CMA Awards Set to Reveal 2026 Nominees as Landmark 60th Ceremony Takes Shape

Country music’s road to its biggest night officially begins Thursday, Sept. 10, when the nominees for the 60th Annual CMA Awards are revealed during a pair of national announcements.

The first wave of nominees will be unveiled on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” where Lara Spencer will announce several of this year’s categories live on air.

Attention will then shift to Nashville at 8 a.m. CT, where country music veteran Lee Ann Womack and “American Idol” Season 24 winner Hannah Harper will reveal the remaining nominees during a special livestream on the Country Music Association’s official YouTube channel.

The livestream will also feature special voiceover appearances from SiriusXM’s “The Highway” host Cody Alan and Emmy-winning media personality Kelly Sutton.

This year’s nominations will recognize the artists and songs that helped define the past year in country music while also honoring the songwriters, producers, mix engineers, musicians and video directors working behind the scenes.

The nominees are selected by CMA’s Professional voting membership, with winners also determined through voting by members of the country music industry.

The nominations will set the stage for a historic celebration later this fall as the CMA Awards marks its 60th edition.

The 60th Annual CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 18. The ceremony will air on ABC and stream live on Disney+, with next-day streaming available on Hulu.

First held in 1967, the CMA Awards has grown into one of country music’s signature events and remains the longest-running annual music awards program on network television.

Beyond celebrating the genre’s biggest stars, the ceremony has traditionally spotlighted the writers, musicians and industry professionals responsible for shaping country music each year.

Media credential applications for the 60th Annual CMA Awards are scheduled to open Thursday, Sept. 10, through CMApress.com.