Ella Langley Just Took Over the 60th CMA Awards, Leading All Artists With Nine Nominations
The country powerhouse earns her first-ever Entertainer of the Year nomination as Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and more score major nods ahead of Country Music’s Biggest Night.
Ella Langley is officially having a career-defining year.
The Country Music Association has revealed the nominees for “The 60th Annual CMA Awards,” and Langley leads the entire field with a staggering nine nominations, including her first-ever shot at the night’s biggest prize, Entertainer of the Year.
But she is not the only artist with plenty to celebrate. Miranda Lambert follows with seven nominations, while Kacey Musgraves and producer Ben West earn five apiece. Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Stephen Wilson Jr. each collect four nods.
The milestone 60th annual ceremony will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 8–11 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming available on Hulu.
Ella Langley Leads the Pack With Nine Nominations
Langley’s CMA Awards takeover stretches across nearly every major category.
She is nominated for:
Entertainer of the Year
Female Vocalist of the Year
Album of the Year for Dandelion
Single of the Year for “Be Her”
Single of the Year for “Choosin’ Texas”
Song of the Year for “Be Her”
Song of the Year for “Choosin’ Texas”
Musical Event of the Year for “I Can’t Love You Anymore” with Morgan Wallen
Music Video of the Year for “Choosin’ Texas”
Both “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas” are competing for Single and Song of the Year, giving Langley two chances to win in each category.
Her success also extends well beyond the microphone. Langley helped produce both singles alongside Miranda Lambert and Ben West, and she co-directed the “Choosin’ Texas” music video with Caylee Robillard and Wales Toney.
The nine new nods bring Langley’s career total to 16 CMA Awards nominations.
The Entertainer of the Year Race Is Stacked
Langley will face some of country music’s biggest live performers as she competes for her first Entertainer of the Year trophy.
The nominees are:
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Ella Langley
Chris Stapleton
Lainey Wilson
From stadium headliners and proven CMA champions to one of the format’s fastest-rising forces, this could become one of the night’s most closely watched races.
Miranda Lambert Makes More CMA History
Miranda Lambert is close behind Langley with seven nominations, adding another remarkable chapter to her already historic CMA Awards career.
Lambert is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year for the 19th time. With 70 career nominations, she remains the most-nominated female artist in CMA Awards history.
Her nominations also recognize her work behind the scenes. Lambert produced “Be Her,” “Choosin’ Texas” and Langley’s Dandelion album, in addition to co-writing “Choosin’ Texas.”
She is also represented twice in Musical Event of the Year: for “A Song To Sing” with Chris Stapleton and “Horses and Divorces” with Kacey Musgraves.
Kacey Musgraves Scores Five Major Nods
Kacey Musgraves earns five nominations spanning her songwriting, music, visuals and vocals.
Her album Middle of Nowhere is up for Album of the Year, while “Dry Spell” is nominated for both Song and Music Video of the Year. Musgraves co-directed its video alongside Hannah Lux Davis.
She is also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for “Horses and Divorces” featuring Miranda Lambert.
Musgraves now has 27 career CMA Awards nominations.
Stephen Wilson Jr. Lands in Four Categories
Stephen Wilson Jr. continues his rise with four nominations, including his first recognition in the Male Vocalist of the Year category.
His deeply personal song “Gary,” which he wrote by himself, earned nominations for Song and Music Video of the Year. Wilson Jr. co-directed the video with Tim Cofield.
He is also up for New Artist of the Year, bringing his career total to five CMA nominations.
Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton Remain Major Forces
Cody Johnson receives four nominations, including Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year.
His single “The Fall” is nominated for Single of the Year, while its Dustin Haney-directed visual is up for Music Video of the Year. Johnson has now collected 19 career CMA nominations.
Chris Stapleton also earns four nods. He will compete for Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year for “A Song To Sing” with Miranda Lambert and
Music Video of the Year for “White Horse.”
Stapleton’s career nomination count now stands at an impressive 46.
Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson Earn Three Nominations Each
Luke Combs returns to the Entertainer of the Year race while also earning nominations for Male Vocalist and Album of the Year. His project The Way I Am is among the five albums competing for the trophy.
Lainey Wilson earns three nominations of her own: Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Single of the Year for “Somewhere Over Laredo.”
Wilson now has 28 career CMA nominations, while Combs has earned 31.
Thirteen Artists and Creators Become First-Time Nominees
This year’s nominations also introduce a new class of CMA contenders.
The 13 first-time nominees are:
Smith Ahnquist
Avery Anna
Jack Antonoff
Tim Cofield
Carter Faith
Austin Goodloe
Muscadine Bloodline
Emily Ann Roberts
Caylee Robillard
Laura Sisk
Joybeth Taylor
Thelma & James
Ben West
West leads the group with five nominations for his production work on Langley’s “Be Her,” “Choosin’ Texas” and Dandelion, along with “I Can’t Love You Anymore” and Carly Pearce and Riley Green’s “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay.”
The Female Vocalist Category Is a Must-Watch
Five of country music’s most talked-about voices will face off for Female Vocalist of the Year:
Miranda Lambert
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson
With Langley leading the overall nominations, Lambert extending her historic run and Wilson returning as one of the format’s biggest stars, this race is loaded with storylines.
The New Artist Race Highlights Country’s Next Wave
The New Artist of the Year category features five artists who have each carved out a distinct place in today’s country landscape:
Avery Anna
Carter Faith
Emily Ann Roberts
Tucker Wetmore
Stephen Wilson Jr.
Four of the five—Anna, Faith, Roberts and Wilson Jr.—are first-time CMA nominees.
The Full List of CMA Awards Nominees
Entertainer of the Year
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Ella Langley
Chris Stapleton
Lainey Wilson
Single of the Year
“Be Her” — Ella Langley
“Choosin’ Texas” — Ella Langley
“I Knew It, I Knew You” — Taylor Swift
“Somewhere Over Laredo” — Lainey Wilson
“The Fall” — Cody Johnson
Album of the Year
Ain’t In It For My Health — Zach Top
Dandelion — Ella Langley
Middle of Nowhere — Kacey Musgraves
Parker McCollum — Parker McCollum
The Way I Am — Luke Combs
Song of the Year
“Be Her”
“Beautiful Things”
“Choosin’ Texas”
“Dry Spell”
“Gary”
Female Vocalist of the Year
Miranda Lambert
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson
Male Vocalist of the Year
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Zach Top
Stephen Wilson Jr.
Vocal Group of the Year
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
The Red Clay Strays
Vocal Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Muscadine Bloodline
Thelma & James
Musical Event of the Year
“A Song To Sing” — Miranda Lambert with Chris Stapleton
“Horses and Divorces” — Kacey Musgraves featuring Miranda Lambert
“I Can’t Love You Anymore” — Ella Langley and Morgan Wallen
“If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” — Carly Pearce and Riley Green
“McArthur” — HARDY, Eric Church, Morgan Wallen and Tim McGraw
Musician of the Year
Tom Bukovac — Guitar
Jenee Fleenor — Fiddle
Paul Franklin — Steel Guitar
Rob McNelley — Guitar
Charlie Worsham — Guitar
Music Video of the Year
“Choosin’ Texas” — Ella Langley
“Dry Spell” — Kacey Musgraves
“Gary” — Stephen Wilson Jr.
“The Fall” — Cody Johnson
“White Horse” — Chris Stapleton
New Artist of the Year
Avery Anna
Carter Faith
Emily Ann Roberts
Tucker Wetmore
Stephen Wilson Jr.
When and Where to Watch
“The 60th Annual CMA Awards” will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. The ceremony will be available to stream the following day on Hulu.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 18, through the official CMA Awards website.
With Langley entering the night as its most-nominated artist, Lambert adding to her record-breaking legacy and several first-time nominees crashing country music’s biggest party, the CMA Awards’ 60th anniversary is already shaping up to be one fans will not want to miss.
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