9 Biggest Snubs & Surprises From the 2026 CMA Awards Nominations

The nominations for the 60th Annual CMA Awards are officially out — and country music fans have plenty to talk about.

The nominees were announced on September 10, with Ella Langley leading the entire field with an incredible nine nominations. Miranda Lambert followed with seven, while Kacey Musgraves and producer Ben West each earned five.

But as exciting as this year’s nominations are, there were also some major surprises — and a few notable omissions.

From Taylor Swift’s unexpected return to the CMA conversation to questions surrounding Megan Moroney, Morgan Wallen and Cody Johnson, here’s a look at nine of the biggest snubs and surprises from this year’s nominations.

1. SNUB: Megan Moroney

Megan Moroney has had a massive year.

Her third studio album, Cloud 9, arrived in February and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming the biggest debut week for a country album by a woman in nearly two years.

She is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year, but many fans may be surprised that Cloud 9 wasn’t nominated for Album of the Year.

Her viral tour moments and successful year made her absence from some of the biggest categories one of the more noticeable omissions.

2. SURPRISE: Taylor Swift Is Back

Taylor Swift’s name appearing on the 2026 CMA nominations list was certainly unexpected.

The superstar earned two nominations for “I Knew It, I Knew You,” an original song from Toy Story 5.

Swift is nominated as both performer and producer, marking another appearance in the country awards conversation after years focused primarily on pop.

She previously won CMA Entertainer of the Year twice and last won a CMA Award in 2017 as a songwriter for Little Big Town’s “Better Man.”

3. SNUB: Morgan Wallen

Morgan Wallen earned two nominations this year, both in Musical Event of the Year.

He’s nominated for “I Can’t Love You Anymore” with Ella Langley and “McArthur” with Eric Church, HARDY and Tim McGraw.

Still, some expected to see Wallen competing for Entertainer of the Year, especially after another enormous year that included his stadium tour.

His absence from that category is one of the year’s biggest talking points.

4. SURPRISE: Chris Stapleton’s “White Horse”

“White Horse” was released back in 2023, making its appearance in this year’s Music Video of the Year category a surprise.

The reason?

Stapleton didn’t release the music video until November 2025.

The cinematic video stars Josh Brolin, Mae McKagan and Tommy Martinez, giving the longtime hit a fresh moment in the CMA spotlight.

The song already has an impressive awards history, having won both Single of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2024 CMA Awards.

5. SURPRISE: Stephen Wilson Jr. Has Four Nominations

Stephen Wilson Jr. is having a breakout CMA Awards moment.

After delivering a memorable 2025 CMA Awards performance of “Stand By Me” in honor of his late father, Wilson Jr. returns this year with four nominations.

He’s nominated for:

• New Artist of the Year
• Male Vocalist of the Year
• Music Video of the Year
• Song of the Year

He’s also recognized as a director for the “Gary” music video.

That’s an impressive showing alongside some of country music’s biggest established names.

6. SNUB: Riley Green & Parker McCollum

The Male Vocalist of the Year category is stacked with talent.

This year’s nominees are Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, Zach Top and Stephen Wilson Jr.

But two familiar names are missing: Riley Green and Parker McCollum.

Both artists had strong cases for a nomination, making their absence one of the more noticeable omissions.

McCollum did receive an Album of the Year nomination for his self-titled album.

7. SURPRISE: Brooks & Dunn Keep Rolling

Brooks & Dunn are once again nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year.

And that could give the legendary duo another opportunity to add to their incredible CMA record.

With 20 CMA Awards wins, Brooks & Dunn are currently the most-winning act in CMA Awards history.

They’ve also dominated the Vocal Duo category throughout their career, including back-to-back wins in recent years.

8. SNUB: Cody Johnson’s Album

Cody Johnson earned four nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year and Music Video of the Year.

But one major omission stands out: his album Leather Deluxe? — actually, his current project Banks of the Trinity — did not receive an Album of the Year nomination.

Considering Johnson’s strong showing across other major categories, the album’s absence is particularly noticeable.

9. SURPRISE: Women Are Making a Major Statement

Perhaps the biggest story surrounding this year’s nominations is the strength of the women in country music.

Ella Langley leads the entire field with nine nominations. Miranda Lambert has seven, while Kacey Musgraves has five.

Ella also becomes part of an especially competitive Entertainer of the Year lineup alongside Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson.

After years of conversations about women being overlooked at major awards shows, this year’s nominations show just how strongly female artists are represented at the top of the CMA ballot.

And with 13 first-time CMA nominees joining the celebration, the future of country music is clearly getting its moment, too.

The big night is coming.

The 60th Annual CMA Awards will take place live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 18, with Lainey Wilson returning as host.

Between Ella Langley’s historic nine nominations, Taylor Swift’s surprise return, Morgan Wallen’s omissions and a new generation of artists breaking through, this year’s CMA Awards already have plenty of storylines before the first award is handed out.

And on November 18, we’ll finally find out who turns those nominations into CMA gold.