CMA Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special: Performers Announced
This year’s CMA Music Awards presentation will be extra special. Not only will current country music stars be honored on “Country Music’s Biggest Night,” but many who came before them will be also as this year marks the award show’s 50th celebration. The special will air live on Wednesday, November 2 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
“The CMA Awards will include moments that pay homage to our past 50 years, but it is also a celebration of the past 12 months and the artists and music that have resonated with the industry and our fans,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA chief executive officer in today’s press statement. “The lineup of performers is outstanding and represents the legacy of county music as well as our future.”
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will once again serve as hosts for the 50th annual special. In addition, the two are both nominees this year, and along with many others, they will perform during the celebration, making it a very busy night for both of them.
“I really enjoy hosting the CMA Awards with Brad,” said Underwood in an earlier statement. “Of course we have fun up there, but we take the responsibility of honoring the best artists in the format and shining a positive light on Country Music very seriously. And this year, the bar will be even higher as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the CMA Awards. I can’t wait.”
Underwood is a nominee for Entertainer of the Year for the first time. Throughout her career, Underwood has received five CMA Awards, which is impressive, but not nearly as impressive at Paisley’s 14 wins. He is No. 3 on the list of top CMA Award nominees of all time.
“I look forward to hosting the CMA Awards each year,” said Paisley. “Carrie and I have certainly hit our stride in terms of balancing humor and a genuine respect for the nominees and winners. This year the stakes are higher than ever as we honor the legacy and traditions of the past 50 years. We will give it everything we’ve got.”
“This is a milestone year for the CMA Awards as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary and the broadcast is in great hands with Brad and Carrie,” said Trahern. “They are genuinely invested in the ongoing success of the CMA Awards, but they are equally committed to honoring the traditions that are the foundation of Country Music’s Biggest Night.”
Among those scheduled to perform during the broadcast include Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Maren Morris, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Garth Brooks with Trisha Yearwood, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, and Kacey Musgraves. It is likely that ABC will add to the list of performers in the coming days.
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— Nash Country Daily (@NashCntryDaily) October 17, 2016
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On Halloween, the Monday before the big night, ABC will air All Access Nashville: Celebrating the CMA Awards with Robin Roberts at 10 p.m. after Dancing with the Stars (and long after the neighborhood trick-or-treaters have stopped knocking on your door). This will be her eighth annual CMA Awards special and will be taped at Tootsie’s in downtown Nashville. The preview will feature performances in front a live audience, and some memories of the past 50 years will be shared as well.
[Featured Image by ABC]
