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For Ella Langley, 2026 has been one long victory lap. The Alabama-born country star’s “Choosin’ Texas” has become a bona fide crossover phenomenon, spending 15 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 — a record for a non-holiday song by a woman — while her sophomore album, “Dandelion,” arrived in April.
Then came the accolades. Langley swept all seven of her nominations at the 2026 ACM Awards, setting a new record for the most wins by an artist in a single year, including female artist of the year and song and single of the year for “Choosin’ Texas.” She followed that with two American Music Awards, for best female country artist and best country song. And the victory lap isn’t over: “Choosin’ Texas” was just nominated for best country at the 2026 MTV VMAs.
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