Ella Langley Lands Two 2026 MTV VMA Nominations for 'Choosin' Texas'

We knew "Choosin' Texas" was having a year for the record books, but Tuesday still felt like a milestone. MTV rolled out the nominees for the 2026 Video Music Awards, and there's Ella's name — twice — for the song that has soundtracked all of 2026.

"Choosin' Texas" picked up a nod for Best Country and, the one that made us do a double take, a nomination for Song of the Year. That second category is the big all-genre pool, where a country single is going up against the pop titans leading the whole ballot. For a song that started as an Alabama girl's story and grew into a No. 1 across formats, seeing it in that room says everything about how far it has traveled.

The Best Country field is stacked this year. Ella is up against Kacey Musgraves' "Dry Spell," Lainey Wilson's "Somewhere Over Laredo," Luke Combs' "Back in the Saddle," Shaboozey's "Cowgirl," newcomer Stella Lefty's "Boston," and Tucker Wetmore's "Brunette." Good company, and a category we'll be watching closely.

Part of what got "Choosin' Texas" here is the video itself, which has racked up more than 70 million views and pulled in a few famous faces along the way. It's the kind of visual that keeps finding new fans months after release, and clearly the kind that gets an artist noticed by a voting body that lives and breathes music video.

The two nods cap a stretch that already includes her ACM haul and a fresh round of MusicRow recognition — if you missed that one, here's where her latest award nominations stand. "Choosin' Texas" itself has been a chart fixture for months; we dug into what the song is actually about and broke down its run to gold across the pond earlier this summer.

The 2026 VMAs air live Sunday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET from Los Angeles, carried on CBS and MTV with a stream on Paramount+. Madonna and Taylor Swift lead the overall field, but we'll be tuned in for one name in the country race.

If you want to catch Ella live before awards season, the second leg of the Dandelion Tour is about to roll — see the full run of dates and grab your seats. And if you're pulling an outfit together for the night, our Arena Night look is built for exactly that.