Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood Host "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards"
Country Music Association®
October 29, 2008
By Maurice Miner
He's the reigning Male Vocalist; she's the reigning Female Vocalist. They both won their first CMA Awards trophies as new artists honored with the Horizon Award. In the course of his decade-long chart career, he's become one of the most-nominated artists in the history of the CMA Awards and has won nine trophies; she's won four CMA Awards and is among the few women named Female Vocalist two consecutive times. He's had 12 No. 1 hits; she's scored nine No. 1 hits. And on Wednesday, Nov. 12, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are paired as the hosts for "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards."
"It's sort of our Oscars," Paisley said of "Country Music's Biggest Night." "Any actor wants to win an Oscar - I grew up wanting to win this." Paisley can recall watching the CMA Awards as an 8-year-old, and he hasn't missed one since. Underwood hasn't either, and she still finds it hard to believe that she and Paisley are about to follow in the footsteps of some of Country Music's biggest names.
"It seems like one of those things that would be out of reach," she said. "I mean, Reba hosted. It's almost like little girls that are like me when I was young are going to be watching me be Reba."
"It's a big deal to me, too," Paisley said. "I didn't ever think about it. When Vince said that he was stepping down, it crossed my mind a little bit that I would like a shot at that, but I thought, 'No. He was so good at this.' And now here we are. I can't believe we're doing this."
The last time a male-female combo hosted the CMA Awards, it was another pair of labelmates and real-life friends - Vince Gill and Reba McEntire - who shared the stage in 1992. Like Paisley and Underwood, both were CMA Awards winners who were topping the charts with some of the biggest hits and best-selling albums of their careers. McEntire was already a veteran with hosting three CMA Awards shows under her belt; for Gill, it began a 12-year run that Paisley and Underwood both remember well.
This year's CMA Awards pairs two more stars who are at the top of their games. Paisley's year began with word that his career album sales had surpassed 10 million, an accomplishment that coincided with his 10th No. 1 hit. Since then, two more songs have soared to the top, the latest being "Waitin' On a Woman," which earned him one of four CMA Awards nominations (Music Video of the Year with TV icon Andy Griffith). Paisley also received nods for Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Song for the self-penned "Letter to Me."
"It's a big deal," Paisley said. "It's a very prestigious thing in a Country musician's career to have a CMA Award." With his trademark sense of humor he added with a smile, "Early in my career, I used to say it was the difference between going out and using a credit card to buy something the next day and being asked for ID or not." On Nov. 4, Paisley will release Play, a guitar-based new album filled with instrumentals and duets with Griffith, B.B. King, Steve Wariner, Buck Owens and Keith Urban, who joins Paisley on the lead single, "Start a Band."
Underwood began her CMA Awards experience in 2005, performing her debut hit "Jesus, Take the Wheel" on the show the same day her debut album Some Hearts, was released. It went on to sell more than 7 million copies and spawned five No. 1 singles including the 2007 CMA Single of the Year "Before He Cheats." In 2006, Underwood took home the Horizon Award (now New Artist of the Year) and her first of two consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year Awards.
"It's definitely hard work recognized," Underwood said. "When I was growing up, I didn't think about being out on tour - you just think it's all glamour and glitz, but there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. Whenever you're nominated and whenever you win, every single person around you that helps you can take a little bit of that with them, too." This year, she is nominated for Female Vocalist and Album of the Year for Carnival Ride. The album has yielded four No. 1 hit singles, including Underwood's latest, "Just a Dream."
"This is such a watched and respected show; nothing really boosts your career like this," Paisley said. "Performing, winning or being a nominee," Underwood added.
They know how to handle those roles, but what about being hosts, especially if that means dealing with the unexpected? "I'm going to hang out with Jimmy Dickens every day that I can," Paisley offered. "He's got jokes." Underwood opted for a different plan. "I've got Vince Gill's number - I've never used it. Maybe it's time."
