The 2026 CMA Awards already have a frontrunner - and she came dangerously close to making history. Ella Langley leads this year's nominations with nine nods, just one shy of Alan Jackson's record 10 nominations from 2002. The 27-year-old country star is competing for major prizes including Entertainer and Female Vocalist of the Year, while her album Dandelion is up for Album of the Year.
Her Entertainer competition? No small names: Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson and Chris Stapleton. Clearly thrilled by the recognition, Langley kept her reaction short and sweet on Instagram: "What an honor @cma." Miranda Lambert follows with seven nominations, including a Female Vocalist of the Year showdown against Langley, Wilson, Megan Moroney and Kacey Musgraves. And yes, Taylor Swift is back in the country conversation.
Swift earned a Single of the Year nomination for her Toy Story 5 song I Knew It, I Knew You, marking her first nomination in the category since 2013, when she appeared on Tim McGraw's Highway Don't Care. Meanwhile, the Male Vocalist race features Combs, Johnson, Stapleton, Zach Top and Stephen Wilson Jr., while Lady A, Little Big Town, Midland, Old Dominion and The Red Clay Strays will battle for Vocal Group of the Year.
Wilson is also returning as host for the third consecutive year - and she's promising a party. "I'm excited to celebrate my friends. It's just been a huge few years for country music, so, it's gonna be a party." And with the ceremony celebrating its 60th anniversary, she has good reason to be excited. "I've had so much fun hosting the last two years," Wilson added, "and this one's going to be extra special." The 2026 CMA Awards air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on November 18.