Taylor Swift is officially returning to the CMA Awards stage for the first time in 13 years.
The country music superstar was announced as a performer for the 60th Annual CMA Awards on Friday, November 13. Her appearance will also mark her first awards show performance since the 2021 Grammys.
The CMA shared the news on social media, announcing that Swift will return to the stage on Wednesday, November 18, more than a decade after her last CMA performance.
Swift previously performed at the CMA Awards in 2013. She joined Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer and Eric Darken for an acoustic performance of her song “Red.”
Her most recent CMA Awards appearance came in 2016, although she did not perform that year. Swift attended the ceremony to present Garth Brooks with the Entertainer of the Year Award.
Swift has remained closely connected to country music throughout her career. She has earned 29 CMA nominations and 10 wins, including two Entertainer of the Year victories.
This year, she is nominated for Single of the Year for “I Knew It, I Knew You,” a song included on the Toy Story 5 soundtrack.
Her return is also adding even more excitement to an already packed CMA lineup.
The first group of performers included Miranda Lambert, Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, The Red Clay Strays, Zach Top, Tim McGraw, Tucker Wetmore and Kacey Musgraves.
More major names were announced on November 10, including Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Megan Moroney, Stephen Wilson Jr., Vince Gill and Mumford & Sons.
Brooks & Dunn will also receive the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. A special tribute honoring the legendary duo will feature Brothers Osborne, HARDY, Luke Bryan, Marcus King and Halestorm.
With Swift now joining the lineup, the 60th CMA Awards will bring together an especially large group of country music stars for the milestone ceremony.
The CMA Awards will air live on ABC and stream on Disney+ on Wednesday, November 18, at 8 p.m. ET. The ceremony will also be available to stream on Hulu the following day.
Fans React To Taylor Swift’s CMA Return
Taylor Swift’s return to the CMA Awards quickly sparked strong reactions online, with some fans excited to see her back on the country music stage while others questioned why she was included in the lineup.
“Good for you Taylor,” one fan wrote.
Another praised her return, writing, “That’s awesome…..coming back to her country roots for a night…..can’t wait.”
But many commenters were far less enthusiastic. “Way to take the o out of country again,” one person wrote, while another asked, “Why, what was her country song this year?”
Some fans also said they would rather see other country stars perform. “Who cares! Bring on Sammy Kershaw!!!!” one commenter wrote. Another added, “I’d rather see Sammy Kershaw!”
Others simply made it clear they planned to skip the ceremony. “Guess I won’t be watching!!” one person said, while another wrote, “No CMA in this house. No longer country.”
