FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2026 Texas Country Music Awards Celebrate 10^th Anniversary

Set for November 8 at Billy Bob’s Texas

Nominations Are Open Now - Performers Announced

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (May 8, 2026) Nominations for the 2026 Texas Country Music Awards opened Thursday, May 1, through a link on www.texascountrymusic.org. Nominations will close at midnight on June 15.  Nominations are open to the public, and you do not have to be a TCMA Member to place nominations; however, TCMA Member nominations will double. The nomination round will determine the top 5 finalists that will go to a vote beginning July 1 and ending on August 15.

The annual Texas Country Music Awards, recognized as the most highly honored music awards in Texas, is presented by the Texas Country Music Association, the only trade organization for the Texas Country Music industry.  There are 28 Award categories, and each will be presented at the Awards, held once again in the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards at the World’s Largest Honky Tonk, Billy Bob’s Texas on Sunday, November 8, following Texas Country Music Weekend in the Stockyards on November 6, 7 and 8.

Headlining the 2026 Texas Country Music Awards is Texas Country star Wynn Williams. The TCMA Trailblazer Award will be presented to Aaron Watson for his enormous contribution to the Texas Country Music industry.  The 2026 TCMA Icon Award will be presented to well-known and longtime Billy Bob’s staple, Robert Gallagher.  Other performers include TCMA Spokesperson and Awards host Brandon Rhyder, along with Kylie Frey and full band performances by the spectacular Kristen Kelly, as well as rising star Tristan Roberson.  Other performers will be announced as schedules are confirmed.  Each of the five 2026 Emerging Artist Finalists will also be invited to perform. 

TCMA and the Stockyards will again bring you “Texas Country Music Weekend” on November 6, 7 and 8, with continuous free live music events, activities, and special appearances by Texas Country Music artists. On Friday November 6 the Stockyards will present TCMA’s Texas Country Showcase with live acoustic performances by TCMA Member Artists from 1pm-5pm, followed by a free concert on the Stockyards stage by the Monty Dawson Band.

Saturday, November 7 the Stockyards will host TCMA’s Texas Country Music Showdown emceed by TCMA Ambassador Brad Bowman and TCMA Vice President Monty Dawson. The Showdown consists of 8 bands who perform throughout the day and compete for the Grand Champion honor as well as 2^nd and 3^rd place, which will be announced at the Texas Country Music Awards on Sunday, November 8^th. The Stockyards provide the judges and cash prizes for the winners. There will also be a free live music concert following the Texas Country Music Showdown by super-talented Scotty Alexander and his band.

In 2023, 2024 and 2025, there were right at 150,000 visitors to the Stockyards for Texas Country Music Weekend, thanks to Title Sponsors the Fort Worth Stockyards, Stockyards Heritage Development Co., Hotel Drover, Mule Alley, Stockyards Station, Stockyards Hotel, and Hyatt Place.

“We’re very excited to announce that the 2026 Texas Country Music Awards once again will be at home in the Stockyards at Billy Bob’s Texas,” says Texas Country Music Association President Linda Wilson. She goes on, “TCMA has been rocking the Texas music industry for 16 years now, and this is the 10^th year TCMA has presented the Texas Country Music Awards.  We are extremely excited that Texas Country Artist Wynn Williams will be our headliner and finale performer. We know it’s going to be one awesome event once again and look forward to honoring the artists, musicians, songwriters, venues, media, and others involved in the industry who are from and perform throughout the State of Texas and beyond.”

The Texas Country Music Awards main ceremony will again be hosted by TCMA Spokesperson and Texas Country Artist, Brandon Rhyder, and co-hosted by on-air personality with 92.1 Hank-FM, Erin Wilde.  Brandon has been TCMA’s Spokesperson since 2017.  Hosting the Texas Country Music Awards Pre-Show honoring musicians and songwriters, is TCMA’s own Brad Bowman.

TCMA Executive Vice President Richard Wilson adds, “Each year after the Awards show we are in awe and say, ‘How are we going to top this next year?’  I mean it’s hard to top the past years with all the awards presented and the performances of artists like Doug Supernaw, Doug Stone, Steve Helms, Cory Morrow, Neal McCoy, Aaron Watson, Roger Creager, The Great Divide, McBride and the Ride, Cody Canada and the Departed, Jason Boland and the Stragglers and this past year with Kevin Fowler.  We are sure it will once again be epic. We can’t wait to be able to shine a light on the great music and those in the Texas Country Music industry once again. It’s most definitely going to be a blast and we’re so grateful for the TCMA Members, the Stockyards, Hotel Drover, Rhinestone Saloon, Pendleton Whisky, and all of the sponsors and of course Billy Bob’s for hosting it each year.  They never fail at helping us present the most prestigious event and weekend in Texas Country.”

On Sunday, November 8^th at high noon, there will again be a free Christian Country Sunday Gathering in the Stockyards with live music, from multi-year Christian Country Artist of the Year Curtis Grimes and 2025 Christian Country Artist of the year Aaron Loy.

On Awards show day (Sunday the 8^th) the VIP Entrance will open at 2:00 pm and the doors at Billy Bob’s will open to the public at 2:30 pm. Red Carpet Interviews begin at 2:00 pm and will again be hosted by Helen Elshick of Texas Toast Podcast, and Kris Young, Vice President of TCMA.  There will also be two performers to be announced later in the VIP Lounge from 2pm-5pm.

At 5:00 pm the event will kick off with the Pre-Show Awards Ceremony hosted by TCMA Ambassador Brad Bowman. During the Pre-Show TCMA will be naming the winners in each of the 6 categories of Musician of the Year awards and naming the 2026 TCMA Songwriter of the Year Finalists, as well as the overall winner in the Country and Christian Country songwriter categories, who will each perform their winning songs.

Zakk United of Texas Country Network and on-air personality with Houston’s 100.3 The Bull’s Sounds Like Texas, will host the Hoot’s Hall Winner’s Circle once again backstage where he will be interviewing all of the award winners.

The Texas Country Music Association is the only trade organization and primary advocate for the Texas Country Music industry and has had tremendous growth since its official inception in early 2011 and is highly recognized throughout the US and the world.

Tickets will go on sale for the 2026 Texas Country Music Awards in early July and will be available through www.billybobstexas.com and a link on www.texascountrymusic.org.

For more information about the Texas Country Music Association, its mission, goals, and how to join, or become a Sponsor of the 2026 Texas Country Music Awards, or advertise in the event’s Souvenir Program, visit www.texascountrymusic.orgor email us at tcma@texascountrymusicassociation.org.

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CONTACT (Not for Publication)

Linda K. Wilson, President

Texas Country Music Association

tcma@texascountrymusicassociation.org

903-472-8008 (call or text)

www.texascountrymusic.org