In just a few months, country music’s biggest night will hit the stage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, and anticipation is quickly building with the official nominee list now in our hands.
This morning, GMA’s Lara Spencer kicked off the first round of category announcements for the 2026 CMA Awards, giving a glimpse into what’s to come with the nominees for Single of the Year and Album of the Year. One of country music’s best female vocalists, LeAnn Womack, kept the ball rolling alongside 2026 American Idol winner Hannah Harper, announcing the remaining potential award winners straight from the Grand Ole Opry.
To no one’s surprise, this year’s November 18 show is bound to be an Ella Langley frenzy, with the 27-year-old Alabama native snagging a whopping seven category nominations (and nine if you count her double-up appearances with two songs nominated for both single and song of the year). And if you think that sounds like a pretty unheard-of feat, you’d be correct.
Langley is the first person to be nominated for solo songs twice in the Single of the Year category in 16 years, following in the footsteps of mentor and co-producer Miranda Lambert, who accomplished the feat back in 2016. This is also Langley’s first year being nominated for the highly acclaimed award for Entertainer of the Year alongside ACM’s 2026 Entertainer of the Year Cody Johnson, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson.
Her “Choosin’ Texas” co-writer Lambert also had a successful year, snagging seven nominations, followed by Kacey Musgraves, who trailed behind with five nominations. As for their male competitors, Johnson, Stapleton, and Stephen Wilson Jr. each racked up four.
This year’s show will see some returning faces, including megastar Taylor Swift, who earned her first nomination in four years with her successful Toy Story single “I Knew it, I Knew You” (previously rejoining the country music award show with her 2022 nomination for Video of the Year alongside Chris Stapleton with “I Bet You Think About Me”).
It’s also excitingly the first time fan-favorite Southern Alabama boys, Muscadine Bloodline (composed of Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton), earned their first CMA nomination for Vocal Duo of the Year. To no one’s surprise, repeat winners Brooks & Dunn once again join the list alongside Brothers Osborne, Dan+Shay, and Thelma & James (another first-time nominee).
Fellow Newcomers Avery Anna, Emily Ann Roberts, Carter Faith, and two collaborators crucial to Langley’s standout year: Her photgrapher/videographer, Caylee Robillard, and songwriter Joybeth Taylor, also earned their first-ever CMA nods.
If you’re shocked to see Billboard’s reigning top artist and genre-crossing superstar Morgan Wallen appear just twice (both in the same category: Musical Event), you’re not alone. Wallen was once again left out of both Male Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year.
As for his massively successful 2025 album, I’m The Problem, that omission wasn’t necessarily a snub. The project was released two months after the July 2025 submission cutoff, making it ineligible for consideration this year.
Time will tell which artists will take home a trophy when the momentous 60th annual awards show kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on November 18, live on ABC. In the meantime, without further ado, here’s the full list of nominees:
Entertainer of the Year
- Luke Combs
- Cody Johnson
- Ella Langley
- Chris Stapleton
- Lainey Wilson
Single of the Year
- “Be Her” – Ella Langley
- “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
Album of the Year:
- 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:
- “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:
- “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
Music Video of the Year:
- “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.