When the 60th Annual CMA Awards air on November 18, all eyes will be on the major categories. But one song, Ella Langley’s 'Choosin' Texas,' carries more than just the weight of nominations—it represents a convergence of creative legacies and careers.
A Monumental Night for Ella Langley
For Ella Langley, the night is historic before a single award is handed out. The Alabama native leads the field with a staggering nine nominations, a feat that ties a record set by her mentor Miranda Lambert and later matched by Lainey Wilson. This includes nominations for the night's top prize, Entertainer of the Year, as well as Female Vocalist of the Year. 'Choosin' Texas' itself is a juggernaut, earning nods for Single of the Year, Song of the Year, and Music Video of the Year. Langley even competes against herself in the Single and Song categories with her other hit, 'Be Her'. A win for 'Choosin' Texas' in a major category would be the crowning achievement of a year that saw her become the first woman to simultaneously top the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, and Country Airplay charts with the single.
The Songwriters' Award
The Song of the Year category is particularly significant because it honors the writers behind the hit. A win for 'Choosin' Texas' would be a shared victory for a powerhouse quartet: Ella Langley, country superstar Miranda Lambert, and seasoned Nashville writers Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor. The song was born from a writers' retreat where Lambert, a proud Texan, shared a 'wild story' that sparked the song's central idea. For Lambert, who also co-produced the track and provides background vocals, it’s a chance to win for a song that champions a raw, authentic sound she has long embodied. This nomination also adds to her record as the most-nominated female artist in CMA history. A win validates the magic of collaborative songwriting and the power of a good story.
A Victory for a Specific Sound
Beyond the individuals involved, a win for 'Choosin' Texas' would be a significant nod to its specific brand of country music. The track is not a polished pop-country tune; it's a steel-guitar-soaked, smoky barroom ballad with a gritty edge. The song's runaway success, which saw it spend a record-breaking 27 nonstconsecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, proves there is a massive audience for this traditional-leaning, yet modern, sound. In a field of diverse nominees, a victory for 'Choosin' Texas' signals that the heart of mainstream country can still be found in raw storytelling and classic instrumentation, championed by an artist who, as Lambert put it, has a 'rowdy, fiery side'. It’s a win for the sound of Texas, even if its main performer is from Alabama.
The Power of the Visual
The song's creative stakes extend to its cinematic music video, which is also up for an award. Co-directed by Langley herself, the video is a starstuffed affair set in Fort Worth's Stagecoach Ballroom that deepens the song's narrative. It features actor Luke Grimes ('Yellowstone') as the love interest and Miranda Lambert as the bar's performer. The video amplifies the song’s Texas identity by including cameos from Texasbased musicians like Wade Bowen and Casey Donahew, as well as reallife rodeo legends such as J.B. Mauney and Dale Brisby. This nomination isn't just for a video, but for an entire creative project that brought the song's world to life, proving that a compelling visual story can turn a hit song into a cultural moment.
