Key points
- The 60th Annual CMA Awards air live Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026, from 8 to 11 p.m. ET on ABC and, for the first time, live on Disney+.
- Ella Langley leads the field with nine nominations, including her first Entertainer of the Year nod, ahead of Miranda Lambert with seven.
- Lainey Wilson hosts for the third straight year from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena; Hulu carries the show the next day.
- Performers include Langley, Lambert, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Luke Combs, plus tributes to Dolly Parton and Brooks & Dunn.
Contents
- The CMA Awards air on ABC and stream live on Disney+
- How do you watch the 60th CMA Awards?
- Ella Langley’s nine nominations, category by category
- Why Miranda Lambert’s seven nods follow Langley’s
- Who to watch in the other big categories
- Performers and tributes for the 60th CMA Awards
- What happens after Wednesday
Country music’s biggest night turns 60 on Wednesday, Nov. 18, and for the first time viewers can stream it live without cable. ABC broadcasts the three-hour ceremony from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville starting at 8 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Central, while Disney+ carries the same live feed.
The story of the night is Ella Langley. The Alabama singer heads into the show with nine nominations, and many of them are shared with Miranda Lambert, who co-produced her records and is also running against her.
The CMA Awards air on ABC and stream live on Disney+
The Disney+ live stream is new this year. The Country Music Association announced it on May 12, 2026, as part of a deal with Disney that runs through 2032 and also covers CMA Fest and CMA Country Christmas.
Anyone who misses the live show can watch it on Hulu the next day, according to Music Row, which published the nominee list in September.
Here is when the show starts in the main time zones. Times outside North America fall on Thursday, Nov. 19.
| Where you are | Start time | End time |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Eastern (ET) | 8 p.m. Wednesday | 11 p.m. |
| U.S. Central (CT) | 7 p.m. Wednesday | 10 p.m. |
| U.S. Pacific (live start) | 5 p.m. Wednesday | 8 p.m. |
| UK and Ireland (GMT) | 1 a.m. Thursday | 4 a.m. |
| Central Europe (CET) | 2 a.m. Thursday | 5 a.m. |
| Sydney (AEDT) | Noon Thursday | 3 p.m. |
On the West Coast, local ABC stations may air the show at a different time, so check your local listings.
How do you watch the 60th CMA Awards?
You have three ways to watch, depending on whether you want it live and what subscriptions you have.
- Live on broadcast TV: tune to your local ABC station at 8 p.m. ET with an antenna, cable or satellite package.
- Live on Disney+: open the app at the same time; the CMA says the ceremony streams there live for the first time.
- On demand: catch up on Hulu from Thursday, Nov. 19, if you can’t stay up.
- Results only: the CMA announces winners during the broadcast, so the list of winners comes in as the night goes on.
Ella Langley’s nine nominations, category by category
Langley is nominated for Entertainer of the Year for the first time. She faces Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and the host, Lainey Wilson, according to the full list published by TheWrap.
Her other eight nominations come from one album and its singles. « Choosin’ Texas » is up for Single, Song and Music Video of the Year. « Be Her » competes for Single and Song. Her album « Dandelion » is in the running for Album of the Year.
She is also nominated for Female Vocalist, and for Musical Event of the Year with « I Can’t Love You Anymore, ».
« Choosin’ Texas » is why Langley is the favorite. Spin reported on Sept. 22 that the song had spent 23 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the longest run ever.
Why Miranda Lambert’s seven nods follow Langley’s
Lambert co-wrote and co-produced « Choosin’ Texas, » and that explains most of her nominations. Three of her seven come from her producer credits on Langley’s work: both singles and the « Dandelion » album.
She shares a fourth, Song of the Year for « Choosin’ Texas, » as a co-writer. Her own entries are Female Vocalist and two Musical Event nominations: « A Song to Sing » with Chris Stapleton, and « Horses and Divorces, » Kacey Musgraves’ track featuring Lambert.
So the two meet head-on in only one category, Female Vocalist of the Year. Megan Moroney, Kacey Musgraves and Lainey Wilson complete that field. In most of the other categories, a win for Langley is also a win for Lambert.
Behind them, Musgraves and producer Ben West have five nominations each. Johnson, Stapleton and Stephen Wilson Jr. have four.
Who to watch in the other big categories
Album of the Year pits « Dandelion » against Zach Top’s « Ain’t In It For My Health, » Musgraves’ « Middle of Nowhere, » Parker McCollum’s self-titled album and Combs’ « The Way I Am. »
Single of the Year includes Taylor Swift’s « I Knew It, I Knew You », from the « Toy Story 5 » soundtrack, alongside Wilson’s « Somewhere Over Laredo » and Johnson’s « The Fall. » Swift confirmed on Instagram that she will attend, her first CMA Awards since 2016.
Top, Combs, Johnson, Stapleton and Wilson Jr. are up for Male Vocalist. Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Emily Ann Roberts, Tucker Wetmore and Stephen Wilson Jr. compete for New Artist of the Year.
About 7,000 professional CMA members vote. Releases from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, were eligible.
Performers and tributes for the 60th CMA Awards
Langley, Lambert, Johnson, Musgraves, Tim McGraw, Zach Top, The Red Clay Strays and Tucker Wetmore were in the first round of performers. A second round added Stapleton, Combs, Moroney, Stephen Wilson Jr., Vince Gill and Wilson, who will sing as well as host.
According to Taste of Country, the show will feature 16 performances by 22 artists. Brooks & Dunn, also nominated for Vocal Duo, will receive the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Halestorm, HARDY and Marcus King will perform in their honor.
The show also includes a tribute to Dolly Parton, who died in August at 80.
Taste of Country also lists Swift among the performers, which would be her first CMA performance since 2013. The CMA has confirmed only that she will attend.
What happens after Wednesday
Entertainer of the Year is the award to watch on the night. Hulu has the replay from Thursday.