CBS Sunday Morning July 12: Gracie Abrams takes center stage
CBS Sunday Morning on July 12, 2026, airs at 9:00 a.m. ET with guest host Tracy Smith anchoring a lineup that spotlights singer Gracie Abrams, revisits HBO's Emmy-nominated drama The Pitt, and examines the 1898 Wilmington coup. The Emmy-winning broadcast also streams on the CBS News app at 11:00 a.m. ET.
Key Takeaways
- Tracy Smith guest-hosts the July 12 episode of CBS Sunday Morning, replacing regular anchor Jane Pauley for this week's broadcast.
- Correspondent Tracy Smith interviews Gracie Abrams about her rise from posting songs online to stadium tours and her new album, Daughter From Hell.
- The cover story explores the 1898 Wilmington coup through Lauren Collins' book They Stole a City, with Lee Cowan reporting.
- An encore segment goes behind the scenes of The Pitt with Noah Wylie; the HBO Max drama earned 25 Emmy nominations.
- Viewers can watch live on CBS at 9:00 a.m. ET or stream on the CBS News app starting at 11:00 a.m. ET.
Who is hosting CBS Sunday Morning on July 12?
Correspondent Tracy Smith steps in as guest host for the July 12 broadcast, according to CBS News. The Emmy Award-winning program typically airs Sundays at 9:00 a.m. ET on CBS, with executive producer Rand Morrison overseeing the broadcast.
Full episodes are also available on demand through CBSNews.com, CBS.com, and Paramount+. For viewers who miss the live window, the CBS News app begins streaming the episode at 11:00 a.m. ET.
Why is Gracie Abrams featured on CBS Sunday Morning?
At 26, singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams has turned intimate, whispered lyrics into stadium anthems. Correspondent Tracy Smith sits down with Abrams to discuss how she found the courage to share her earliest songs online and her path from shy newcomer to sold-out headliner.
Abrams also reflects on opening for Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift, a milestone that placed her among pop's biggest stages. Her latest album, Daughter From Hell, arrives July 17 on Interscope Records. The segment positions Abrams as one of the summer's most closely watched music profiles on celebrity breaking news calendars.
What other segments air on the July 12 broadcast?
The cover story examines the only successful coup in U.S. history: the 1898 Wilmington, N.C., takeover in which white supremacists seized a multi-racial government by force. The New Yorker journalist Lauren Collins discusses her book They Stole a City with correspondent Lee Cowan. The book publishes July 14 from Penguin Press.
Other highlights include Conor Knighton's look at John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads with Brad Paisley; Steve Hartman's profile of four-year-old Roman Butzlaff, whose waves united a Concord, N.C., neighborhood; and Tracy Smith's report on French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot's Clinamen installation at New York's Park Avenue Armory.
Dr. Jon LaPook revisits an encore behind HBO Max's The Pitt, interviewing star Noah Wylie on the Warner Bros. set. The medical drama received 25 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. Nancy Cordes also reports on President Trump's plans to remake Washington, D.C., and Seth Doane covers Montepulciano's wine barrel race in Italy.
How does this week connect to recent CBS Sunday Morning buzz?
The July 12 lineup follows a star-heavy prior broadcast. IMDb's recap of the July 6 episode highlighted Tracy Smith's J.K. Simmons profile and Mo Rocca's segment on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding. Abrams' mention of opening for Swift bridges those storylines into this week's music focus.
With Wilmington history, Abrams, The Pitt, and arts coverage packed into one hour, the July 12 CBS Sunday Morning offers a mix of hard news, culture, and celebrity conversation that has defined the show's Sunday morning formula for decades.