The Launchpad on NBC
Believe it or not, 'Country Music's Biggest Night' didn't start on television at all. The very first CMA Awards in 1967 was an untelevised industry banquet in Nashville. But its success was immediate, and NBC came calling the next year. In 1968, the ceremony
was taped and aired for a national audience for the first time, hosted by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. By 1969, it was a live special. This initial four-year run on NBC (1968-1971) was the launchpad. It proved that a show dedicated to country music could not only survive but thrive on primetime network television, bringing Nashville artists like Glen Campbell and Johnny Cash directly into American living rooms and setting the stage for decades of growth.
The 34-Year Run at CBS
While the headline jumps from NBC to ABC, it skips the longest and most formative chapter in the show's history. In 1972, the CMA Awards moved to CBS, where it would remain for an incredible 34 years. This was the era where the awards ceremony became a true American institution. It was on CBS that Loretta Lynn became the first woman to win Entertainer of the Year in 1972 and where the 'Garth Brooks explosion' of the 90s made the show appointment television for millions beyond the traditional country audience. The partnership was stable, powerful, and defined the public face of country music for more than three decades. The move away from CBS in the mid-2000s was a shock to the industry, signaling a major shift in the media landscape.
A New Home and a New Era at ABC
In 2006, the CMA Awards made another blockbuster move, this time to ABC. The switch was a bet on the future, aligning the show with the Disney-owned network as country music was entering a new phase of massive pop-crossover appeal. It paid off. The ABC era has been defined by the genre's biggest mainstream moments, from Taylor Swift's historic Entertainer of the Year win in 2009 at age 19 to the star-studded 50th anniversary show that captivated the nation. For nearly two decades, ABC has served as the home for 'Country Music's Biggest Night,' steering it through a period of immense stylistic change and digital disruption while keeping it one of the highest-rated awards shows on television.
The Future is ABC… And Disney+
Which brings us to 2026. The partnership with ABC has proven so successful that the Country Music Association and parent-company Disney have repeatedly extended their agreement. The current deal, signed in May 2026, secures ABC as the broadcast home for the CMA Awards through 2032. But the 2026 ceremony marks another pivotal evolution. For the first time ever, the show will be livestreamed on Disney+ at the same time it airs on ABC. This move reflects a modern media strategy, combining the broad reach of traditional broadcast with the global, on-demand access of a major streaming platform. It ensures that as viewing habits change, the CMA Awards remain accessible to the widest possible audience, positioning the show for its next chapter.
