CMA Celebrates Nominees Ahead Of 60th Annual CMA Awards

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Nominees for the 2026 CMA Awards. Photo: John Russell/CMA

CMA gathered the nominees for the 60th annual CMA Awards at the Grand Ole Opry for a celebratory dinner ahead of the Nov. 18 awards.

Among those attending were this year’s host, Lainey Wilson, as well as members of Old Dominion, Dave Haywood of Lady A, Thelma & James, Emily Ann Roberts, Charlie Worsham and Jenee Fleenor, as well as multiple producers, engineers, music video directors and musicians.

CMA CEO Sarah Trahern welcomed attendees and invited Wilson to lead a special toast for the group. This year’s event marked the final nominee dinner Trahern will host before her retirement. “This is one of my favorite nights every year because we get to recognize everyone in the business who made great music this past year,” Trahern said on stage. “[Country music] lyrics capture the sentiment of many of us. As we continue to go forward and look at the songs that you all are writing, that you’re producing, that you’re performing, that is the special magic that we have in country music.”

“When I moved here 15 and a half years ago, I moved from the village of Baskin, which is my town in northeast Louisiana, and I really didn’t know what to expect. When I got here, I realized pretty quickly that’s exactly what this community is,” Wilson shared. “It is a village, and I think that’s why Nashville is so special and unique. They say it takes a village to raise a child. I think it takes a village to raise a dream, and y’all do that every single day.”

The evening’s menu was curated by Josh Habiger.

Photo: John Russell/CMA

Photo: John Russell/CMA

Photo: John Russell/CMA

Lauryn Sink
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