CMA Nominees Feted at Grand Ole Opry Annual Dinner

Old Dominion's Geoff Sprung and Trevor Rosen and incoming CMA CEO Brittany Schaffer (John Russell/CMA)

The countdown to the 60th CMA Awards began on Oct. 19, when the Country Music Association invited nominees to its annual celebratory dinner on the Grand Ole Opry stage.

This year, the attendees included reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and 2026 CMA Awards host Lainey Wilson, members of Old Dominion, Dave Haywood of Lady A, Charlie Worsham, Thelma & James, Emily Ann Roberts, Jene Fleenor, incoming CMA CEO Brittany Schaffer and a host of producers, engineers, musicians and video directors.

At the last nominee dinner she will host before retirement, CMA CEO Sarah Trahern told the crowd, "This is one of my favorite nights every year because we get to recognize everyone in the business who made great music this past year. [Country music] lyrics capture the sentiment of many of us. As we continue to go forward and look at the songs that you all are writing, that you're producing, that you're performing, that is the special magic we have in country music."

In a toast to her fellow nominees, Wilson said, "When I moved here 15 and a half years ago, I moved from the village of Baskin, which is my town in northeast Louisiana, and I really didn't know what to expect. When I got here, I realized pretty quickly that's exactly what this community is. It is a village, and I think that's why Nashville is so special and unique. They say it takes a village to raise a child. I think it takes a village to raise a dream, and y'all do that every single day."

The 60th CMA Awards airs live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 18 at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+ and will appear the next day on Hulu.