Ella Langley leads Country Music Association Awards nods, with mentor
Miranda Lambert close behind
[September 11, 2026]
By MARK KENNEDY
NEW YORK (AP) — Ella Langley, riding the wave of her crossover megahit
“Choosin’ Texas,” led Thursday's nominations for the 2026 Country Music
Association Awards with nine nods, followed by her mentor Miranda
Lambert with six.
Also among top nominees: Kacey Musgraves and Ben West with five
nominations each, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Stephen Wilson Jr.
with four nominations each, and Dave Clauss, Luke Combs and Lainey
Wilson with three nominations each.
Joining Langley in competing for the night’s highest honor — CMA
entertainer of the year — will be Johnson, Stapleton, Combs and Wilson,
who is aiming for a repeat.
Langley's “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas” both nabbed nominations for
single of the year, along with Taylor Swift's “I Knew It, I Knew You”
from the movie “Toy Story 5,” Wilson's “Somewhere Over Laredo” and
Johnson's “The Fall.” Producer-writer Jack Antonoff got his first
nomination in the single of the year category as producer of Swift's
song.
In February, Langley became the only woman to simultaneously hit No. 1
on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts,
all thanks to “Choosin’ Texas,” co-written with Lambert. Langley also
won all seven of her nominations at the 2026 ACM Awards.
Nominated for album of the year are Langley’s “Dandelion,” 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.” Song of the year
nominees are “Be Her,” “Beautiful Things,” “Choosin’ Texas,” “Dry Spell”
and “Gary.”
Lambert, whose 14 CMA awards are more than any other woman, co-produced
Langley’s “Dandelion” album and co-wrote “Choosin’ Texas.” Langley will
appear on Lambert's upcoming album “Crisco,” featured on the opening
song “Snakeskin Boots.”
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Ella Langley performs during the 61st annual Academy of
Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris
Pizzello, File)
 Lambert said Thursday in an
interview that although she has earned a haul of CMAs over the
years, this year is special because of the work she did on
“Dandelion.”
“This time’s a little different because I get to be nominated as a
producer, which has never happened before. So I’m really excited
about that,” she said.
Last year, Wilson, who hosted and performed at the CMAs, took home
the entertainer of the year award, as well as album of the year.
Male vocalist of the year went to Johnson, and Brooks & Dunn won
vocal duo of the year. Wilson will return as host this year.
The vocal group of the year category this year includes Lady A,
Little Big Town, Midland, Old Dominion and The Red Clay Strays. New
artist of the year candidates are Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Emily
Ann Roberts, Tucker Wetmore and Wilson.
Female vocalist of the year nominations pit Lambert and Langley
against Megan Moroney, Musgraves and Wilson. (Lambert has now passed
Reba McEntire with the most female vocalist of the year nominations
all-time with 19.) The male counterpart has Combs, Johnson,
Stapleton, Top and Wilson.
The prizes are nominated and voted on by more than 7,000 members of
the Country Music Association, which includes music executives,
artists, publicists, songwriters and other industry professionals.
The 60th annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville’s
Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 18 on ABC and Disney+, and the next day on
Hulu.
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