The 60th Annual CMA Awards are shaping up to be a particularly interesting night for country music fans—and families who know their Toy Story songs. The ceremony will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 18, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming on Hulu.
Among the year’s biggest surprises is Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You,” her original song from Toy Story 5. The track has earned a CMA nomination for Single of the Year, putting Swift’s country roots back in the spotlight.
Swift isn’t the only crossover connection that could make the ceremony interesting for families. The CMA Awards are determined by more than 7,000 professional voting members, making the nominations a major peer recognition within country music.
Ella Langley Leads a Star-Studded Field
Ella Langley leads all nominees with nine nominations, including Entertainer of the Year. Miranda Lambert follows with seven, while Kacey Musgraves and Ben West each earned five nominations.
The Entertainer of the Year category also includes reigning winner Lainey Wilson, along with Luke Combs, Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton. Langley’s strong showing continues an extraordinary year for the country star following her major success with “Choosin’ Texas.”
The nominations also include several notable first-timers, including Smith Ahnquist, Avery Anna, Jack Antonoff and Emily Ann Roberts. Antonoff’s nomination is particularly interesting because he co-wrote and co-produced Swift’s Toy Story 5 song.
Taylor Swift Wrote the Song in Just Eight Hours
Swift’s Toy Story 5 contribution came together remarkably quickly. After watching the film at 11 a.m., she returned home inspired and began writing the end-credit song, eventually writing, producing and recording the track in roughly eight hours.
Swift described the whirlwind process as getting the “songwriter zoomies,” and by 6:57 p.m. she was recording vocals with a meeting with Bob Iger and Pixar’s Tom Porter just two hours away. “This is one of the most fun days of my life,” Swift said.
The song also represented a return to Swift’s country influences, making its CMA recognition an especially fitting full-circle moment. For parents and kids who grew up with Toy Story, seeing the song recognized alongside country music’s biggest stars adds another fun twist to this year’s awards.
