Luke Bryan has been tapped to host the 2021 CMA Awards set for Wednesday, November 10 on ABC. It will be Bryan’s CMA Awards hosting debut. The two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year will be the show’s sole co-host after nearly two decades of co-hosts, following Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood’s 11-year run, from 2008 to 2018, Underwood and Reba McEntire in 2019, and last year’s hosting duo of McEntire and Darius Rucker.
“The CMA Awards is one of the biggest nights of the year for Country Music,” says Bryan. “Being asked to host the CMA Awards was definitely something I put a lot of thought into before answering. The pressure that comes along with that can be overwhelming, but knowing I get to help honor and celebrate so many of my friends, I knew it was something I couldn’t turn down. I mean, growing up in Georgia, I remember watching Vince Gill, Reba, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Rogers, Barbara Mandrell, to name a few. They were so good. And then becoming a part of this amazing Country Music family and sitting on the front row while Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and Darius Rucker took the reins, all of these artists are heroes and friends, and I am honored to have my name included in this group. I’m looking forward to making it fun and memorable and using this platform to continue to make Country Music shine.”
No stranger to hosting an awards show, Bryan previously co-hosted the Academy of Country Music Awards, for five years from 2013-to-2017. He is set to return as a celebrity judge for a fifth season, alongside Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, on ABC’s American Idol in 2022. His original five-part docuseries Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary, also is available for streaming on IMDb TV.
The 55th Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 8 PM EST on ABC.