Morgan Wallen and Ella Langley Among Top Nominees at 2026 American Music Awards
Megan Moroney, Shaboozey, and more also earned multiple nominations.
Morgan Wallen, Ella Langley; Photos Provided
Nominees for the American Music Awards were unveiled early Tuesday morning, with Morgan Wallen and Ella Langley emerging as two of the top contenders.
Wallen earned seven nominations, trailing only Taylor Swift overall, and picked up nods in Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Collaboration of the Year, Best Male Country Artist, Best Country Song, and Best Country Album.
Langley follows closely as the most-nominated female country artist with five nominations, including New Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Song of the Summer, Best Female Country Artist, and Best Country Song.
Other top nominees include Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, Sombr, Alex Warren, and Lady Gaga, while BigXthaPlug, Megan Moroney, and Shaboozey each earned three nominations. A full list of country nominees is available below.
The American Music Awards stand as the world’s largest fan-voted awards show, honoring today’s biggest artists and their dedicated fanbases.
The 52nd American Music Awards will return Memorial Day weekend in May 2026 with a must-see live broadcast from Las Vegas. Hosted by Queen Latifah, the show will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena (the largest venue in AMA history!) and will kick off summer on Monday, May 25. The ceremony will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
American Music Awards winners are decided entirely by fan votes, with the process independently audited to ensure accuracy. Nominees are based on key fan-driven metrics like streaming, sales, radio airplay, and touring performance, as tracked by Billboard and Luminate.
There are two ways to vote: via Instagram by commenting on the “Vote Here” pinned posts with a valid hashtag, or by visiting VoteAMAs.com.
2026 AMAs: Country Music Nominees Revealed
Best Male Country Artist
Jelly Roll
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
Riley Green
Shaboozey
Best Female Country Artist
Ella Langley
Kelsea Ballerini
Lainey Wilson
Megan Moroney
Miranda Lambert
Best Country Duo or Group
Brooks & Dunn
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
Treaty Oak Revival
Zac Brown Band
Breakthrough Country Artist
Sam Barber
Tucker Wetmore
Zach Top
Best Country Song
BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman – “All the Way”
Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
Morgan Wallen – “Just in Case”
Russell Dickerson – “Happen to Me”
Shaboozey – “Good News”
Best Country Album
BigXthaPlug – I Hope You’re Happy
Megan Moroney – Cloud 9
Morgan Wallen – I’m The Problem
Sam Barber – Restless Mind
Tucker Wetmore – What Not To
Artist of the Year
Bad Bunny
Bruno Mars
BTS
Harry Styles
Justin Bieber
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga
Morgan Wallen
Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift
New Artist of the Year
Alex Warren
Ella Langley
KATSEYE
Leon Thomas
Olivia Dean
Sombr
Album of the Year
Cardi B – AM I THE DRAMA?
Fuerza Regida – 111xpantia
Justin Bieber – SWAG
Lady Gaga – Mayhem
Morgan Wallen – I’m The Problem
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
Playboi Carti – MUSIC
Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
Tate McRae – So Close to What
Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl
Song of the Year
Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami – “Golden”
Kehlani – “Folded”
Leon Thomas – “MUTT”
Morgan Wallen – “I’m The Problem”
Olivia Dean – “Man I Need”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
sombr – “back to friends”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Collaboration of the Year
BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman – “All the Way”
David Guetta, Teddy Swims, Tones And I – “Gone Gone Gone”
Morgan Wallen, Tate McRae – “What I Want”
PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson – “Stateside”
Shaboozey, Jelly Roll – “Amen”
Breakout Tour
Benson Boone – “American Heart World Tour”
Kali Uchis – “The Sincerely, Tour”
The Marías – “Submarine Tour”
Megan Moroney – “Am I Okay? Tour”
Sleep Token – “Even in Arcadia Tour”
Song of the Summer
Alex Warren – “FEVER DREAM”
Bella Kay – “iloveitiloveitiloveit”
BTS – “SWIM”
Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
Harry Styles – “American Girls”
Noah Kahan – “The Great Divide”
PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson – “Stateside”
sombr – “Homewrecker”
Tame Impala, JENNIE – “Dracula”
Taylor Swift – “Elizabeth Taylor”
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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