Ella Langley Leads 2026 CMA Awards Nominations With Nine, as Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves Also Score Big Tallies

Ella Langley spearheaded the 60th Annual CMA Awards, securing nine nominations. This was largely attributed to her chart-topping single "Choosing Texas," which had spent 21 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. This achievement brought her one step closer to breaking Mariah Carey's record for the most weeks at No. 1 with Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Other prominent nominees included Miranda Lambert, who received seven nominations, and Kacey Musgraves and Ben West, who each earned five nominations.

Sarah Trahern, CMA's chief executive officer, remarked, "For six decades, the CMA Awards have celebrated excellence in Country Music. We’re grateful to CMA’s Professional members, whose collective voice determines every nomination, bringing real expertise to the balloting process each year." Congratulatory sentiments were extended to all nominees, with the event's milestone anniversary eagerly anticipated in November.

This year's contenders for the top accolade of Entertainer of the Year were Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Langley, Chris Stapleton, and Lainey Wilson.

The nominations were cast by CMA's 7,083 voting-eligible professional members, representing the diverse spectrum of country music. The 60th Annual CMA Awards were set to air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 18 at 8 p.m. ET. For further details, the full list of nominees is available below.