Taylor Swift surprised fans with the news that she’ll return to the CMA Awards this year for the first time in a decade. The show is scheduled to air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 18, 2026, and Taylor’s song “I Knew It, I Knew You” from “Toy Story 5” is nominated for Single of the Year.
After her long run as a country darling, Taylor’s transition to a pure pop sound with the release of 2014’s “1989” coincided with her first time as mega mentor on “The Voice.”
GettyTaylor last time appearing at the show was on November 2, 2016, where she made a surprise appearance to present Garth Brooks with the award for Entertainer of the Year. People pointed out Swift herself had previously won the award twice, both in 2009 and 2011, and was nominated again in 2012 and 2013.
On Thursday, September 10, she took to her Instagram Stories to repost a banner announcing her nomination, alongside her own message which read, “Looks like I haven’t yee’d my last haw thank you CMA!!!! See you there Nov 18.” The “I Knew You Were Trouble” singer added a cowboy hat-wearing emoji to show her enthusiasm about returning to “Country Music’s Biggest Night,” as the show calls itself.
The awards will be available for live viewing on ABC and Disney+, as well as streaming on Hulu the next day.
Taylor Swift is Up Against 2 Ella Langley Hits for Single of the Year at the 2026 CMAs
Taylor’s song from “Toy Story 5” is up against “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas” by Ella Langley, “Somewhere Over Laredo” by Lainey Wilson, and “The Fall” by Cody Johnson.
Langley burst onto the scene in the summer of 2024 with her viral hit “You Look Like You Love Me” before having the longest streak in history at the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 for a non-holiday country track with “Choosin’ Texas” in 2025.
She was seen sharing a friendly moment with Taylor at the iHeartRadio awards back in March that ended with a warm hug.
The CMAs Reminisced on Dolly Parton’s Moments at the Show
The official CMA account shared a collection of snaps on September 2 showing some of the late Dolly Parton’s most memorable onstage moments over her many decades of attending the show.
One of those included a 2019 performance alongside Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood to open the show.
Shortly after Dolly’s passing, Taylor remembered the “Applejack” singer in a statement to Variety. She said, “A world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real, or right,” before calling Parton “eternally generous” and declaring that her legacy will be “everlasting.”
More of Taylor’s statement read, “Somehow she was able to give us her lessons about the world gently and honestly, simultaneously, and oftentimes hilariously. She managed to give the world the ultimate mystery and fantasy in some corners of her life, but to give full transparency in the ways that counted. Somehow she was true grace and true grit, all in one dazzling person. She possessed the softest heart when it came to the struggles of others, and a backbone of steel to defend her own self worth as an artist.”
