CMT Music Awards 2022 Host Kelsea Ballerini Gushes Over 'Bigger and Better' Show Ahead of Covid Diagnosis (Exclusive)

By Stephen Andrew

CMT Music Awards 2022 host Kelsea Ballerini recently announced that she's been diagnosed with Covid-19 and will not be able to attend the show in person. But ahead of the news, Ballerini sat down for an exclusive virtual interview with PopCulture.com and gushed over how spectacular the live event will be this year. "It's going bigger and better," she said on Friday.

"I've always been such a fan of the CMT Awards because there's a bit more of a party energy. It's fan voted. It's the only fan voted award show in country music. This year it's going to be bigger. I'm excited that I get to wear all the hats, perform, host, all the things," she said. "I've realized something about myself. I live in my head. I'm a huge overthinker. When I actually have a lot of hats to wear, I don't have time to overthink. I just kind of enjoy it more because I'm just in a full sprint. It's good for me this way, it's better this way."

The "Peter Pan" singer also shared how excited she was to be hosting for the second year in a row and explained how she doesn't get nervous holding down the duties. "You know, I've really gotten to host a lot of things throughout my career. To me, I enjoy it. I'm really relaxed about the hosting part, because for me the performance is where all the nerves go because I'm like, that's what I'm supposed to be great at," she said. "That's my day job. That's where I need to put the most focus. Then with hosting, it's just like, I'm just hanging out, talking with my friends. That's kind of how I've always thought about it. I don't feel too much pressure on that front yet."

On Monday, Ballerini took to Instagram to reveal that she had tested positive for the coronavirus, and would not be joining her fellow country music stars at the big CMT Music Awards ceremony. However, she will be appearing virtually, from home, while actor Anthony Mackie and country singer Kane Brown hold down the show as co-MCs. Brown previously hosted with Ballerini in 2021 and he stepped in at the last minute to co-host with Mackie when it was revealed that Ballerini would not be able to attend. 

The 2022 CMT Music Awards airs live from Nashville on Monday, April 11 at 8 p.m. ET. The fan-voted award show will be broadcast by CBS this year, for the first time ever. In addition to the broadcast, it will also be available to stream on Paramount+

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