Eight Acts Join 2026 CMA Lineup; McGraw Returns — SkimNews
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- CMA Awards announced eight first-round performers for the Nov. 18 show: Ella Langley, Kacey Musgraves, Red Clay Strays, Zach Top, Miranda Lambert, Tucker Wetmore, Cody Johnson and Tim McGraw.
- Lainey Wilson will host the 60th CMA Awards at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena; the Nov. 18 show will air live on ABC and Disney+, stream on Hulu the next day and include a tribute to Dolly Parton.
- Tim McGraw will make his first CMA Awards performance since 2017, when he and Faith Hill performed the nominated duet “The Rest of Our Life.”
- Red Clay Strays are among six announced performers returning after performing at the 2025 CMAs, alongside Ella Langley, Kacey Musgraves, Zach Top, Miranda Lambert and Tucker Wetmore.
- Ella Langley leads the 2026 nominee pool with nine nominations, including Entertainer of the Year; her “Choosin’ Texas” dominated the charts and zeitgeist this year.
- Miranda Lambert has seven nominations, making her the most nominated female artist of all time; she released no record in 2025, and Crisco will be eligible in 2027.
- CMA Awards has not announced the performers’ songs or whether any of the eight will collaborate.
Why it matters: For country fans, the standout addition is Tim McGraw: his Nov. 18 appearance is his first CMA performance since 2017, joining a roster that includes six acts back from 2025. The announced roster is known, but with no songs or collaborations announced, the substance of those eight appearances remains unspecified.
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