Ella Langley is the leading nominee for the 60th annual CMA Awards, with nine nods. That ties the record for the most nods in one year by a female artist. That record was first set by Miranda Lambert in 2010 and then matched by Lambert in 2014 and equaled by Lainey Wilson in 2023. These tallies are just one off the all-time record of 10, set by Alan Jackson in 2002.
Other top 2026 nominees are Lambert with seven nods; Kacey Musgraves and Ben West with five each; Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Stephen Wilson Jr. with four each; and Dave Clauss, Luke Combs and Wilson with three each.
Vying for the night’s highest honor, entertainer of the year, are Combs, Johnson, Langley, Stapleton and Wilson.
Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” which has logged 21 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, more than any other non-holiday hit in the chart’s 68-year history, is this year’s only work that is nominated for single, song and music video of the year.
Female artists account for four of the five nominees for single of the year for the first time in CMA history. Langley is nominated for both “Choosin’ Texas” and “Be Her.” She’s just the eighth artist in CMA history to have two nominations in the same year in that category. She’s the first to do it since Wilson scored in 2023 with “Heart Like a Truck” and HARDY’s “Wait in the Truck,” on which she was featured.
Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” and Wilson’s “Somewhere Over Laredo” are also nominated in the category, along with one single by a male artist – Cody Johnson’s “The Fall.”
Fun Fact: “I Knew It, I Knew You” appears to be the front-runner to win the Oscar for best original song. “Somewhere Over Laredo” interpolates the melody of “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz, which won in that category in 1940.
Jay Joyce produced “Somewhere Over Laredo.” It’s his 14th nomination for single of the year, which puts him second only to Tony Brown for the most nominations in that category as a producer. Brown, who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2025, has had 16.
Miranda Lambert lands her 19th nomination for female vocalist of the year, which surpasses Reba McEntire for the most nominations in that category. McEntire tallied 18 from 1983 to 2017.
Shane McAnally is nominated for song of the year for cowriting Musgraves’ witty “Dry Spell.” It’s his 11th nomination in the category, which enables him to break out of a tie for the most nods in the category with Alan Jackson (10). Jackson won twice in the category, for “Chattahoochee” and “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).” McAnally has so far won just once, for co-writing Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow.”
Little Big Town now has the longest consecutive streak of nominations for vocal group of the year. They have been on the final ballot every year since 2006—21 years in a row.
This year’s nominees for new artist of the year are Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Emily Ann Roberts, Tucker Wetmore and Stephen Wilson Jr. It’s the second year in a row that Wetmore and Wilson have been nominated in the category. (The CMA allows artists two tries in this category.)
Jack Antonoff, who has won 14 Grammys, receives his first CMA nomination as a co-producer of Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You.”
First-time CMA Awards nominees, besides those already named, are Smith Ahnquist, Tim Cofield, Austin Goodloe, Muscadine Bloodline, Caylee Robillard, Laura Sisk, Joybeth Taylor, Thelma & James and Ben West.
The 60th annual CMA Awards, hosted by Wilson, broadcasts live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 18 (8:00 – 11:00 p.m. ET) on ABC, Disney+ and next day on Hulu. Wilson will become the first female artist to solo-host the show twice. Dolly Parton and McEntire each solo-hosted once.
Nominees for this year’s CMA Awards were revealed first on ABC’s Good Morning America, then via livestream on CMA’s official YouTube channel.
Winners of the 60th annual CMA Awards will be determined in a final round of voting by voting-eligible CMA professional members. The third and final ballot will be emailed on Thursday, Oct. 1. Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends Tuesday, Oct. 27 (6:00 p.m./CT). All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization, Deloitte.
The 60th annual CMA Awards is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the executive producer, Alan Carter is the director, and Jon Macks is the head writer.
Tickets for the 60th annual CMA Awards are on sale now here.
Here are the final nominees for the 60th annual CMA Awards.
Entertainer of the year
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Ella Langley
Chris Stapleton
Lainey Wilson
Single of the year
Award goes to artist, producer(s) and mix engineer(s)
“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
Album of the year
Award goes to artist, producer(s) and mix engineer(s)
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
Song of the year
Award goes to songwriter(s)
“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.
Female vocalist of the year
Miranda Lambert
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson
Male vocalist of the year
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Zach Top
Stephen Wilson Jr.
Vocal group of the year
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
The Red Clay Strays
Vocal duo of the year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Muscadine Bloodline
Thelma & James
Musical event of the year
Award goes to artists and producer(s)
“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
Musician of the year
Tom Bukovac – Guitar
Jenee Fleenor – Fiddle
Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar
Rob McNelley – Guitar
Charlie Worsham – Guitar
Music video of the year
Award goes to artist(s) and director(s)
“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
New artist of the year
Avery Anna
Carter Faith
Emily Ann Roberts
Tucker Wetmore
Stephen Wilson Jr.