Go ahead and save your Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The Country Music Association and ABC have named Lady A as host of the 17th annual “CMA Country Christmas,” and the trio is bringing a lineup that stretches from gospel royalty to one of country’s hottest new traditionalists.
The special airs Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 9/8c on ABC, then streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. If you’re the type who puts the tree up the minute the turkey’s cleared, this is your soundtrack.
When and How to Watch
- Date: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026
- Time: 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT
- Network: ABC
- Streaming: Disney+ and Hulu, starting Wednesday, Dec. 2
- Where it was filmed: In front of a live audience in Nashville
Who’s Performing
Here’s the full lineup, and a little reason to get excited about each one:
- Lady A (hosts and performers): Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood are no strangers to this stage. They performed on the 2023 special and debuted a brand-new Christmas song on last year’s show. Their 2012 holiday album, On This Winter’s Night, is still a December staple in a lot of country homes.
- Trisha Yearwood: She co-hosted the special with Amy Grant in 2023, so she knows exactly how to make this room feel like a living room.
- Zach Top: The new-traditionalist favorite is having a big month. He’s also on the performer list for the 60th CMA Awards on Nov. 18, so expect two prime-time Zach Top moments in two weeks.
- Dan + Shay: One of the special’s most reliable regulars, and a duo built for big, sentimental holiday harmonies.
- Jordan Davis: Last year he co-hosted alongside Lauren Daigle. This year he’s back on the performer side.
- Russell Dickerson: Bringing the high-energy, feel-good side of the night.
- BeBe Winans and Debbie Winans: The sibling pair from one of gospel’s most famous families. BeBe also performed on last year’s special, and gospel has become one of this show’s secret weapons.
- Lindsey Stirling: The violinist has recorded holiday albums of her own and previously played the special in 2023.
- Grace Bowers: The young blues-rock guitar phenom is the wild card here, and possibly the performance people will be clipping and sharing the next morning.
Why This Lineup Matters
Look closely at this bill and you’ll see something bigger than a holiday hour. Country’s Christmas special has quietly become the genre’s most open-door night of the year. Gospel sits next to fiddle-and-steel traditionalism. A violinist and a blues guitar slinger share a stage with Dan + Shay. Trisha Yearwood, a Hall of Fame-level voice, shares a night with Zach Top, who is still writing his first chapter.
That mix says a lot about where country is right now. The genre isn’t guarding its borders, it’s inviting people in. And Christmas music, the one setlist almost everybody already knows by heart, might be the friendliest front door it has.
It also caps off a huge stretch for the CMA. The 60th CMA Awards land Wednesday, Nov. 18 on ABC with Lainey Wilson hosting, and less than two weeks later, “CMA Country Christmas” picks up the baton. Country is owning a lot of prime-time real estate this season.
Behind the Scenes
“CMA Country Christmas” is produced by the Country Music Association, with Robert Deaton as executive producer, Alan Carter directing and Jon Macks writing. The special launched in 2010 and has aired on ABC every holiday season since. ABC is also the network home of the CMA Awards and the summer concert special “CMA Fest.”
Want a look back? Here’s our coverage of last year’s special with Lauren Daigle and Jordan Davis.
Your Turn
So tell us: which performance are you most excited to see, and what’s the one country Christmas song that just isn’t the holidays without it? Drop it in the comments.
“CMA Country Christmas,” hosted by Lady A, airs Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 9/8c on ABC and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
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