The 2026 CMA Awards just got a lot more star power. Luke Bryan and Vince Gill have been added as performers, along with Lainey Wilson, who is also hosting the show, plus Luke Combs, Megan Moroney, Mumford & Sons, Chris Stapleton, and Stephen Wilson Jr.
Brothers Osborne, Bryan, Halestorm, HARDY, and Marcus King will come together to celebrate Brooks & Dunn, who are this year’s recipients of the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
The newly announced artists are part of an impressive lineup that also includes Cody Johnson, Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Kacey Musgraves, The Red Clay Strays, Zach Top, and Tucker Wetmore. Several artists will also combine to honor Dolly Parton.
Langley leads the list of nominees, with a total of nine nominations. Langley is followed by Lambert, who has seven nods. Musgraves and producer Ben West have five, while Johnson, Stapleton, and Wilson each have four nominations.
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Lainey Wilson Returns to Host the 2026 CMA Awards
This is Wilson’s third year hosting the CMA Awards, and the second year by herself. In 2024, she hosted alongside Bryan and Peyton Manning.
“I don’t know if you can ever fully prepare for that, especially being a solo female doing it,” Wilson tells Entertainment Tonight. “The last solo female to do it was ’91 with Reba [McEntire], besides last year for me. I’m just honored. It’s huge.”
The Country Music Association Issues An Apology After Sammy Kershaw Unable to Walk the Red Carpet
The Country Music Association issued an apology after Sammy Kershaw revealed he was not allowed to walk the red carpet this year. Artists like Riley Green, Carly Pearce, Mark Chesnutt, Terri Clark, and others spoke out in defense of Kershaw.
“In recent days, several artists and their fans have spoken out about this year’s CMA Awards red carpet guidelines,” the statement begins. “Like any major televised event, the red carpet has criteria that exists to help manage limited space and the security needs for both the artists and the media. We are deeply sorry anyone felt excluded by those decisions.
“Our organization’s mission is to honor the history and celebrate the excellence of Country Music,” CMA continues. “With this 60th anniversary year, we are working extra hard to simultaneously spotlight the last six decades, while also celebrating what has been a tremendous year in 2026. It’s not easy to do all of that in just one night, but we are up for the challenge.”
The CMA adds that they have been in touch with Kershaw to find a solution.
The 2026 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 18. The show will air at 8:00 PM ET on ABC, and stream the next day on Hulu.