Country Music Stars Share Stories from Hosting the ACM Awards
The countdown is on for the 60th ACM Awards! On May 8, Reba McEntire will take the stage at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The country music icon is serving as host for the 18th time, but, as we await the return of the sure-to-be-entertaining show, which includes performances by Blake Shelton, Eric Church, and Lainey Wilson, we're taking a behind-the-scenes look at previous shows through the eyes of their hosts.
Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban, and Lorrie Morgan share never-before-seen footage from their times hosting the show, and the videos are filled with some unexpected moments (what do Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks think about Tim McGraw?).
The "Something in Red" singer took on hosting duties at the 27th-annual show with Clint Black and Travis Tritt. She says, "They were absolutely crazy. They were so fun." Lorrie admits that she didn't take the responsibility too seriously at the time. She says, "I didn't know how lucky I was, but I was just elated to be with my buddies and a night of music." Plus, she shares a very relatable wardrobe malfunction that was the source of many jokes!
Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks talk about hosting the awards show with Faith Hill, who asked them what they thought about her future husband, Tim McGraw. Kix says, "There was definitely a little twinkle in her eye, no doubt about it!"
Kix reflects, "It looks like we're doing pretty good! The clothes aren't as nonsensical as they were sometimes." Ronnie explains that they were told to read from the script and not try to be funny, but both agreed that it was a stressful experience.
In 2020, the show was relocated to the Grand Ole Opry and Keith Urban hosted the 55th annual event without an audience. He says, "It was very weird. It feels like a dream now." The singer explains that he had done a few concerts over Zoom and he "loved the idea that we could keep the lights on for everybody at home." He shares the powerful experience of bringing the awards show into everyone's homes during a time of uncertainty.
Ella Langley, Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton, Riley Green, and Post Malone lead the nominees at the 60th-annual event. The ACM Awards air on Prime Video on Thursday, May 8, at 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT. Want to attend in person? A limited number of tickets are available at SeatGeek.
Katie Bowlby is Digital Director at Country Living, where she covers pop culture news including country music, Yellowstone, and all things HGTV, plus gift guides and product reviews. She has been with Country Living for more than 11 years. Before that, she worked for Southern Living. The Indiana University grad also stitches up the cross-stitch pattern for every issue of the magazine.
