First Performers Announced for CMA Awards Include Ella Langley, Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert and Red Clay Strays

The Country Music Association and ABC have announced an initial round of eight performers for the 2027 CMA Awards, including Ella Langley, who leads this year’s nominations with nine, Miranda Lambert, who comes into the telecast with seven nods, and Kacey Musgraves, who has five.

Others in the performing lineup include Cody Johnson, who has four nominations; Zach Top, who enters the night up for two awards; the Red Clay Strays, who will be defending the title they picked up last year as vocal group of the year; and Tucker Wetmore, who is contending for new artist of the year.

Tim McGraw was also announced as a performer, in celebration of his being newly inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He has 40 career nominations for the CMAs, the latest of which is a current nod for Musical Event of the Year.

The CMA Awards air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Nov. 18 at 8-11 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+, with availability for on-demand streaming the next day on Hulu. Lainey Wilson returns as host for the third year.

Show veteran Robert Deaton returns as executive producer, Alan Carter is back as director, and Jon Macks is the telecast’s head writer.

Other top nominees, some of whom are bound to show up in further performing slots, include Ben West (Langley’s co-producer) with five nominations, Chris Stapleton and Stephen Wilson Jr. with four each; and Wilson, Luke Combs and Dave Clauss (Langley’s mix engineer) with three nominations each. For a full list of this year’s nominations, read here.