The 60th Annual CMA Awards air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 18, 2026. Ella Langley leads the field with nine nominations. Several of the other top nominees also worked on her records, including Miranda Lambert with seven nominations, producer Ben West with five and mix engineer Dave Clauss with three.
Key Takeaways
- “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas,” both produced by Langley, Lambert and West and mixed by Clauss, are each nominated for Single of the Year and Song of the Year.
- Ben West is a first-time nominee with five nominations, including Album of the Year for producing Langley’s Dandelion.
- Thirteen nominees are first-timers, among them songwriter Joybeth Taylor, producer Austin Goodloe and video director Caylee Robillard from Langley’s team.
- Miranda Lambert’s seventh nomination this year brings her career total to 70, the most of any female artist in CMA history.
- Lainey Wilson hosts for the third consecutive year, and the show airs on ABC and Disney+ from 8 to 11 p.m. ET.
The 60th CMA Awards Recognize More Than the Artist
The CMA Awards don’t give every trophy to the name on the front of the record. Single of the Year and Album of the Year go to the artist, the producers and the mix engineers. Song of the Year goes to the songwriters, Musical Event of the Year includes the producers, and Music Video of the Year includes the directors. The nominees are chosen by the Country Music Association’s 7,083 voting-eligible professional members.
CMA CEO Sarah Trahern credited those members, whose collective voice decides every nomination. That shared-credit structure explains this year’s list. Langley’s year shows up in the nomination counts of her producers, her mixer and her songwriters as well as her own.
Ella Langley’s Nine Nominations Start With Two Singles
Ella Langley is nominated for Entertainer, Single, Album, Song, Female Vocalist, Musical Event and Music Video of the Year. She has two nominations each in Single and Song of the Year, for “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas.” Her Dandelion album is up for Album of the Year. “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” her duet with Morgan Wallen, is up for Musical Event of the Year. The “Choosin’ Texas” video is up for Music Video of the Year.
The nine nominations bring Langley’s career total to 16. Industry reports put her one nomination short of the single-year record Alan Jackson set in 2002. She’s also nominated for Entertainer of the Year for the first time, alongside Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson.
Miranda Lambert Earns Seven Nominations as Producer, Songwriter and Artist
Miranda Lambert’s seven nominations cover three different roles. Two Single of the Year nominations come from producing “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas” with Langley and West. An Album of the Year nomination comes from co-producing Dandelion. A Song of the Year nomination comes from co-writing “Choosin’ Texas” with Luke Dick, Langley and Joybeth Taylor.
The rest of Lambert’s nominations are for her own recordings. She’s up for Musical Event of the Year twice, for “A Song To Sing” with Chris Stapleton and her feature on Kacey Musgraves’ “Horses and Divorces.” She also earns her 19th Female Vocalist of the Year nomination, bringing her career total to 70, the most of any female artist in CMA history.
Producing has become a larger part of her work. Outside Langley’s records, the CMA’s producer credits point to the same move in Miranda Lambert’s 12-track country-disco album Crisco, which she co-produced with Jesse Frasure.
Ben West Arrives With Five Nominations in His First CMA Year
Ben West has never been nominated before, and he enters with five nominations. Two are Single of the Year nominations for producing “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas.” A third is Album of the Year for Dandelion, which he produced with Langley, Lambert and Devin Dawson.
West’s other two nominations come from beyond Langley’s solo records. He produced “I Can’t Love You Anymore” with Langley and Austin Goodloe. He also co-produced “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” with Carly Pearce for her duet with Riley Green. Both are nominated for Musical Event of the Year.
Dave Clauss and the Songwriters Complete the Credits
Dave Clauss mixed “Be Her,” “Choosin’ Texas” and Dandelion, which earns him three nominations this year and four in his career. On the songwriting side, “Be Her” was written by Smith Ahnquist, Michael Hardy, Langley and Jordan Schmidt. “Choosin’ Texas” came from Luke Dick, Langley, Lambert and Joybeth Taylor. Ahnquist and Taylor are both first-time nominees, as is Caylee Robillard, who co-directed the “Choosin’ Texas” video with Langley and Wales Toney.
Thirteen First-Time Nominees Mark the CMA Awards’ 60th Year
The CMA lists 13 first-time nominees this year: 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.
The list shows how many behind-the-scenes contributors are getting recognized. Producer Jack Antonoff and mix engineer Laura Sisk earn their first nominations for Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” in Single of the Year. Tim Cofield is nominated for co-directing Stephen Wilson Jr.’s “Gary” video.
The CMA Awards were first held in 1967. The 60th edition also honors the past: Brooks & Dunn will receive the 2026 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the show. Lainey Wilson returns to host for the third consecutive year and the second straight year on her own. The show airs on ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming on Hulu.
FAQs
When are the 2026 CMA Awards?
The 60th Annual CMA Awards air live on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, from 8 to 11 p.m. ET, from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
Who leads the 2026 CMA nominations?
Ella Langley leads with nine nominations. Miranda Lambert follows with seven, and Kacey Musgraves and Ben West have five each.
Who is hosting the 2026 CMA Awards?
Lainey Wilson hosts for the third consecutive year and the second straight year as solo host.
Who produced Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas”?
Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert and Ben West produced “Choosin’ Texas,” and Dave Clauss mixed it. The song was written by Luke Dick, Langley, Lambert and Joybeth Taylor.
Who are the Entertainer of the Year nominees?
The 2026 Entertainer of the Year nominees are Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson.
How are CMA Awards nominees chosen?
Nominees and winners are chosen by the Country Music Association’s voting-eligible professional members, who numbered 7,083 this year.
