CMA Awards nominations are officially out for 2026, with Ella Langley leading all artists with nine nods for the 60th annual Country Music Association Awards.
The announcement on Thursday, September 10, marks the beginning of the race toward one of country music’s biggest nights. Langley’s nominations place her at the center of the 2026 ceremony, while Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Ben West and several other major country names also earned multiple spots.
The 60th annual CMA Awards will take place Wednesday, November 18, at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The ceremony will air live on ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming available on Hulu.
Ella Langley Leads the 2026 CMA Awards Nominations
Langley enters the 2026 awards with the largest nomination total of the year. She received nine nominations, continuing an extraordinary run that has included major chart success and recognition from other country music organizations.
Her nominations include several of the ceremony’s most important categories. She is competing for Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, Single of the Year and Song of the Year, among other honors.
Langley’s two Single of the Year nominations are especially notable. Both “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas” appear in the category.
“Choosin’ Texas” also has a personal connection to Lambert. The two artists collaborated on the song, while Lambert also co-produced Langley’s album Dandelion.
Langley’s momentum follows an exceptional year. In February, she became the only woman to simultaneously reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts with “Choosin’ Texas.”
She also had a perfect showing at the 2026 ACM Awards, winning all seven awards for which she was nominated. That achievement makes her nine CMA nominations another major milestone in her rapidly expanding career.
Miranda Lambert Earns Six Nominations
Miranda Lambert ranks just behind Langley with six CMA nominations.
The recognition adds another significant chapter to Lambert’s long history with the awards. She remains one of the most decorated artists in CMA history and continues to compete in major categories.
Lambert is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year alongside Langley, Megan Moroney, Kacey Musgraves and Lainey Wilson.
Her connection to Langley is also reflected throughout this year’s nominations. Lambert co-wrote “Choosin’ Texas” and co-produced Dandelion, which earned an Album of the Year nomination for Langley.
The 2026 nominations also give Lambert another record-setting distinction. She now has 19 career nominations for Female Vocalist of the Year, moving ahead of Reba McEntire for the most nominations in that category.
That milestone comes during a year when Lambert remains deeply involved in several of the major CMA categories.
Kacey Musgraves and Ben West Receive Five Nominations Each
Kacey Musgraves and Ben West each collected five nominations.
Musgraves is among the leading artists competing across the major award categories. Her album Middle of Nowhere is nominated for Album of the Year.
The Album of the Year field also includes Langley’s Dandelion, Zach Top’s Ain’t In It For My Health, Parker McCollum’s self-titled album and Luke Combs’ The Way I Am.
West’s five nominations put him among the most recognized individuals of this year’s awards cycle. His presence highlights how the CMA Awards recognize not only performers but also the songwriters, producers and other professionals behind country music.
The awards are designed to recognize contributions throughout the recording process, rather than focusing exclusively on the artists appearing on stage.
Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Stephen Wilson Jr. Earn Four Each
Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Stephen Wilson Jr. each received four nominations.
Johnson is part of the five-artist Entertainer of the Year field. He will compete against Langley, Stapleton, Luke Combs and reigning winner Lainey Wilson.
Johnson’s “The Fall” is also nominated for Single of the Year.
Stapleton also returns to the Entertainer of the Year competition. His four nominations place him among the strongest overall contenders at this year’s ceremony.
Stephen Wilson Jr. likewise earned four nominations, giving him one of the largest totals among this year’s nominees.
Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson Among the Entertainer of the Year Nominees
The Entertainer of the Year category remains one of the central attractions of the CMA Awards.
The five nominees for 2026 are:
- Ella Langley
- Cody Johnson
- Chris Stapleton
- Luke Combs
- Lainey Wilson
Wilson is seeking another victory after winning the award in 2025. She also hosted the 2025 ceremony and will return as host for the 60th annual show.
Combs has three nominations overall, while Wilson also received three.
The category brings together established stars and a rapidly rising artist in Langley, making it one of the most closely watched races of the evening.
2026 CMA Awards Album of the Year Nominees
Album of the Year is another major category with a diverse group of nominees.
The five albums are:
| Artist | Album |
|---|---|
| Ella Langley | Dandelion |
| Zach Top | Ain’t In It For My Health |
| Kacey Musgraves | Middle of Nowhere |
| Parker McCollum | Parker McCollum |
| Luke Combs | The Way I Am |
The category represents several different directions within modern country music.
Langley’s Dandelion arrives after the singer’s remarkable chart run. Zach Top earned recognition for Ain’t In It For My Health, while Musgraves, McCollum and Combs bring established profiles to the competition.
