Morgan Wallen Leads the Pack as 2026 AMAs Country Nominees Bring Star Power & Surprises
- All Country News
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
The American Music Awards just dropped their 2026 nominations, and let’s just say, country music is more than holding its own this year.
Unveiled early Tuesday morning, this year’s nominees are packed with heavy hitters, breakout stars, and a few curveballs that have fans buzzing. And leading the charge? None other than Morgan Wallen, who continues his chart-dominating streak with a massive seven nominations.
Wallen Leads the Country Charge
Wallen is once again proving he’s one of the most powerful forces in music, not just country. His seven nominations put him just behind Taylor Swift overall, and his name shows up in just about every major category:
Artist of the Year
Album of the Year
Song of the Year
Collaboration of the Year
Best Male Country Artist
Best Country Song
Best Country Album
It’s a clean sweep kind of year for Wallen, whose presence across genres reflects just how far country music continues to reach.
Ella Langley’s Breakout Moment
Hot on his heels is Ella Langley, who’s having a career-defining year. With five nominations, she stands as the most-nominated female country artist, and arguably one of the biggest breakout stories of 2026.
Her nominations include:
New Artist of the Year
Song of the Year
Song of the Summer
Best Female Country Artist
Best Country Song
Langley’s rise has been fast, fiery, and fueled by fans, and that’s exactly what the AMAs are all about.
Surprises & Standouts
As always, the AMAs delivered a few surprises that have fans talking:
Shaboozey lands multiple nominations, continuing his genre-blending takeover.
BigXthaPlug breaks into major country categories, signaling the genre’s expanding sound.
Tucker Wetmore, Zach Top and Sam Barber earn recognition as part of the next wave of country stars.
Legendary groups like Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, and Zac Brown Band remind everyone that staying power still matters.
Meanwhile, the Artist of the Year category sees Wallen standing shoulder-to-shoulder with global icons like Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and Beyoncé-level heavyweights, further proof that country is firmly in the mainstream spotlight.
The Fans Have the Final Say
What makes the AMAs unique? It’s all about the fans. As the world’s largest fan-voted awards show, winners are determined entirely by public votes, based on streaming, sales, radio airplay, and touring data tracked by Billboard and Luminate.
Fans can cast their votes in two ways:
Commenting on Instagram “Vote Here” posts with the correct hashtags
Visiting VoteAMAs.com
Mark Your Calendar
The 52nd American Music Awards are set to light up Las Vegas on Monday, May 25, 2026, airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena! Hosted by Queen Latifah, the show promises to be a high-energy kickoff to summer. You can catch all the action on CBS or stream it on Paramount+.
From chart-toppers to rising stars, this year’s nominations prove one thing loud and clear: country music isn’t just part of the conversation, it is the conversation. Now it’s up to the fans to decide who takes home the hardware.
List Of Country Nominees
Best Male Country Artist
Morgan Wallen
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Riley Green
Shaboozey
Best Female Country Artist
Ella Langley
Kelsea Ballerini
Megan Moroney
Lainey Wilson
Miranda Lambert
Best Country Duo or Group
Old Dominion
Treaty Oak Revival
Brooks & Dunn
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band
Breakthrough Country Artist
Sam Barber
Tucker Wetmore
Zach Top
Best Country Song
BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman – “All the Way”
Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
Morgan Wallen – “Just in Case”
Russell Dickerson – “Happen to Me”
Shaboozey – “Good News”
Best Country Album
BigXthaPlug – I Hope You’re Happy
Megan Moroney – Cloud 9
Morgan Wallen – I’m The Problem
Sam Barber – Restless Mind
Tucker Wetmore – What Not To
Artist of the Year
Bad Bunny
Bruno Mars
BTS
Harry Styles
Justin Bieber
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga
Morgan Wallen
Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift
New Artist of the Year
Alex Warren
Ella Langley
KATSEYE
Leon Thomas
Olivia Dean
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