CMA Awards 2026: Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, Lainey Wilson Hosts

The 60th Annual CMA Awards air live on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026, at 8/7c on American Broadcasting Company (ABC), according to the Country Music Association (CMA). The show runs 8 to 11 p.m. ET from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, and Lainey Wilson hosts for a third consecutive year. It also streams on Disney+ and is on Hulu the next day. Taylor Swift was announced as a performer on Nov. 13, and the CMA says Brooks & Dunn will receive the 2026 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. Below are the time in each U.S. time zone, the performer list, what is still not announced, and a printable watch sheet.

What time are the CMA Awards 2026?

The CMA lists the show at “8/7c” and gives its run as 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. ET. That is television shorthand for 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and 7 p.m. Central Time (CT), where “c” stands for Central. The U.S. is back on standard time, which began Sunday, Nov. 1, so the times below are standard time.

Time zone	Time on Wed., Nov. 18, 2026
Eastern (ET)	8 p.m.
Central (CT)	7 p.m.
Mountain (MT)	7 p.m.
Pacific (PT)	8 p.m.
Alaska	7 p.m.
Hawaii	7 p.m.

All rows come from the CMA’s “How to watch” page, which marks Eastern and Central as “Airing Live.” Mountain and Pacific are listed an hour after the live broadcast rather than at the same clock hour, so check your local ABC station for the exact airing.

What channel are the CMA Awards on, and how can you stream them?

The CMA’s site says “Live November 18, 2026 at 8/7c on ABC” and “Watch CMA Awards live Nov. 18 at 8/7c on ABC & Disney+, next day on Hulu.” In short, the live show is on ABC and Disney+, and the next-day option is Hulu. The CMA’s “How to watch” page links to local ABC stations and Disney+, and does not say what subscription or sign-in each service needs, so check each service before the night.

Who is hosting the CMA Awards 2026?

Lainey Wilson. The CMA says she returns to host “The 60th Annual CMA Awards,” her third consecutive year in the role and second consecutive year as solo host. She is also up for three awards, Entertainer, Female Vocalist and Single of the Year. For comparison, in 2025 the 59th CMA Awards aired Nov. 19 on ABC with Wilson as host. The CMA also says Brooks & Dunn will receive the 2026 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award during the broadcast.

Who is performing at the CMA Awards 2026?

The CMA and ABC announced the lineup in three rounds, on Nov. 5, Nov. 10 and Nov. 13. The CMA’s performers page lists these artists:

• Performances: Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Megan Moroney, Miranda Lambert, The Red Clay Strays, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Tucker Wetmore, Vince Gill and Zach Top.
• Collaborations: Mumford & Sons with Chris Stapleton, and Stephen Wilson Jr. with Chris Stapleton.
• Brooks & Dunn salute: Brothers Osborne, Hardy, Luke Bryan, Marcus King and Halestorm.
• Tribute: a special tribute to Dolly Parton.

The CMA says Swift returns 13 years after her last CMA Awards performance and is nominated for Single of the Year with “I Knew It, I Knew You.” Vince Gill, a Country Music Hall of Fame member and 12-time host, makes a special appearance. The CMA’s performers page still says presenters are to be announced.

Who leads the CMA Awards 2026 nominations?

Ella Langley leads with nine nominations, including Entertainer, Album, Female Vocalist, Musical Event and Music Video of the Year, plus two each for Single and Song of the Year, the CMA said on Nov. 5. The Entertainer of the Year nominees are Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson. The full list is on the CMA’s nominees page.

Have any 2026 winners been announced?

The CMA’s ticket page says winners are revealed for the first time at the show, and no category winners are announced yet. Two sets of honors came earlier. The 2026 CMA Broadcast Awards winners were announced Oct. 13, and the 2026 CMA International Award recipients, including Lainey Wilson, were announced Sept. 29 and are recognized at the pre-telecast ceremony on Nov. 18.

What is confirmed and what is not yet announced?

Detail	Status	Source
Date: Wed., Nov. 18, 2026	Confirmed	CMA, cmaawards.com
Time: 8/7c	Confirmed	CMA, cmaawards.com
Channel: ABC	Confirmed	CMA, cmaawards.com
Streaming: Disney+ live, Hulu next day	Confirmed	CMA, cmaawards.com
Host: Lainey Wilson	Confirmed	CMA, cmaawards.com
Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award: Brooks & Dunn	Confirmed	CMA, cmaawards.com
Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville	Confirmed	CMA, Nov. 10 release
Most nominations: Ella Langley, nine	Confirmed	CMA, Nov. 5 release
Performers, including Taylor Swift	Confirmed	CMA, Nov. 13 release
Presenters	Not yet announced	CMA, performers page

Keep the CMA Awards 2026 watch sheet

Our free printable has the date, the time for each U.S. zone, the channel, the stream, the venue and the host, with lines for your own picks. Add Nov. 18 to your November 2026 printable calendar, or plan the week around it with a printable weekly calendar. If you are planning other November viewing, see our Thanksgiving 2026 TV schedule, the Hallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 schedule and our recent Premios Billboard 2026 story.