Tim McGraw's Country Music Hall of Fame induction took him by surprise

Country music icon Tim McGraw and songwriter Paul Overstreet are among the inductees joining the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2026.

Tim McGraw is headed for the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The Country Music Association revealed its 2026 inductees for the hall of fame this week, announcing that McGraw was tapped for the modern era artist category, along with The Stanley Brothers for the veteran era artist category and Paul Overstreet for the songwriter category.

The three artists combined have sold millions of records, garnered dozens of awards, and left a memorable musical trace on Nashville and beyond. Each year, only three artists are inducted into the Hall of Fame. The 2025 inductees were June Carter Cash, Kenny Chesney, and producer Tony Brown.

Speaking with the Nashville Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, McGraw recalled the moment he learned he was set to be inducted. He got a random call from his manager to join a conference call, and at first thought something was wrong.

"I've never had a conference call to talk about the tour. What's going on?” McGraw recalled. "What did I do? Are we going to cancel dates or something? I was sort of freaked out a little bit."