For the first time in more than five decades, three of the five CMA Single of the Year nominees landed in the top five on the Billboard Hot 100. That’s the all-genre chart, and it’s a milestone country music hasn’t hit since 1975, when all five nominees were top 10 hits and four reached No. 1.
The road here wasn’t a straight line. Between 1985 and 1991, only one Single of the Year nominee made the Hot 100 at all. Country built its own thriving ecosystem during those years, but streaming changed how listeners find music. Songs aren’t confined to one format anymore, and the numbers show it: two or more nominees hit the top 10 in 2020, 2024, and now 2026.
This year’s field features Ella Langley with two nominations, including“Choosin’Texas,”which spent a record-tying 22 weeks at No. 1. Taylor Swift, Cody Johnson, and Lainey Wilson round out the category. The winner will be announced Nov. 18 at the 60th annual CMA Awards.
Which nominee are you pulling for this year?
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
