- “A Song To Sing” — Miranda Lambert (with Chris Stapleton). Producer: Dave Cobb.
- “Horses and Divorces” — Kacey Musgraves (feat. Miranda Lambert). Producers: Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Tashian.
- “I Can’t Love You Anymore” — Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen. Producers: Austin Goodloe, Ella Langley, Ben West.
- “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” — Carly Pearce & Riley Green. Producers: Carly Pearce, Ben West.
- “McArthur” — HARDY, Eric Church, Morgan Wallen & Tim McGraw. Producer: Jay Joyce.
The category is full of major collaborations from the year, including two appearances by Lambert, one alongside Stapleton and one with Musgraves.
The nominees for Musician of the Year include a guitarist, a fiddler, a steel guitarist, and two more guitarists. Tom Bukovac plays guitar, Jenee Fleenor plays fiddle, Paul Franklin plays steel guitar, Rob McNelley plays guitar, and Charlie Worsham plays guitar.
The award for Music Video of the Year recognizes both artists and directors. Here are the people up for the prize:
- “Choosin’ Texas” — Ella Langley. Directors: Ella Langley, Caylee Robillard, Wales Toney.
- “Dry Spell” — Kacey Musgraves. Directors: Hannah Lux Davis, Kacey Musgraves.
- “Gary” — Stephen Wilson Jr. Directors: Tim Cofield, Stephen Wilson Jr.
- “The Fall” — Cody Johnson. Director: Dustin Haney.
- “White Horse” — Chris Stapleton. Director: Running Bear.
One person named Langley shows up here, and she worked with Robillard and Toney to put together her own video for “Choosin’ Texas”.
New Artist and key numbers
Five artists have been named for the New Artist of the Year award: Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Emily Ann Roberts, Tucker Wetmore and Stephen Wilson Jr. Among them, Wilson Jr. holds four nominations altogether, with this one included in his count.
- Ceremony: “The 60th Annual CMA Awards”
- Air date: Nov. 18 on ABC and Disney+, next day on Hulu
- Location: Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena
- Host: Lainey Wilson (third consecutive year, second as solo host)
- Voting body: 7,083 people
- Most nominations: Ella Langley with 9
- Second-most: Miranda Lambert with 7
- Lambert’s Female Vocalist nominations all-time: 19
- Lambert’s career CMA wins: 14
- Stapleton’s Male Vocalist wins: 8
- First-time nominees: 13
- Swift’s career CMA nominations: 28
- Swift’s career CMA wins: 10
On Nov. 18, the ceremony streams live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, airing across ABC and Disney+. Hulu will make the show available the following day. Wilson returns to host the show for a third consecutive year even as she collects three nominations this time around.
The nominees were decided by a 7,083-person voting body.
Langley’s night holds promise for something remarkable. She sits atop the field with nine nominations in one year, and she carries a real chance to come away with wins across several categories, including Entertainer of the Year.
Lambert’s legacy is already secure. She holds the record for most wins by a female artist in CMA history with 14, and her 19 Female Vocalist nominations set a new bar. Stapleton’s dominance in Male Vocalist is unmatched, and a ninth win would extend his record further.
The 60th ceremony promises to be a milestone night for the genre.
Source: abc7.com
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