Pakistan, Sept. 12 -- The 2026 CMA Awards already have a frontrunner - and she came dangerously close to making history. Ella Langley leads this year's nominations with nine nods, just one shy of Alan Jackson's record 10 nominations from 2002.

The 27-year-old country star is competing for major prizes including Entertainer and Female Vocalist of the Year, while her album Dandelion is up for Album of the Year.

Her Entertainer competition? No small names: Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson and Chris Stapleton.

Clearly thrilled by the recognition, Langley kept her reaction short and sweet on Instagram: "What an honour @cma."

Miranda Lambert follows with seven nominations, including a Female Vocalist of the Year showdown against Lang...