Ella Langley Joins Rare CMA Company With Two Single of the Year Nominations

Ella Langley has officially joined one of the most exclusive lists in country music. The Alabama native picked up two CMA Single of the Year nominations this year, one for“Choosin’Texas”and one for“Be Her,”making her just the eighth artist in the history of the awards to earn two nods in the category in a single year. The names alongside her read like a Country Music Hall of Fame roster: Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Jerry Reed, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson. What makes Langley’s entry even more impressive is that she’s nominated as both the artist and a co-producer, having worked the boards on both tracks with Miranda Lambert and Ben West.

The 2026 nominations also mark a historic first for the CMA Awards. Female artists claim four of the five Single of the Year slots, with Taylor Swift, Lainey Wilson and Cody Johnson rounding out the category. That level of representation is unprecedented in the show’s six-decade run, and it signals a category that looks a lot more like the actual country audience than it has in years past.

All of this sets up an interesting question heading into the ceremony: does a double nomination split an artist’s votes or double their chances? History says it can go either way, which is exactly why country fans will be watching this race closely. The 60th CMA Awards air November 18 from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Which of Langley’s two nominated songs would you pick for the win? Let us know in the comments.