Taylor Swift to Perform at CMA Awards for First Time in 13 Years
This will also mark the first time Swift has made an appearance at the award show in a decade.
Photo Courtesy of Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is returning to the CMA Awards for its milestone 60th event. Just days before Country Music’s Biggest Night takes over Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 18, the Country Music Association and ABC announced that the superstar is joining this year’s star-studded lineup of performers.
This will mark Swift’s first time attending the CMA Awards in a decade and her first performance at the awards show in 13 years.
The two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year Winner earned her 26th career CMA nomination this year when she earned a nod in the category of Single of the Year with “I Knew It, I Knew You.” Swift’s history with the CMA Awards dates back two decades, beginning with her first appearance in 2006. She went on to win her first CMA Award, the Horizon Award, in 2007 before making history in 2009 as the youngest artist ever to win Entertainer of the Year, a title she still holds to this day.
In 2013, Swift experienced a full-circle moment when several country stars she had opened for early in her career, including Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, George Strait, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts, presented her with the prestigious Pinnacle Award. That same night, she performed “Red” alongside Vince Gill and Alison Krauss, marking her last performance on the CMA Awards stage.
Now, fans will have the opportunity to see her return to her roots at the CMA Awards.
The news arrives shortly after the CMA announced its second round of performers, which includes Luke Combs, Vince Gill, Megan Moroney, Mumford & Sons, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson and Stephen Wilson Jr. Plus, with Brooks & Dunn named this year’s CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, they will be celebrated with a special tribute performance by Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Halestorm, HARDY and Marcus King.
Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Tim McGraw, Kacey Musgraves, The Red Clay Strays, Zach Top and Tucker Wetmore are also set to take the stage for “Country Music’s Biggest Night.
Lainey Wilson will return to host the CMA Awards for the third consecutive year. The 60th Annual CMA Awards airs live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 18 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC and Disney+ and is available next day on Hulu.
A limited number of tickets remain for “The 60th Annual CMA Awards,” available now at CMAawards.com/tickets. A complete list of 2026 nominees can be found here. Presenters for “The 60th Annual CMA Awards” will be announced in the coming days.
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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