BAM Column: Carrie Underwood talks about co-hosting tonight’s CMA Awards
Carrie Underwood arrives Tuesday night at the 2008 BMI Country Awards in Nashville, Tenn. She and Brad Paisley will host the CMA Awards tonight in Nashville. (Associated Press photo)
From Wednesday’s Life section of The Oklahoman.
Underwood excited, nervous about co-hosting
Oklahoma singing sensation Carrie Underwood didn’t make the Country Music Association work too hard to rope her into co-hosting tonight’s CMA Awards with fellow star Brad Paisley.
“They didn’t have to do much roping,” the Checotah native said with a laugh during a recent phone interview from the road. “Brad and I have been paired together on a lot of stuff and we have a really good chemistry. He’s definitely a good friend of mine, so they didn’t have to talk me into it very much. I was in from the start. I’m nervous and I’m excited about it.”
The 42nd Annual CMA Awards will air live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn., from 7 to 10 tonight on ABC. As the CMA’s reigning male and female vocalists of the year, Paisley and Underwood are natural picks to co-host the show, even if they’ve never done it before. Plus, both are immensely likable and consummate performers.
The association tried a no-host format last year, but decided that someone was needed to guide this year’s show, Underwood said.
“It’s kind of our job to carry the show. And if we do a good job people know it, and if we do a bad job, people know it, too. So, you just want people to focus on the winners and … the performances and all that good stuff. You don’t want them to focus on what a crappy job you’re doing,” she said with a laugh.
Along with hosting, Paisley and Underwood will perform. They also are nominated for multiple awards and have the chance to once again be named the year’s best male and female vocalists.
Although she has won many awards in her whirlwind three-year career, Underwood still feels honored to get a nomination.
“So many people work so hard to make my world go around, and it’s not just a nomination for me. It’s like it’s definitely a nomination for all those people as well,” said Underwood, who also in nominated for album of the year for her “Carnival Ride.”
Along with Underwood, Oklahoma CMA nominees include Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn and Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts.
CMA Awards
The Country Music Association’s 42nd Annual CMA Awards will air live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn., from 7 to 10 tonight on ABC.
My live-blog of the show tonight here at blog.newsok.com/bamsblog.
-BAM
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