Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire to Lead All-Female CMA Awards Medley Performance

The 2019 CMA Awards just added another star-studded collaboration to the live broadcast, featuring all female artists from the past couple decades. Led by CMA Awards hosts Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire, the medley will include appearances by The Highwomen, Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Tanya Tucker, Gretchen Wilson, Terri Clark, Sara Evans, and Crystal Gayle.

In addition, Kelsea Ballerini has been added to the list of performers as well. The “homecoming queen?” singer will be joined by Lindsay Ell, Maddie & Tae, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce and Runaway June.

“We’re so excited to perform a recent CMA Song & Single of the Year in a special performance at the [CMA Awards] Wednesday at 8/7c on ABC!!” Runaway June posted. “What do you think it will be?”

The all-female medley and performances are part of what has Underwood so excited about the CMA Awards this year, as the program focuses on celebrating female artists.

“It’s definitely gonna be heartfelt,” Underwood said via PEOPLE. “I love the fact that there’s a theme happening. I hope that’s kind of something that maybe we adopt for future CMAs.”

Underwood is hosting this year with Parton and McEntire, instead of her former partner, Brad Paisley, and she is leaning on the comedic instincts of the country music icons.

“I feel like Dolly and Reba are both so good at those one-liners that just kill,” Underwood noted. “I can’t imagine there not being some of those in there.”

With less than a week until the ceremony, the three hosts are likely in full-blown preparation mode now.

“We’ve already gotten into some of the script and some of the writings,” Underwood revealed. “I think it’ll really come down to the three of us getting in a room together and kind of reading through things and then being like, ‘Yeah, I wouldn’t say it like that,’ and ‘Let’s change it this way,’ and ‘What about this?’”

Previously-announced collaborations for the 2019 CMA Awards include Kacey Musgraves with Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks with Blake Shelton, Lady Antebellum with Halsey, Pink and Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley with Sheryl Crow, Chris Janson and John Osborne, and Brooks & Dunn with Brothers Osborne.

Artists scheduled to appear include Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Parton with for KING & COUNTRY and Zach Williams, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Underwood, and Keith Urban.

The 2019 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo Credit: Getty / Rich Fury