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The clock above counts down to the 60th CMA Awards on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, Country Music's Biggest Night, broadcast live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu the next day.
The CMA Awards are the senior US country music honors, presented by the Country Music Association since 1967. The 60th anniversary edition is a milestone broadcast that the CMA traditionally marks with retrospective performances and Hall of Fame tributes. Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville has been the show's permanent home since 2006, with the broadcast anchoring ABC's mid-November programming and consistently delivering one of the strongest non-sport TV ratings of the fall.
The CMAs are voted on by the roughly 7,000 industry-professional members of the Country Music Association, distinguishing them from the radio-airplay-led ACM Awards (held each spring in Texas) and the chart-driven Billboard Music Awards. Categories span Entertainer of the Year (the night's top honor), Male and Female Vocalist, Single, Album, Song, New Artist, plus musician and event-of-the-year awards. Performances historically combine genre veterans with breakout acts and headline-grabbing collaborations.
Nominations are announced in early September. Expected frontrunners for the 60th edition include returning Entertainer of the Year contenders Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton, and Jelly Roll. Cody Johnson, Megan Moroney, Zach Bryan (despite his complicated relationship with the awards body), Post Malone (after his country crossover), Kelsea Ballerini, and the wave of newer names like Shaboozey, Tucker Wetmore, and Dasha will compete in the genre and new-artist fields. Per CMA practice, expect a mix of co-hosts (Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning have anchored recent shows), classic country tribute segments tied to the 60th anniversary, and a Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement-style honor.
The 60th CMAs broadcast live on ABC at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT on November 11, with next-day on-demand on Hulu and Disney+. That is 1:00 GMT on November 12 in the UK, 2:00 CET on November 12 in Europe, and 6:30 IST on November 12 in India. International country fans can typically catch the show via licensed broadcast partners like CMT Australia. Pre-show red carpet coverage runs on the CMA's YouTube channel and ABC's "Countdown to the CMAs."
The CMAs anchor the November US awards corridor alongside the Latin Grammys 2026, and connect to the country-festival cycle around Stagecoach 2027 and Bonnaroo 2026. Music's broader fall awards arc continues to the 69th Grammy Awards.
When are the 60th CMA Awards? Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Where are the CMAs held? Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, the show's home since 2006. How can I watch the 2026 CMAs? Live on ABC at 8:00 PM ET, with next-day streaming on Hulu and Disney+. Why is the 2026 edition the 60th anniversary? The first CMA Awards were held in 1967, making 2026 the 60th annual ceremony.
