Lainey Wilson Returns to Host 2026 CMA Awards — SkimNews
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- Lainey Wilson will host the 2026 CMA Awards for the third consecutive year and second straight year as solo host, with the show airing live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on November 18
- Wilson first co-hosted the CMAs with Luke Bryan in 2024 before taking the role solo the following year
- Wilson, a 12-time CMA Award winner who took Entertainer of the Year in 2025, announced her hosting return Saturday on ESPN College GameDay, which broadcast from LSU in her home state of Louisiana
- The 60th anniversary CMA Awards is expected to include a tribute to Dolly Parton, who served as the first-ever female solo host of the show in 1988
- CMA Awards nominees for the 60th annual show will be announced Thursday, September 10 on Good Morning America, with Disney+ and ABC carrying the November 18 broadcast
Why it matters: Wilson's third-year hosting run coincides with the CMAs' 60th anniversary, giving the show its most experienced recent host for a milestone broadcast and locking in Disney+ and ABC's marquee country music property for November 18. The September 10 nominee reveal on Good Morning America will set the competitive frame for a year Wilson enters as reigning Entertainer of the Year.
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