Emily Ann Roberts just scored her very first CMA Awards nomination and she had the best reaction to hearing the news.
On the morning of Thursday, September 10, the Country Music Association announced nominees for “The 60th Annual CMA Awards” first on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” then via livestream on CMA’s official YouTube channel. Roberts was among the artists who tuned in, eagerly watching as the nominees were revealed and waiting to see if her name would be called.
Roberts’ reaction was captured by her husband, Chris Sasser, as they watched the nominations unfold from her tour bus. When Avery Anna and Carter Faith were the first to be announced, Roberts quickly assumed she hadn’t made the cut for this year’s category. A defeated look crossed her face and she stated, “I don’t think it’s gonna be this year.”
And then the next name was called, and it was hers.
Photo Courtesy of Emily Ann Roberts
Her emotions quickly went from disappointed to ecstatic as she screamed for joy and jumped out of her seat. Roberts immediately jumped out of her seat, repeating, “No way,” over and over as she tried to process the milestone moment. She quickly went to exchange high-fives and hugs, still visibly shocked by the news.
“That is crazy…oh my gosh,” her husband responded, matching her excitement.
After a few moments of letting it sink in, Roberts turned off the camera so that she could FaceTime “everybody” to share the exciting news with the people closest to her.
Emily Ann Roberts is among the 13 first-time nominees being recognized this year. She is vying for a win in the New Artist of the Year category alongside Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Tucker Wetmore and Stephen Wilson Jr.
The winners will be announced during the 60th Annual CMA Awards, which is set to take place live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 18, airing from 8–11 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with the ceremony available to stream the following day on Hulu.
The nominees were selected by 7,083 CMA voting-eligible professional members, representing artists and industry professionals from across the country music community. A full list of nominations can be found HERE.
Donald Trump really, really wants his party to emerge victorious from November’s midterm elections.
And he’s willing to shell out over a trillion dollars to make it happen.
Yes, Trump took the stage at the first-ever Republican National Committee midterm convention last night, where he made a historic (and possibly bogus) promise:
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he hosts a dinner in the Rose Garden at the White House on September 02, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000,” Trump told the crowd … just one day after he claimed to have been rescued by firefighters during 9/11.
Yes, the President of the United States just offered a payout to every American adult on the condition that his party wins a slate of state and local elections.
Many have pointed out that that’s almost certainly illegal, but the question on the minds of many Americans today has little to do with constitutionality and everything to do with plausibility.
That question: Will Trump really deliver this time? The answer: Probably not. For a number of reasons.
For starters, there are the logistics:
Trump offered no details about where the money would come from, whether Congress would need to approve the payments, or how the administration would legally distribute them. He did say the money would need to be spent in the United States.
And the potential price tag is … substantial.
Depending on who qualifies, sending $5,000 payments to hundreds of millions of Americans would cost approximately $1.35 trillion.
That makes this considerably more complicated than simply announcing that Uncle Sam is sending everyone a very generous check.
Trump has floated similar ideas before. He previously promoted the concept of a $2,000 tariff-funded “dividend,” while other proposed cash payments, including a DOGE dividend, failed to become reality.
The timing of this latest promise is also worth noting.
Trump has been urging Republican voters to treat the upcoming midterm election as though he himself were up for reelection. During his convention speech, he explicitly asked Americans to “pretend that I’m on the ballot.”
The message is clear: A vote for Republicans could supposedly mean $5,000 in your pocket.
Whether that money ever actually makes it there is another question entirely.
For now, Trump has offered voters a very enticing number without providing many details about how he plans to make it happen.
But hey, at least there’s finally a campaign promise you can put a dollar amount on.
Why don’t Henry Winkler and Tom Hanks seem to get along?
They both have long careers. They even worked together on projects — just not for many decades.
Additionally, they both have well-deserved reputations as two of the nicest, most decent men in Hollywood.
In a new interview, Winkler is opening up about how he’s still “working on” his feelings about their tension … and whether he’s open to putting the past behind them.
As soon as Tom Hanks’ name comes up, Henry Winkler’s body language shifts with discomfort. (Image Credit: YouTube)
Henry Winkler discusses what allegedly ‘pissed off’ Tom Hanks
On the Wednesday, September 9 episode of In Depth with Graham Bensinger, acting legend Henry Winkler discussed his tense relationship with fellow acting legend Tom Hanks.
Winkler’s demeanor and body language clearly shifted as the interview brought up Hanks.
Thinking back, Winkler shared his side of things from when he was briefly director of Turner & Hooch before getting fired.
Winkler, who was at one time best known as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on Happy Days but today is best known for smaller, beloved roles on comedy shows (and, of course, for his social media presence), recalled feeling out of his depth.
He now feels that, in his capacity as director, he over-directed … which is why his role lasted less than two weeks.
Turner & Hooch is a film from the late ’80s. It is a buddy cop film in which one of the buddies is a dog. The other is Tom Hanks’ character.
“I, at that time being insecure, I talked too much and I gave them direction,” Winkler admitted.
“I [did] what I thought was my job, and I wanted to do it over again,” he recalled, “and apparently that pissed them off.”
Winkler ended up getting fired from the directing job, and admitted that he did not handle it well.
Even so, he remains unsure where the tension in his relationship with Hanks truly originates. This was not the first intersection in their careers.