It's not likely either artist will end up at a loss. Paisley is known for his wit and as a master of practical jokes, and he's quick to point out that Underwood possesses at lot of the same qualities. "She has a really dry sense of humor that I think people are going to get to see," he said. And they have plenty of common ground to fall back on - they've toured together, recorded together (that's Underwood's searing vocal over the end of Paisley's "Online" and they duet on "Oh Love"), they truly respect and know each other and if all else fails, there's always "Star Trek."
"We're both Trekkies!" Underwood exclaimed. "We should, at some point, incorporate that into the show." Paisley couldn't agree more. "Oh, nothing will send the ratings through the roof like that!"
Why not? After all, on "Country Music's Biggest Night," Paisley and Underwood will explore "a strange new world" and will "boldly go where neither has gone before." It's a safe bet that we're all going to enjoy the voyage with them at the helm.
"The 42nd Annual CMA Awards" will be held Wednesday, Nov. 12 at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn. The three-hour gala will be carried live by the ABC Television Network from 8-11 PM/EST, 7-10PM/CST.
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will host the CMA Awards and perform. Reese Witherspoon is the first presenter announced for the CMA Awards. Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney and The Wailers, the Eagles, Alan Jackson, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and others will perform on Country Music's Biggest Night. Visit www.CMAawards.com for updates.
Tickets for the CMA Awards are on sale now and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com; (615) 255-9600; or at the Sommet Center box office, 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway in Nashville). Ticket prices begin at $110 for Upper-level; $327.75 for Club-level; and $382.50 for Lower-level. Prices include sales tax but exclude applicable service/handling fees.
Fans can order the official CMA Awards Program book and merchandise including long and short sleeved T-shirts, hats, a vest, a mug and a commemorative Hatch Show Print Poster on the www.CMAawards.com online store.
"The 42nd Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer. Paul Miller is the Director. David Wild is the writer. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound. Premiere Radio Networks is the official radio packager of the CMA Awards, including a stereo-radio simulcast of the gala event. American Airlines is the official airline of the 2008 CMA Awards. Chevy: The Official Ride of Country Music. Mary Kay is the Official Beauty Sponsor of the 2008 CMA Awards. Additional promotional partners include Borders, Carl Black Chevrolet, Durango Boot and Tetley Iced Tea.
2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
He's the reigning Male Vocalist; she's the reigning Female Vocalist. They both won their first CMA Awards trophies as new artists honored with the Horizon Award. In the course of his decade-long chart career, he's become one of the most-nominated artists in the history of the CMA Awards and has won nine trophies; she's won four CMA Awards and is among the few women named Female Vocalist two consecutive times. He's had 12 No. 1 hits; she's scored nine No. 1 hits. And on Wednesday, Nov. 12, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are paired as the hosts for "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards."
"It's sort of our Oscars," Paisley said of "Country Music's Biggest Night." "Any actor wants to win an Oscar - I grew up wanting to win this." Paisley can recall watching the CMA Awards as an 8-year-old, and he hasn't missed one since. Underwood hasn't either, and she still finds it hard to believe that she and Paisley are about to follow in the footsteps of some of Country Music's biggest names.
"It seems like one of those things that would be out of reach," she said. "I mean, Reba hosted. It's almost like little girls that are like me when I was young are going to be watching me be Reba."
"It's a big deal to me, too," Paisley said. "I didn't ever think about it. When Vince said that he was stepping down, it crossed my mind a little bit that I would like a shot at that, but I thought, 'No. He was so good at this.' And now here we are. I can't believe we're doing this."
The last time a male-female combo hosted the CMA Awards, it was another pair of labelmates and real-life friends - Vince Gill and Reba McEntire - who shared the stage in 1992. Like Paisley and Underwood, both were CMA Awards winners who were topping the charts with some of the biggest hits and best-selling albums of their careers. McEntire was already a veteran with hosting three CMA Awards shows under her belt; for Gill, it began a 12-year run that Paisley and Underwood both remember well.
This year's CMA Awards pairs two more stars who are at the top of their games. Paisley's year began with word that his career album sales had surpassed 10 million, an accomplishment that coincided with his 10th No. 1 hit. Since then, two more songs have soared to the top, the latest being "Waitin' On a Woman," which earned him one of four CMA Awards nominations (Music Video of the Year with TV icon Andy Griffith). Paisley also received nods for Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Song for the self-penned "Letter to Me."
