CMA Awards 2026: How to Watch & Will Ella Langley Perform?

Short answer: The 60th Annual CMA Awards air live Wednesday, November 18 at 8/7c on ABC from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. They stream the same night on Disney+, and Hulu has them the next day. Ella Langley leads everyone with nine nominations, including her first Entertainer of the Year nod. The CMA hasn't announced performers yet, so nobody can confirm whether she'll play the show. As of November 3, the official Performers & Presenters page still says "to be announced."

How to watch the 2026 CMA Awards

• When: Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT
• Where it airs: ABC, live
• Streaming: Disney+ the same night, then Hulu the next day
• Where it's held: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
• Host: Lainey Wilson, who's back as host and is also nominated against Ella for Entertainer of the Year

Brooks & Dunn will also receive the CMA's Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award during the broadcast, per the CMA.

What Ella Langley is nominated for

Ella got nine nominations, which ties the most a woman has ever received in a single CMA year:

1. Entertainer of the Year, her first time in the category
2. Female Vocalist of the Year
3. Album of the Year, for Dandelion
4. Single of the Year, for "Choosin' Texas"
5. Single of the Year, for "Be Her"
6. Song of the Year, for "Choosin' Texas"
7. Song of the Year, for "Be Her"
8. Musical Event of the Year, for "I Can't Love You Anymore" with Morgan Wallen
9. Music Video of the Year, for "Choosin' Texas"

Our nominations breakdown has who she's up against in each category. For the big one, see can Ella Langley win Entertainer of the Year.

Will Ella Langley perform at the CMA Awards?

We don't know yet. The CMA usually rolls out performers in the weeks before the show, and this year's list hasn't come out. If she's added, we'll update this page that day.

Her schedule is free, at least. The Dandelion Tour ended October 31 in Saint Paul, and that was her last show on the calendar for 2026. She also just did a CMA broadcast in October, singing "Jolene" on the network's Dolly Parton tribute special. Until the CMA announces the lineup, though, a performance is a guess. Don't trust any site that says it's confirmed.

Why this year's show matters for her

She's arriving with the No. 1 song in America. "Choosin' Texas" went back to No. 1 on the Hot 100 and has now spent a record 26 weeks on top. The 2027 Grammy nominations come out November 16, two days before the CMAs, and Best New Artist is in play for her for the first time. That makes this one of the biggest weeks of her career so far. Entertainer of the Year usually comes at the very end of the broadcast, so stay up for it.

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