Single of the Year Includes Taylor Swift
The Single of the Year category features five songs.
They are:
- “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
Swift’s nomination is particularly notable because “I Knew It, I Knew You” comes from Toy Story 5. Jack Antonoff received his first CMA nomination in the category as the song’s producer.
Langley becomes the only artist with two nominations in this year’s Single of the Year field.
The category also gives Wilson another opportunity to add to her 2026 recognition, while Johnson continues his strong showing across the major awards.
Song of the Year Nominees
The Song of the Year field includes:
- “Be Her”
- “Beautiful Things”
- “Choosin’ Texas”
- “Dry Spell”
- “Gary”
Song of the Year differs from performance-focused categories because the honor recognizes songwriting achievement.
That distinction makes the category especially important for the writers behind the songs. Langley appears again with “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas,” continuing her broad presence across the 2026 nominations.
Female Vocalist of the Year Competition
The Female Vocalist of the Year race features five prominent names:
- Miranda Lambert
- Ella Langley
- Megan Moroney
- Kacey Musgraves
- Lainey Wilson
Lambert’s appearance carries additional historical significance because she has now accumulated 19 nominations in the category.
Langley’s nomination reflects her rapid rise, while Moroney, Musgraves and Wilson add considerable experience and recognition to the field.
The category also demonstrates how the 2026 nominations combine established country stars with artists who have emerged strongly in recent years.
Male Vocalist of the Year Nominees
The Male Vocalist of the Year nominees are:
- Luke Combs
- Cody Johnson
- Chris Stapleton
- Zach Top
- Stephen Wilson Jr.
The field includes multiple artists who also appear elsewhere among the major nominations.
Combs, Johnson and Stapleton are competing for Entertainer of the Year as well, while Top and Wilson Jr. have earned broader recognition across the 2026 ballot.
Vocal Group and New Artist Categories
The Vocal Group of the Year nominees are Lady A, Little Big Town, Midland, Old Dominion and The Red Clay Strays.
The category brings together established groups with a newer act that has gained attention within the country scene.
The New Artist of the Year category features Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Emily Ann Roberts, Tucker Wetmore and Wilson.
This award provides one of the clearest opportunities for newer performers to gain recognition during the ceremony.
How the 2026 CMA Awards Nominations Were Decided
The CMA Awards use a professional membership voting system.
More than 7,000 Country Music Association members participate in the process. The membership includes artists, songwriters, music executives, publicists and other professionals working in the country music industry.
For the 2026 ceremony, the eligibility period covered work released or reaching peak national prominence between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.
The nomination ballot ran from July 6 through July 16. CMA members then participated in the second ballot from August 4 through August 17.
The final voting period is scheduled to run from October 1 through October 27. Deloitte handles the tabulation of the CMA Awards ballots.
When Are the 2026 CMA Awards?
The 60th annual CMA Awards will take place on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.
The ceremony will be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. It is scheduled to air live at 8 p.m. Eastern and 7 p.m. Central on ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming on Hulu.
Lainey Wilson will host the ceremony for a third consecutive year. She previously co-hosted the 2024 show with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning before becoming the solo host in 2025.
The 2026 ceremony also marks the 60th anniversary of the CMA Awards, adding another milestone to this year’s event.
What the CMA Awards Nominations Mean for the 2026 Race
This year’s nominations put Langley firmly at the center of the awards conversation.
Her nine nominations are the most of any artist, while Lambert’s six keep the veteran star close behind. Musgraves and West follow with five each, and Johnson, Stapleton and Wilson Jr. each have four.
The Entertainer of the Year field adds another layer of interest. Langley is competing against four established names, including the reigning winner Wilson.
Several of the same artists appear repeatedly across Album, Single, Song and vocalist categories. That overlap could make the November ceremony particularly significant for the artists with the broadest support among CMA voters.
The final results, however, will not be decided until the final voting period concludes in October.
For now, the nominations provide the clearest picture of which artists and creative professionals have earned the strongest recognition for the 2026 eligibility period.
Final Outlook for the 2026 CMA Awards
The 60th annual CMA Awards have already produced a major headline with Langley leading the nominations. Her nine nods place her ahead of Lambert and a crowded group of established country stars.
The ceremony will ultimately determine which nominees turn their recognition into CMA trophies, but the nomination list has already established the major contenders for country music’s biggest night.
Which 2026 CMA Awards nominee do you think will take home the most major wins? Share your pick and stay tuned for the latest confirmed CMA Awards updates.