CMA Awards reveal first performers: McGraw, Musgraves, Langley

Tim McGraw, Ella Langley, and Kacey Musgraves are among the first performers announced for the 60th CMA Awards.

The Country Music Association revealed the initial lineup on Thursday, November 5.

Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, The Red Clay Strays, Zach Top, and Tucker Wetmore will also take the stage.

The ceremony airs live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 18.

ABC and Disney+ will carry the broadcast starting at 8 p.m. ET.

The show will stream the next day on Hulu.

Lainey Wilson returns as host for her third consecutive year.

She hosted solo in 2025 after co-hosting in 2024 with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning.

Tim McGraw's appearance marks his first at the CMA Awards since 2017.

That year he performed his nominated duet "The Rest of Our Life" with Faith Hill.

McGraw has had a banner year in 2026.

He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

He also kicked off his residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas this week.

Ella Langley leads all nominees with nine nods.

Her nominations include Entertainer of the Year.

She performed her massive hit "Choosin' Texas" at the 2025 awards.

The song has dominated charts and even entered the conversation around the midterm elections.

Miranda Lambert follows Langley with seven nominations.

Lambert is now the most nominated female artist in CMA history.

She achieved that milestone in a year she did not release an album.

Her album "Crisco" will be eligible for the 2027 awards.

Kacey Musgraves and Ben West each received five nominations.

Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, and Stephen Wilson Jr. each received four.

The show will include a special tribute to the late Dolly Parton.

Parton died on August 25 at age 80 after a battle with cancer.

The Country Music Association said the tribute will be star-studded.

Details of the tribute have not yet been announced.

The CMA stated in a press release that the show will celebrate six decades of country music.

The lineup "brings together genre icons and the artists shaping its future," the association said.

Taylor Swift will attend the awards for the first time in 10 years.

Swift was nominated for Single of the Year for her song "I Knew It, I Knew You."

She announced her attendance on Instagram Stories on the same day nominations were revealed.

"LOOKS LIKE I HAVEN'T YEE'D MY LAST HAW THANK YOU CMA!!!!" Swift wrote.

"See you there Nov. 18," she added with a cowboy emoji.

Swift has not performed at or attended the CMAs since 2016.

What songs each artist will perform has not been announced.

It is also unclear whether any of the performers will collaborate on stage.

Langley already performed "Choosin' Texas" at the 2025 awards.

Fans have speculated whether she and Lambert will perform their duet "Snakeskin Boots."

Musgraves could bring a Spanish-language song such as her collaboration with Intocable on "Uncertain, Texas."

The 60th CMA Awards will be the first since Parton's death.

Parton was a longtime fixture of the awards and a Country Music Hall of Fame member.

The ceremony will air live on ABC and Disney+ on November 18.

It will be available to stream the next day on Hulu.

The first round of performers sets the stage for what the CMA calls a historic anniversary show.

More performers are expected to be announced in the coming days.

The full list of nominees was released in September.

The awards will honor the year's best in country music across multiple categories.

The Entertainer of the Year category includes nominees yet to be announced from the initial performer list.

Langley's nine nominations make her the most nominated artist of the night.

Lambert's seven nominations extend her record as the most nominated female artist ever.

The show's 60th anniversary adds significance to every performance and award.

McGraw's return after an eight-year absence is one of the most anticipated moments of the night.

His Hall of Fame induction earlier this year cements his legacy in the genre.

The Colosseum residency in Las Vegas is expected to run through 2027.

The CMA Awards have been broadcast annually since 1967.

The first ceremony was held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

The show moved to the Grand Ole Opry House and later to Bridgestone Arena.

Bridgestone Arena has hosted the awards since 2006.

The 2026 ceremony marks the 60th edition of the event.

The CMA defines the awards as the industry's highest honor for country music artists.

Voting is conducted by members of the Country Music Association.

Members include artists, songwriters, producers, and industry professionals.

The show typically draws millions of viewers on ABC.