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Ella Langley is once again making waves in the music industry, this time with an impressive showing at the upcoming 2026 CMA Awards.
When the nominations were unveiled on Thursday, September 10, Langley emerged as the top nominee, earning a remarkable nine nods for the 60th annual ceremony. Her nominations span major categories including Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year for “Dandelion,” Female Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year for her collaboration with Morgan Wallen on “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” and Music Video of the Year for “Choosin’ Texas.”
This achievement ties the record for the most nominations in a single year by a female artist-a mark previously set by Miranda Lambert in 2010, matched again by Lambert in 2014, and most recently by Lainey Wilson in 2023.
Langley has also reached a milestone no other country artist has accomplished in 16 years. At just 27, she secured two nominations for Single of the Year with “Choosin’ Texas” and “Be Her.” This dual nod hasn’t been seen since Lambert earned solo nominations for “The House That Built Me” and “White Liar” back in 2010.
Industry insiders have taken note of Langley’s rare accomplishment. “ELLA LANGLEY IS IN RARE COMPANY,” noted Holler Country, highlighting the significance of this achievement.
Adding to the story, Miranda Lambert played a pivotal role in the creation of “Choosin’ Texas.” She co-wrote and co-produced the track, even inspiring its central theme during a songwriting retreat.
The idea stemmed from a quirky real-life tale Lambert shared about being pulled over while driving with a pet kangaroo, which blossomed into one of the biggest songs of the year. Lambert also lends background vocals to the track, which has dominated the charts – spending 21 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This impressive run ranks just shy of Mariah Carey’s record for the longest-running No. 1 hit with “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Billboard reports that “Choosin’ Texas” also held the No. 1 spot on the Hot Country Songs chart for 39 weeks and topped the Streaming Songs chart for 21 weeks.
In recent years, it’s been rare for female artists to receive multiple Single of the Year nominations. In 2023, Lainey Wilson was the only other woman to achieve this, but only one of her nominations was as a lead artist. Historically, dual nominations in this category have primarily been a male artist’s domain, with legends like Alan Jackson, George Strait, Jerry Reed, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash among those recognized.
Other contenders for Single of the Year at the 2026 CMA Awards include Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You,” Lainey Wilson’s “Somewhere Over Laredo,” and Cody Johnson’s “The Fall.”
The 60th Annual CMA Awards are set for Wednesday, November 18, 2026, live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, with the ceremony airing at 8 p.m. ET. Langley’s record-breaking nominations underscore her growing influence and prominence within country music’s elite.