country
MUSIC PEOPLE
NEWS
OCTOBER 2026 Volume 57 Number 10 Issue 680
Editor Kelly Gregory
Contributors David Allan, Janet Aspley, Donnie Ayers, Craig Baguley, Jonny Brick, Chris Brown, Tony Byworth, Rosie Carter, Don Cusic, Larry Delaney, Julie Flaskett, Marshall Gardener, Michael Hingston, Stan Hitchcock, Tony Ives, Sianna King, Spencer Leigh, John Lomax III, Bryce Martin, Adrian Peel, Paul Riley, Chris Smith, Tom Travis, Walt Trott, Dan Wallace, Dave Watkins, Jack Watkins
New release consultant Steve Tidbury
Photographers Patricia Presley, Barry Dixon
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Lainey Wilson © Disney / Robby Klein
CMA AWARDS 2026
T he 60th Annual CMA Awards is
shaping up to be a landmark evening for country music. The ceremony will take place on 18 November 2026 at Nashville’ s Bridgestone Arena, airing live on ABC and Disney +, with next-day streaming available on Hulu.
But before the awards night itself, the Country Music Association will mark a deeply emotional moment in the genre’ s history. Following the passing of Dolly Parton on 25 August, the CMA has announced a two-hour televised tribute special, CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton, airing live on Wednesday, 21 October from 9:00 – 11:00 PM EDT, again on ABC and Disney +, with next-day streaming on Hulu. The special will honour Dolly’ s towering legacy as an artist, songwriter, entertainer, humanitarian, and entrepreneur through live performances, personal stories, and archival footage, tracing her remarkable journey from the mountains of east Tennessee to becoming one of the most cherished and celebrated figures in American cultural history.
It is against that backdrop of reflection and celebration that the 60th CMA Awards will follow. Lainey Wilson will once again take centre stage as host, marking her third consecutive year in the role and her second as solo host. The reigning Entertainer of the Year will have plenty to contend with on the night, however, as she also finds herself nominated in that very category alongside Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, and leading nominee Ella Langley.
Langley, who was announced among the nominations on 10 September, tops the field with an impressive nine nods, followed by Miranda Lambert with seven, and both Kacey Musgraves and Ben West with five each. Langley’ s
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