Lady A Announced To Host CMA Country Christmas For 2026

By Stephen Green
Photo of Stephen Green

🎶 It's beginning to look a lot like Nashville. 🎶

Lady A
Lady A(Credit: Kayla Shoen / CMA)
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The holiday season is officially kicking into gear and the 17th annual holiday tradition for Nashville, the annual CMA Country Christmas holiday TV special is back. This year’s event will be again broadcast in the US on ABC on December 1, but available to stream globally on Disney+ soon after, including in Australia. 

Taking the reins as hosts this year are beloved country trio Lady A, who will guide viewers through an evening packed with festive cheer, collaborative moments, and holiday classics.

Taped in front of an intimate live audience in Music City, the 2026 broadcast features a dynamic mix of country royalty, powerhouse vocalists, and rising traditionalists. Joining Lady A on the stage for one-of-a-kind seasonal performances are:

  • Dan + Shay

  • Jordan Davis

  • Russell Dickerson

  • Trisha Yearwood

  • Zach Top

  • BeBe Winans

  • Debbie Winans

  • Grace Bowers

  • Lindsey Stirling

The eclectic billing pairs mainstream country chart-toppers with gospel icons BeBe and Debbie Winans, boundary-pushing violinist Lindsey Stirling, and guitar prodigy Grace Bowers, while traditional breakout Zach Top adds classic country grit to the holiday warmth.

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Executive produced by Robert Deaton, directed by Alan Carter, and written by Jon Macks, the long-running special has served as a cornerstone of Nashville’s seasonal celebrations since debut in 2010.

Lady A’s hosting announcement comes off the back of their single Bigger Picture dropping just last week.

“The day before we went into the studio to finish up our next record, this song was sent to Hillary. We felt its message so deeply and knew it needed to be on the next record, so we cut it the next day,” said Lady A’s Dave Haywood. “Then, a week later, we learned of Charles’ cancer diagnosis. God’s timing in allowing this song to find us and the message behind it is truly carrying us right now. We can’t help but think there are more people who might need to hear it too. We trust there’s a bigger picture.

CMA Country Christmas airs in the US on Tuesday, December 1 at 9/8c on ABC, and will be available to stream the following day on Disney+ and Hulu. Australian broadcast and local streaming details on Disney+ are expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.