During his September 2026 interview, Henry Winkler explained a clear rejection from an apparent foe — though that’s not what he called it. He’s too diplomatic. (Image Credit: YouTube)
He’s ‘still working’ on how he feels about all of this
Long before Turner & Hooch, Tom Hanks was not a movie star or a household name, but merely a guest star on Henry Winkler’s claim to fame.
“We did a retrospective of ‘Happy Days,’” Winkler recalled.
These retrospective documentaries are often nostalgia bait for people who watched these shows when they aired. They can also be educational for people who enjoy television and its rich history.
“And we wanted 60 seconds of Tom Hanks in his episode,” Winkler stated diplomatically, “and we did not get permission for that.”
In other words, he’s making it clear that there appear to be hard feelings from Hanks’ camp.
Winkler admitted that he is “still working” on his “perspective” about Hanks declining to participate.
He is, however, open to mending fences if he gets the chance.
It sounds like Hanks would have to feel similarly.
We’ll admit that it’s odd to hear about two of the — famously — nicest men in the entertainment industry not getting along.
Sometimes, two good and decent people just don’t like each other. Sometimes the vibes are bad. Maybe that’s all that there is to this.
Langley leads the nominations with a whopping nine nods, including Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year for “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas,” Album of the Year for Dandelion, Song of the Year for “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas,” Female Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year for “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” and Music Video of the Year for “Choosin’ Texas.”
Photo Courtesy of Ella Langley
Lambert followed with seven nominations: Single of the Year (Producer) (“Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas”), Album of the Year (Producer) (Dandelion), Song of the Year (“Choosin’ Texas”), Female Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year (“A Song to Sing” and “Horses and Divorces”).
Musgraves’ five nominations include Album of the Year for Middle of Nowhere, Song of the Year for “Dry Spell,” Female Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year for “Horses and Divorces,” and Music Video of the Year for “Dry Spell.”
Ben West also earned five nominations, while Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Stephen Wilson Jr. each followed with four nominations.
“For six decades, the CMA Awards have celebrated excellence in Country Music,” Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer, shared. “We’re grateful to CMA’s Professional members, whose collective voice determines every nomination, bringing real expertise to the balloting process each year. Congratulations to all of this year’s deserving nominees. We cannot wait to celebrate our milestone anniversary together in November.”
The nominees were unveiled Thursday morning on ABC’s Good Morning America before the full list was revealed via a livestream on the Country Music Association’s official YouTube channel.
Lainey Wilson; Photo by Disney, Robby Klein
Lainey Wilson will return to host the 60th Annual CMA Awards, which will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 18, at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+. The broadcast will also be available to stream on Hulu the following day.
See the full list of nominees below.
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Ella Langley
Chris Stapleton
Lainey Wilson
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist, Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
“Be Her” – Ella Langley
Producers: Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Ben West
Mix Engineer: Dave Clauss
“Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley
Producers: Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Ben West
Mix Engineer: Dave Clauss
“I Knew It, I Knew You” – Taylor Swift
Producers: Jack Antonoff, Taylor Swift
Mix Engineer: Laura Sisk
“Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson
Producer: Jay Joyce
Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
“The Fall” – Cody Johnson
Producer: Trent Willmon
Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist, Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
Ain’t In It For My Health – Zach Top
Producer: Carson Chamberlain
Mix Engineer: Matt Rovey
Dandelion – Ella Langley
Producers: Devin Dawson, Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Ben West
Mix Engineer: Dave Clauss
Middle of Nowhere – Kacey Musgraves
Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Luke Laird, Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Tashian
Mix Engineers: Serban Ghenea, Konrad Snyder
Parker McCollum – Parker McCollum
Producers: Frank Liddell, Eric Masse
Mix Engineer: Eric Masse
The Way I Am – Luke Combs
Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
SONG OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Songwriter(s)
“Be Her”
Songwriters: Smith Ahnquist, Michael Hardy, Ella Langley, Jordan Schmidt
“Beautiful Things”
Songwriters: Jessi Alexander, Jessie Jo Dillon, Connie Harrington, Megan Moroney
“Choosin’ Texas”
Songwriters: Luke Dick, Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor
“Dry Spell”
Songwriters: Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves, Josh Osborne
“Gary”
Songwriter: Stephen Wilson Jr.
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Miranda Lambert
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Zach Top
Stephen Wilson Jr.
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
The Red Clay Strays
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Muscadine Bloodline
Thelma & James
MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artists and Producer(s)
“A Song To Sing” – Miranda Lambert (with Chris Stapleton)
Producer: Dave Cobb
“Horses and Divorces” – Kacey Musgraves (feat. Miranda Lambert)
Producers: Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Tashian
“I Can’t Love You Anymore” – Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen
Producers: Austin Goodloe, Ella Langley, Ben West
“If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” – Carly Pearce & Riley Green
Producers: Carly Pearce, Ben West
“McArthur” – HARDY, Eric Church, Morgan Wallen & Tim McGraw
Producer: Jay Joyce
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Tom Bukovac – Guitar
Jenee Fleenor – Fiddle
Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar
Rob McNelley – Guitar
Charlie Worsham – Guitar
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s) and Director(s)
“Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley
Directors: Ella Langley, Caylee Robillard, Wales Toney
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(The Center Square) – One year after Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder and president, was assassinated at a Utah Valley University event, the conservative organization reports continued growth in its campus chapters.
