Carrie and Brad Return To Host CMA Awards

Country superstars Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will return as hosts of the 49th Annual CMA Awards for the 8th consecutive year. “Country Music’s Biggest Night” will air live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 4 (7:00-10:00 CT) on the ABC Television Network.

The announcement was made during last night’s (August 4) ABC broadcast of CMA Fest. Viewers were able to Shazam the show to unlock a video montage.

“We are so fortunate to have Carrie and Brad hosting the CMA Awards for the eighth time,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “They have real chemistry on stage and bring credibility, comic timing, and critical acclaim to ‘Country Music’s Biggest Night.’”

“Brad and Carrie are great hosts because they are very active collaborators in the process,” said Robert Deaton, Executive Producer of the CMA Awards and CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock. “They are heavily invested in the continued success of the CMA Awards while being mindful of the prestige and history. They are not simply setting the bar for hosting an awards show, they are surpassing it every time they step out on our stage.”

Paisley has won 14 CMA Awards since receiving the Horizon Award (now the New Artist Award) in 2000. He is No. 5 on the list of top CMA Awards winners of all time.

Underwood has received five CMA Awards in her career. She has been nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year every year since first being nominated (2006-2014).

The 2015 CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by more than 7,400 professional members of CMA. The eligibility period for the 2015 CMA Awards is July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015. Voting for the second ballot closes Thursday, Aug. 20 (6:00 p.m. CT). The final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced on Wednesday, Sept. 9 with voting for the final ballot ending Tuesday, Oct. 27 (6:00 p.m. CT).

Ticket information for the show will be announced later this summer.