THIS is my kind of awards show.
The 60th Annual CMA Awards will take place next Wednesday, November 18, 2026, live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, and of course, there will be a star-studded tribute for the late, great Mrs. Dolly Parton.
On August 25th, 2026, the country icon sadly passed away at 80-years-old in Nashville Tennessee due to what was described as “brief battle with cancer,” and the specific kind was not revealed. There were tons of stories and tributes shared about Dolly following her very sad passing, and I think the world is still in mourning over losing such a light… I know I am.
And ahead of the show tonight, I want to take a look back at the 1988 CMA awards, when Dolly hosted the show for the very first time. There were several unforgettable moments, and in watching the whole show, I discovered that Dolly had a very, well, Dolly way of presenting the Male Artist of the Year award, and it’s one of my favorite moments in CMA history.
She stops and talks to all of the nominees, which included Vern Gosdin, George Strait, Ricky Van Shelton, Hank Williams Jr. and Randy Travis.
Dolly was particularly fond of Travis, and she almost gave him a heart attack right there on live national television because she sat on his lap proceeded to tell him if she were younger and single, it would be game over for him:
“Folks, you know that this guy is single.
And I just want you to know that if I was 20 years younger and I was single, and you liked little blondes with the big hair and big… ideas, then I would be giving you a run for your money!”
Randy took it really well, as I imagine any man would if Dolly Parton was sitting in his lap, laughing right along with everybody else in the audience that night.
Remember when the CMAs still had a decent sense of humor? Good times…
They wanted to mess with him a little bit, as Randy was still relatively new in the country music scene, and this specific year, he was nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year and Song of the Year, and Male Vocalist of the Year, which he won.
I have seen the clip of Dolly and Randy when she jokes with him, but I had never seen the full segment of her chatting with all of the men in the category, and she did such an amazing job hosting the entire show.
Even just seeing all of the other nominees during the entire show is so cool, it was country as cornbread, and Dolly walking around to talk to each guy in order to present the group of nominees for the category? She was such a queen.
The next year in 1989, he was nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year, as well as presenting the award for Female Vocalist of the Year. And, Dolly was put up to it again, sneaking up on Randy as he walked out to present the award, and it ended up being a hilarious little conversation that I really wish we had more of on these shows.
Ya know, a little personality…
“Hi Randy, I just wanted to come out here and make sure that you didn’t need me.”
And, as he’s clearly in on the joke this time and what’s happening with Dolly, he responds with the perfect line:
“Well, I might. It’s a tough job.”
Dolly should’ve hosted every every, in my humble opinion:
The whole show is spectacular, and it’s well worth a watch if you need something good to watch this weekend.
Dolly and Travis went on to form a beautiful friendship, as the next year, Dolly and Randy would record “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” together for his 1990 Heroes & Friends record:
2026 Nominees
You can see the full list of 2026 nominees below.
Entertainer of the Year
- Luke Combs
- Cody Johnson
- Ella Langley
- Chris Stapleton
- Lainey Wilson
Album of the Year
- Ain’t In It For My Health – Zach Top
- Dandelion – Ella Langley
- Middle of Nowhere – Kacey Musgraves
- Parker McCollum – Parker McCollum
- The Way I Am – Luke Combs
Song of the Year
- “Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley
- “Be Her” – Ella Langley
- “Beautiful Things” – Megan Moroney
- “Dry Spell” – Kacey Musgraves
- “Gary” – Stephen Wilson Jr.
Single of the Year
- “Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley
- “Be Her” – Ella Langley
- “I Knew It, I Knew You” – Taylor Swift
- “Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson
- “The Fall” – Cody Johnson
Male Vocalist of the Year
- Luke Combs
- Cody Johnson
- Chris Stapleton
- Zach Top
- Stephen Wilson Jr.
Female Vocalist of the Year
- Miranda Lambert
- Ella Langley
- Megan Moroney
- Kacey Musgraves
- Lainey Wilson
New Artist of the Year
- Avery Anna
- Carter Faith
- Emily Ann Roberts
- Tucker Wetmore
- Stephen Wilson Jr.
Vocal Duo of the Year
- Brooks & Dunn
- Brothers Osborne
- Dan + Shay
- Muscadine Bloodline
- Thelma & James
Vocal Group of the Year
- Lady A
- Little Big Town
- Midland
- Old Dominion
- The Red Clay Strays
Musical Event of the Year
- “A Song to Sing” – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton
- “Horses and Divorces” – Kacey Musgraves & Miranda Lambert
- “I Can’t Love You Anymore” – Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen
- “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” – Carly Pearce & Riley Green
- “McArthur” – Hardy, Eric Church, Morgan Wallen & Tim McGraw
Music Video of the Year
- “Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley
- “Dry Spell” – Kacey Musgraves
- “Gary” – Stephen Wilson Jr.
- “The Fall” – Cody Johnson
- “White Horse” – Chris Stapleton
Musician of the Year
- Tom Bukovac – Guitar
- Jenee Fleenor – Fiddle
- Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar
- Rob McNelley – Guitar
- Charlie Worsham – Guitar
