CMA Awards reveal first performers: Musgraves, Langley, McGraw, Lambert

The Country Music Association and ABC have announced the first round of performers for the 60th Annual CMA Awards.

Kacey Musgraves, Ella Langley, Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Cody Johnson, The Red Clay Strays, Zach Top and Tucker Wetmore will take the stage at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on November 18.

The ceremony will also feature a special tribute to Dolly Parton, the Country Music Hall of Fame member who died in August.

Lainey Wilson will host the show for a third consecutive year.

The broadcast airs live from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, and will be available on Hulu the following day.

Ella Langley leads this year’s nominees with nine nods, including Entertainer, Album (Dandelion), Female Vocalist, Musical Event and Music Video of the Year.

She is also nominated twice each for Single and Song of the Year.

Langley took home three CMA Awards last year, including Song and Single of the Year for “You Look Like You Love Me” with Riley Green.

Miranda Lambert has seven nominations this year, including two for Single of the Year, one for Album of the Year as a producer, two for Musical Event of the Year, Song of the Year as a songwriter and her 19th nomination for Female Vocalist of the Year.

With 70 career nominations, Lambert holds the record for the most CMA Awards nominations by a female artist.

Kacey Musgraves has earned five nominations this year, including Album (Middle of Nowhere), Song, Female Vocalist, Musical Event and Music Video of the Year.

Cody Johnson, the reigning Male Vocalist of the Year, is up for four awards: Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Single and Music Video of the Year.

Tim McGraw, who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame last month, is nominated for Musical Event of the Year.

He has 40 career CMA Awards nominations and will perform during the ceremony.

The Red Clay Strays, the reigning Vocal Group of the Year, are nominated again in that category.

Zach Top, the reigning New Artist of the Year, has two nominations: Male Vocalist and Album of the Year (Ain’t In It for My Health).

Tucker Wetmore receives his second CMA Award nomination, in the New Artist of the Year category.

At last year’s ceremony, Lainey Wilson won Album of the Year for Whirlwind.

Langley and Riley Green’s “You Look Like You Love Me” took Song and Single of the Year.

Post Malone and Blake Shelton’s “Pour Me a Drink” was named Musical Event of the Year.

The tribute to Dolly Parton will honor the country music legend’s influence and legacy, which have touched every corner of entertainment and beyond.

Additional performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.

A limited number of tickets remain available through CMAawards.com.

Fans will also get unprecedented access through CMA Awards Backstage Live, a second-screen TikTok experience hosted by Lauren Alaina and HaleyyBaylee.

In December, ABC will air the annual CMA Country Christmas special, hosted by Lady A.

The 60th Annual CMA Awards marks six decades of what the organization calls “Country Music’s Biggest Night.”

The show has been broadcast annually since 1967.

Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville has hosted the ceremony since 2006.

The CMA Awards are voted on by members of the Country Music Association, which includes industry professionals such as artists, producers, songwriters and executives.

Eligibility for the 60th awards covers recordings released between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.

The ceremony will air live on ABC, which has broadcast the CMA Awards since 2006.

Disney+ will carry the live stream for the third consecutive year.

Hulu will offer the show on demand starting November 19.

The tribute to Dolly Parton is expected to be a centerpiece of the evening.

Parton, who died in August at age 79, was a Country Music Hall of Fame member and a seven-time Grammy winner.

She was also a recipient of the CMA’s highest honor, the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2022.

Her song “I Will Always Love You” is one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Parton’s Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, remains a major tourist destination.

The CMA has not yet disclosed which artists will participate in the tribute.

Ella Langley’s nine nominations make her the most-nominated artist this year.