Taylor Swift to perform at 2026 CMA Awards for first time in 13 years

Taylor Swift will perform at the 2026 CMA Awards, marking her first performance at the ceremony in over a decade, according to The Independent. The performance was announced by ABC and the Country Music Association on Friday morning, Variety reports.

Swift is nominated for Single of the Year for her song "I Knew It, I Knew You" from Toy Story 5, The Independent states. Variety notes the song was co-written by Jack Antonoff and is also being campaigned for an Oscar for best original song, and was submitted in the category of song of the year for the Grammy Awards.

Swift last performed at the CMAs in 2013, when she performed an acoustic version of "Red" alongside Alison Krauss and Vince Gill, according to The Independent. Variety adds that her previous appearance as a performer on the show came in 2013, when she received the Pinnacle Award and performed the song "Red" with Vince Gill and Alison Krauss.

Swift’s last time attending or appearing on the show at all was in 2016, when, as a surprise, she came on stage in the program’s last minutes to present the Entertainer of the Year award to Garth Brooks, Variety reports.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of her first appearance at the CMA Awards, shortly after the release of her self-titled debut album, according to Variety. Her first win came in 2007, when she won the Horizon Award as the CMA’s choice for the best new artist. In 2009, she became the youngest artist ever to win the top prize at the awards, Entertainer of the Year.

With the release of "1989" in 2015, Swift declared she was picking a lane between pop and country, and pop had won out, although she did not burn any bridges with the country community, Variety states.

The release of "I Knew It, I Knew You" marked her first brand new song in more than a decade to be marketed as a country song — and to make it to No. 1 at country radio format — although she had dabbled in the genre in the intervening years with album tracks like "Betty" and a vault track duet with Chris Stapleton, "I Bet You Think About Me," according to Variety.

The 60th annual CMA Awards will air live on ABC and Disney+ on Wednesday, Nov. 18, and will stream on Hulu the following day, The Independent reports. Variety adds the show airs from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday from 8-11 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming availability on Hulu.

Other announced performers for the milestone 60th awards show include Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Tim McGraw, and Cody Johnson, according to The Independent. Variety lists additional performers: leading nominee Ella Langley, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Kacey Musgraves, The Red Clay Strays, Zach Top, Tucker Wetmore, Luke Combs, Vince Gill, Megan Moroney, Mumford & Sons, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson and Stephen Wilson Jr. Additionally, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Halestorm, Hardy and Marcus King will take part in a tribute to Brooks & Dunn. A salute to Dolly Parton is also planned. The show is hosted by Lainey Wilson, Variety reports.

No information was given about what Swift will perform on the show, although it’s a good bet it will consist partly or wholly of her nominated song, "I Knew it, I Knew You," her contribution to the Disney/Pixar film "Toy Story 5," Variety states.

Sources

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