The British Country Music Association Awards 2026 have reached their final voting stage, with BCMA members now choosing this year’s winners from five finalists in each category.
Following an initial public vote and, for most categories, consideration by an industry panel, the final ballot brings together some of the most established names in British country alongside artists who have made significant strides over the past year. Voting is open exclusively to BCMA members until 30 September, ahead of the awards ceremony at Liverpool’s Cavern Club on 22 November.
Among those leading this year’s nominations are Kezia Gill, Liam Price, Robyn Red and Neeve Zahra, while previous BCMA winners including Jade Helliwell, Jake O’Neill, First Time Flyers and The Shires are back in contention.
Kezia Gill returns to defend Entertainer title
Few artists feature as prominently on the 2026 ballot as Kezia Gill. She is nominated for Entertainer of the Year and Female Vocalist, while If Heaven Has a Honkytonk is shortlisted for Single of the Year and All On Red for Album/EP of the Year.
Gill enters this year’s awards as the reigning Entertainer of the Year, making the contest particularly interesting. She faces Liam Price, Rob Wheeler, Robyn Red and Neeve Zahra for the title.
There are other returning winners throughout the nominations. Jade Helliwell, who previously took both Female Vocalist and UK Album of the Year with How Love Goes, is again nominated for Female Vocalist, with Rebegin among this year’s Album/EP finalists.
Jake O’Neill also returns after winning Male Vocalist and UK Single of the Year with Taste of Us. This time he is again shortlisted for Male Vocalist, while Leave This Town is in contention for Album/EP of the Year.
The final ballot therefore gives BCMA members a choice between rewarding artists who have maintained their momentum and recognising some of the newer names making their mark on British country.
Familiar names face new competition
The Group of the Year finalists are First Time Flyers, Morganway, 53 West, Chasing Twisters and Wood Burnt Red, with First Time Flyers looking to retain the award they previously won.
In Duo/Trio of the Year, Gasoline & Matches, Two Ways Home, Ward Thomas, Outpost Drive and The Shires make up the final five. The Shires are defending winners in the category.
Several artists also appear repeatedly across the ballot. Liam Price is nominated for Male Vocalist and Entertainer alongside recognition for Two Horse Town in Single of the Year and The Grass Ain’t Green in Album/EP of the Year.
Robyn Red is shortlisted for Female Vocalist and Entertainer, while Neeve Zahra appears in those same two categories as well as Single of the Year with Never Get Another.
BCMA Awards 2026: How the voting works
The awards use a three-stage process to arrive at the eventual winners.
Stage 1 — Public Vote | 1–21 July
The process began with an open public vote.Stage 2 — Industry Panel | 28 July–28 August
The top 10 in each category went forward to the BCMA Industry Panel. Festival, Photographer, Radio Station and Radio Presenter were excluded from this stage. CountryMusic.co.uk was part of this panel.Stage 3 — BCMA Members Vote | 4–30 September
The field has now been reduced to the five finalists in each category, with the final vote open exclusively to BCMA members.Voting closes: 30 September 2026
Awards ceremony: Sunday 22 November 2026
Venue: Cavern Club, Liverpool
Festivals, radio and the people behind the music
The BCMA Awards also recognise the wider community supporting country music across the UK.
This year’s Festival of the Year finalists are The British Country Music Festival, Buckle and Boots, Country 2 Country, The Long Road and Country Calling, with The Long Road looking to retain its title.
For Radio Station of the Year, Absolute Radio Country, CountryLine, BBC Radio 2, Smooth Country and UK Country Radio make up the final five.
Meanwhile Bob Harris, Baylen Leonard, Madeleine Christy, Paul Marsh and Harry Colley compete for Radio Presenter of the Year. Harris is a previous winner of the category.
Musicians and photographers are recognised too, with Cristiano Pochesci, Chuck Walton, Albert Lee, Peter Gebbie and Kathleen Ord nominated for Musician, and Chris Mitchell, Danny Coffill-Brown, Tony Gaskin, Michelle Fredricks and Paul White shortlisted for Photographer.
Alyssa Bonagura gives International categories a UK connection
The two International categories contain some of the biggest names on the ballot, but Alyssa Bonagura stands apart as the only UK-based artist among the finalists in either category.
The Nashville-born singer-songwriter has established strong ties with the British country community and divides her time between the UK and Nashville. She receives two nominations this year: Hippies & Gypsies for International Single and America’s Backroads for International Album.
For International Single, Bonagura faces Ella Langley, Ashley McBryde, Luke Combs and Kacey Musgraves. The International Album finalists are Bonagura, Langley, Brennon Leigh, Combs and Musgraves.
Her nominations are particularly interesting from a British perspective. Although competing in the International categories, Bonagura has become a familiar presence within the UK scene, both through her own performances and her songwriting and production work with British artists.
There will also be new winners in both International categories following Lainey Wilson’s previous double victory, when she took International Single and International Album.
BCMA members have the final say
With the public vote complete and the Industry Panel stage concluded, the decision now rests with BCMA members.
This year’s finalists illustrate both the continuity and continuing development of the UK country scene. Previous winners are competing to retain their crowns, while a growing generation of artists now find themselves alongside some of the most established names in British country.
BCMA members have until 30 September to cast their votes, with the winners set to be revealed when the British Country Music Association Awards return to the Cavern Club in Liverpool on Sunday 22 November 2026.
