If you’ve ever sat down with a bowl of popcorn ready to watch Luke Combs or Lainey Wilson only to find a reruns of a sitcom, you know the frustration. Country music doesn't just have one "big night." It has a whole calendar. Keeping track of when are country music awards on tv is basically a part-time job because the networks and streaming platforms keep swapping dates like they’re trading guitar picks.
Honestly, 2026 is looking like a bit of a shake-up year. We’ve got legacy shows moving cities and others "pausing" their broadcasts. If you want to see the trophies handed out, you have to know where to point your remote—or your laptop.
The Major 2026 Broadcast Calendar
The big one—the one everyone calls "Country's Biggest Night"—is the CMA Awards. You can pretty much set your watch by this one. It almost always lands on a Wednesday in November. For 2026, you're looking at mid-November on ABC.
Usually, the show kicks off at 8:00 PM ET. If you’re on the West Coast, check your local listings because ABC sometimes delays the broadcast for the 8:00 PM PT slot, though many fans just hop on social media and see the winners before the first song even plays on their TV.
But wait. There's more.
Before we get to the fall, we have the ACM Awards. This is the Academy of Country Music, and they’ve done something radical lately. They ditched traditional network TV. If you’re looking for them on CBS or NBC, you’ll be searching forever.
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The 61st ACM Awards are officially scheduled for Sunday, May 17, 2026.
They are heading back to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Here’s the kicker: it’s a Prime Video exclusive. You need an Amazon account to watch it live. It starts at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT. The good news? It’s usually free to watch even if you aren't a Prime member, provided you have an Amazon account and use the app.
A Quick Glance at the 2026 Timeline
- CMT Music Awards: Usually April. However, rumors are swirling about a "reimagining" or a pause for 2026. Keep an eye on CBS/Paramount+ announcements for this one.
- ACM Awards: May 17, 2026, on Prime Video. Live from Las Vegas.
- People's Choice Country Awards: Late September on NBC and Peacock.
- CMA Awards: November on ABC. The "Gold Standard" of the genre.
Why the ACMs Moved to Streaming
It felt like a betrayal to some old-school fans when the ACMs left network television a few years back. I get it. Not everyone wants to navigate an app just to see who won Male Artist of the Year. But the reality is about the "clock."
Network TV is strict. They have local news at 11:00 PM. They cut off acceptance speeches. They trim performances. By moving to Prime Video, the ACMs became the first major awards show to go digital-first. This allows for longer sets and a more "concert-like" feel.
Plus, they’ve leaned into the "Vegas" vibe. May 17 is going to be a massive production. If you’re planning to watch, make sure your internet connection is solid. There is nothing worse than a buffer wheel right as the Entertainer of the Year is being announced.
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The People’s Choice and the "Fan Factor"
If you find the CMAs and ACMs a little too "industry," the People's Choice Country Awards are likely more your speed. These air on NBC and stream on Peacock.
Expect these in September 2026.
Since fans vote for these, the winners often look very different from the CMA winners. It’s where you see the massive crossover stars—think Morgan Wallen or Post Malone—really clean up because their digital fanbases are relentless. It’s less about what Nashville executives think and more about what’s actually playing on your truck speakers.
What Happened to the CMT Awards?
There’s some drama here. Paramount, which owns CMT and CBS, has been shuffling their deck. There has been talk of "pausing" the CMT Music Awards in 2026 to "optimize" the lineup.
Basically, that's corporate speak for "we’re figuring out if this makes us enough money."
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Historically, the CMTs were the "loud" awards. Lots of fan interaction, lots of outdoor stages in downtown Nashville or Austin. If they do happen in 2026, they usually land in early April. If they stay on the "pause" button, you might have a very quiet spring for country music TV.
How to Watch if You Don't Have Cable
The "cord-cutting" movement has made answering when are country music awards on tv a bit more complex. You can’t just turn on a TV and hope for the best.
- Hulu + Live TV / FuboTV / YouTube TV: These will get you the CMAs on ABC and the People's Choice on NBC.
- Peacock: This is your home for the People's Choice Country Awards.
- Prime Video: This is non-negotiable for the ACMs.
- Hulu (Standard): Usually, the CMAs are available to stream the next day if you missed the live broadcast.
Practical Steps for the Superfan
Don't let the dates sneak up on you. Nashville moves fast.
First, mark May 17, 2026, on your calendar right now for the ACMs. That’s the most firm date we have for the first half of the year.
Second, follow the official social media accounts for the CMA (Country Music Association). They usually drop the exact November date and the host announcement (fingers crossed for more Lainey Wilson) around late summer.
Lastly, check your streaming logins. There is a special kind of panic that happens at 7:59 PM when you realize you forgot your Amazon password or your Peacock subscription expired. Do a "tech check" the day before.
Country music awards shows are transitioning into a hybrid world of old-school broadcasting and new-age streaming. While it makes the "when" and "where" a little harder to track, it also means we're getting more performances and less "fluff" than the old days of rigid TV schedules. Enjoy the music. Over-analyze the outfits. Just make sure you're on the right channel.