All five of this year’s entertainer of the year nominees will perform on the show.
Carrie Underwood, Trisha Yearwood and the team of Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani will perform at the 55th ACM Awards on Sept. 16, as the Academy of Country Music, dick clark productions and CBS announced on Wednesday (Sept. 9).
Underwood will perform from the Grand Ole Opry and will honor trailblazing female Opry members by performing a medley of songs by Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton.
Underwood teamed with McEntire and Parton to co-host last year’s CMA Awards, sponsored by the rival Country Music Association.
Underwood is nominated for the ACM award for entertainer of the year, an award she won at the ceremonies in 2009 and 2010. All five of this year’s entertainer of the year nominees will perform on the show. Performances by the other nominees in that top category — Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett — were previously announced.
Yearwood will perform “I’ll Carry You Home” from her hit album Every Girl for the In Memoriam segment. Every Girl reached the top five on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.
Shelton and Stefani will perform their latest single “Happy Anywhere,” which rises to No. 13 on this week’s Country Airplay chart.
Another noted country couple, Clint Black & Lisa Hartman Black, will serve as presenters, as will Lauren Alaina, Lily Aldridge, Bobby Bones, Cam, Darius Rucker and Runaway June.
This year makes the first time the ACMs will take place in Nashville. The show will broadcast from three iconic Country Music venues — Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe.
Previously announced performers are Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Riley Green, Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi, Tenille Townes, and Morgan Wallen.
Keith Urban, a 15-time ACM Award winner, will host the show, will be broadcast live on Sept. 16 from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. ET, and will hour three hours later PT. The show will be available to stream on CBS All Access.
The show is produced by dick clark productions, which shares a parent company with Billboard.
