Ella Langley topped the field for the 60th Annual CMA Awards, with the Country Music Association announcing Wednesday that she picked up nine nominations — the most of any artist this year — including her first-ever nod in the show’s top category, Entertainer of the Year. She joins Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson in that race.
Key facts
- Ella Langley leads with 9 nominations, the most of any artist this year, including her first Entertainer of the Year nod
- Entertainer of the Year nominees: Langley, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson
- Miranda Lambert follows with 7 nominations; Kacey Musgraves and producer Ben West are tied for third with 5 each
- This year’s nominations include 13 first-time nominees
- Final voting closes Oct. 27, 2026, at 6 p.m. CT
- The 60th Annual CMA Awards air live Nov. 18, 2026, from 8 to 11 p.m. ET, from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, on ABC and Disney+ (streaming on Hulu the next day)
- Lainey Wilson returns to host for a third consecutive year — her second straight year as solo host
Miranda Lambert and the rest of the field
Miranda Lambert follows with seven nominations, four of them earned as a songwriter or producer on recordings by other artists — a total that also gives her the most Female Vocalist of the Year nominations of any artist in CMA history, with 19 over her career. Tied for third, with five nominations apiece, are Kacey Musgraves and producer Ben West. Musgraves is up for Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for “Middle of Nowhere,” both Song of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “Dry Spell,” and Musical Event of the Year for her duet with Lambert, “Horses and Divorces.” Four nominations went to each of Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Stephen Wilson Jr., while Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson landed three apiece. West, Langley’s producer, is credited on her singles “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas” and her album “Dandelion” — all five of his nominations are the first of his career.
Langley closes in on the all-time record
Langley’s nine nominations tie the record for the most in a single year by a female artist, a mark previously set by Lambert in 2010 and 2014 and matched by Lainey Wilson in 2023. It leaves her one shy of the all-time record of 10, set by Alan Jackson in 2002.
Single of the Year makes CMA history
The Single of the Year field is Langley’s “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas,” Lainey Wilson’s “Somewhere Over Laredo,” Cody Johnson’s “The Fall,” and Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” — the first time in CMA history that female artists account for four of the category’s five nominees. Swift’s nomination is her first CMA nod since 2022, when “I Bet You Think About Me,” her collaboration with Chris Stapleton, was nominated for Video of the Year, and her first Single of the Year nomination since 2013. Her new nominated track is the end-credits song from Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” co-produced by Jack Antonoff and mixed by Laura Sisk — a first CMA nomination for each of them.
Album, vocalist and new artist categories
Album of the Year nominees are Zach Top’s “Ain’t In It For My Health,” Langley’s “Dandelion,” Musgraves’ “Middle of Nowhere,” Parker McCollum’s self-titled album, and Luke Combs’ “The Way I Am.” Female Vocalist of the Year nominees are Lambert, Langley, Megan Moroney, Musgraves and Lainey Wilson. New Artist of the Year nominees are Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Emily Ann Roberts, Tucker Wetmore and Stephen Wilson Jr.
Morgan Wallen’s two nominations
Morgan Wallen, one of the genre’s biggest commercial draws, picked up two nominations this year, both shared credits in Musical Event of the Year: “I Can’t Love You Anymore” with Langley, and “McArthur” with HARDY, Eric Church and Tim McGraw. He was not nominated in any solo category, including Entertainer of the Year or Male Vocalist of the Year. Nominees are chosen entirely by a vote of CMA’s roughly 7,083 eligible professional members, and artists have no ability to opt out of consideration.
First-time nominees
This year’s nominations include 13 first-time nominees: 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.
When the show airs
Final voting to determine winners closes Oct. 27, 2026, at 6 p.m. CT. The 60th Annual CMA Awards will air live Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026, from 8 to 11 p.m. ET, from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, on ABC and Disney+, with the broadcast streaming on Hulu the following day. Lainey Wilson returns to host for a third consecutive year — her second straight year as solo host, making her the first woman to solo-host the CMA Awards twice.