"It's a big deal," Paisley said. "It's a very prestigious thing in a Country musician's career to have a CMA Award." With his trademark sense of humor he added with a smile, "Early in my career, I used to say it was the difference between going out and using a credit card to buy something the next day and being asked for ID or not." On Nov. 4, Paisley will release Play, a guitar-based new album filled with instrumentals and duets with Griffith, B.B. King, Steve Wariner, Buck Owens and Keith Urban, who joins Paisley on the lead single, "Start a Band."
Underwood began her CMA Awards experience in 2005, performing her debut hit "Jesus, Take the Wheel" on the show the same day her debut album Some Hearts, was released. It went on to sell more than 7 million copies and spawned five No. 1 singles including the 2007 CMA Single of the Year "Before He Cheats." In 2006, Underwood took home the Horizon Award (now New Artist of the Year) and her first of two consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year Awards.
"It's definitely hard work recognized," Underwood said. "When I was growing up, I didn't think about being out on tour - you just think it's all glamour and glitz, but there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. Whenever you're nominated and whenever you win, every single person around you that helps you can take a little bit of that with them, too." This year, she is nominated for Female Vocalist and Album of the Year for Carnival Ride. The album has yielded four No. 1 hit singles, including Underwood's latest, "Just a Dream."
"This is such a watched and respected show; nothing really boosts your career like this," Paisley said. "Performing, winning or being a nominee," Underwood added.
They know how to handle those roles, but what about being hosts, especially if that means dealing with the unexpected? "I'm going to hang out with Jimmy Dickens every day that I can," Paisley offered. "He's got jokes." Underwood opted for a different plan. "I've got Vince Gill's number - I've never used it. Maybe it's time."
It's not likely either artist will end up at a loss. Paisley is known for his wit and as a master of practical jokes, and he's quick to point out that Underwood possesses at lot of the same qualities. "She has a really dry sense of humor that I think people are going to get to see," he said. And they have plenty of common ground to fall back on - they've toured together, recorded together (that's Underwood's searing vocal over the end of Paisley's "Online" and they duet on "Oh Love"), they truly respect and know each other and if all else fails, there's always "Star Trek."
"We're both Trekkies!" Underwood exclaimed. "We should, at some point, incorporate that into the show." Paisley couldn't agree more. "Oh, nothing will send the ratings through the roof like that!"
Why not? After all, on "Country Music's Biggest Night," Paisley and Underwood will explore "a strange new world" and will "boldly go where neither has gone before." It's a safe bet that we're all going to enjoy the voyage with them at the helm.
"The 42nd Annual CMA Awards" will be held Wednesday, Nov. 12 at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn. The three-hour gala will be carried live by the ABC Television Network from 8-11 PM/EST, 7-10PM/CST.
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will host the CMA Awards and perform. Reese Witherspoon is the first presenter announced for the CMA Awards. Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney and The Wailers, the Eagles, Alan Jackson, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and others will perform on Country Music's Biggest Night. Visit www.CMAawards.com for updates.
Tickets for the CMA Awards are on sale now and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com; (615) 255-9600; or at the Sommet Center box office, 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway in Nashville). Ticket prices begin at $110 for Upper-level; $327.75 for Club-level; and $382.50 for Lower-level. Prices include sales tax but exclude applicable service/handling fees.
Fans can order the official CMA Awards Program book and merchandise including long and short sleeved T-shirts, hats, a vest, a mug and a commemorative Hatch Show Print Poster on the www.CMAawards.com online store.
"The 42nd Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer. Paul Miller is the Director. David Wild is the writer. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound. Premiere Radio Networks is the official radio packager of the CMA Awards, including a stereo-radio simulcast of the gala event. American Airlines is the official airline of the 2008 CMA Awards. Chevy: The Official Ride of Country Music. Mary Kay is the Official Beauty Sponsor of the 2008 CMA Awards. Additional promotional partners include Borders, Carl Black Chevrolet, Durango Boot and Tetley Iced Tea.
2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.