The 2018 CMA Awards are days away, and the final round of information has been released about the upcoming event, including the list of stars handing out awards at the ceremony.
Presenters include Jimmie Allen, Bobby Bones and his Dancing With the Stars partner Sharna Burgess, Kane Brown, Olivia Culpo, Mackenzie Foy, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Dustin Lynch, Martina McBride, Carly Pearce, Noah Schnapp, Dennis Quaid, Lionel Richie and Rita Wilson.
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Performers at the show include both of its hosts, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, as well as a host of country music’s biggest names.
Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean with Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley with Brothers Osborne, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line with Bebe Rexha, Midland, Kacey Musgraves, Old Dominion, Pistol Annies, Thomas Rhett, Ricky Skaggs, Chris Stapleton with Maren Morris and Mavis Staples, Keith Urban and Brett Young will all take the stage, making for a seriously music-packed night.
The show will also feature special appearances by Lindsay Ell, Vince Gill, Sierra Hull, Chris Janson, Ashley McBryde, David Lee Murphy, Jon Pardi, Carson Peters, Marty Stuart and Cole Swindell.
Along with performances, the show will also find time to hand out some awards, at least one of which will likely go to Chris Stapleton, who leads the pack with five nominations, for Male Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Entertainer of the Year.
He’s followed by Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, Miranda Lambert and Dan + Shay, who all earned three nominations, along with Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha’s duet, “Meant to Be,” which is also up for three awards.
Paisley and Underwood are hosting the show for the 11th consecutive year, and while previous years have seen them tackle the current political climate in America, the pair are planning on refraining from such topics during this year’s ceremony.
“I’m not gonna touch that. I just don’t find politics funny anymore,” he said, via Taste of Country. “There was a time when it was. It’s just not funny to me anymore. To me, I wanna do fun stuff. I don’t wanna talk down, I don’t wanna talk up — it’s like, ‘Let’s have fun.’ And let’s talk about things that everybody can agree are funny.”
“I don’t know that it’s always music’s job to do (be political),” he added. “It can be, but I also think that sometimes it’s music’s job to get you away from some of these things.”
The 2018 CMA Awards air live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Photo Credit: Getty / Ethan Miller
