Taylor Swift has earned her first CMA Awards nomination in four years. The Country Music Association tapped her 2026 single “I Knew It, I Knew You” for Single of the Year.
It is Swift’s first CMA nod since 2022, when she was nominated for Video of the Year alongside Chris Stapleton for “I Bet You Think About Me.” She last won a CMA Award in 2017, taking Song of the Year as a songwriter for Little Big Town’s “Better Man.” Her last Single of the Year nomination came in 2013 for “Highway Don’t Care” with Tim McGraw and Keith Urban — 13 years ago.
Who She’s Up Against
Swift faces stiff competition in the category. Ella Langley is nominated for her hit “Choosin’ Texas” and her newer release “Be Her.” Lainey Wilson is in the running for “Somewhere Over Laredo,” and Cody Johnson rounds out the list with “The Fall.”
A Historic Run on Country Radio
Swift released “I Knew It, I Knew You” in June as part of the Toy Story 5 soundtrack. The song has become a historic hit since then.
- It topped the Hot Country Songs chart.
- It reached Number Eight on the Country Airplay chart.
- It hit Number One on the Billboard Hot 100.
- It became the first song by a woman to have every country radio station reporting to Mediabase agree to play it in the first week.
The track also marks Swift’s apparent return to country music. “I love my country roots more and more the further along this path I get and I want to honor them more and more,” she said during an interview for the Recording Academy’s Icon Sessions. “I feel more tied to them, more loyal to them … The people that shaped who I am as an artist and as a writer, that all happened in Nashville.”
Ceremony Details and Schedule
The 60th annual CMA Awards will air on ABC and stream live on Disney+ on Nov. 18.
| Event | Date | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| CMA Awards ceremony | Nov. 18 | ABC and Disney+ |
Swift’s nomination signals a warm welcome back from the country establishment. Her last appearance in the Single of the Year category was over a decade ago. This time, she arrives with a song that has already dominated charts and broken radio records.
Source: rollingstone.com