Though he’s performed at the CMA Awards numerous times, Luke Bryan still gets butterflies when he takes the stage. Bryan is set to co-host the CMA Awards for the second consecutive year with football legend Peyton Manning (Bryan hosted the show solo in 2021). As an artist, Bryan is no stranger to the CMA Awards stage, having performed several times since he was first nominated in 2010. Bryan says that he gets more nervous performing than hosting, especially since he has a partner to help him with the latter task.
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“I probably get a little more nervous about performing still,” he shares with American Songwriter and other media at a pre-show press conference. “That’s always very important to put your best foot out there and sing really well. Now I got this guy to kind of bail me out,” he adds, pointing to his co-host who spent 18 seasons in the NFL. “If you go out there and sing bad, it’s like four-interception day.” “Those aren’t fun,” Manning laughs.
In addition to hosting duties, the country superstar will perform a medley of his 30 No. 1 hits that span from his first chart-topper “Rain is a Good Thing” in 2010 to his most recent hit, “Country On” in 2022. Bryan also got to be on a No. 1 song as a featured artist on Jordan Davis‘ “Buy Dirt” which won Song of the Year at the 2022 CMA Awards.
[RELATED: CMA Awards Hosts Luke Bryan & Peyton Manning Look Forward to “Life-Changing Moments”]
Bryan is familiar with the high of winning a CMA Award, especially Entertainer of the Year. The Georgia native scored his first CMA nomination in 2010 for New Artist of the Year and won Entertainer of the Year back-to-back in 2014 and 2015. He describes the CMA Awards as a culmination of the hard work artists put in year-round from the recording process to promoting the music to pounding the pavement on tour. “This time of the year bookends an amazing year in your career,” he reflects. “These artists work hard and they get fired up when they get the nominations.”
The “I Don’t Want This Night to End” hitmaker also recalls how his first time attending the CMA Awards, he had an obstructed view, “Sitting behind a television camera looking around some camera guy’s butt the whole night,” regardless, he was grateful to be in the room. “The coolest thing for me was growing up watching my heroes that are typically your Entertainer of the Year nominees get the front row,” he describes. “When I started having a seat on the front row and you’re up there with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, I remember being like, ‘What the hell’s going on? I made it.'”
Though he didn’t score any nominations in 2023, Bryan is happy for his peers who did and knows the thrill they’re feeling leading up to the awards. “Winning is pretty special because it’s your peers. It’s the industry that really votes you in there to win,” he explains, adding that he was “humbled and honored” to have won multiple times. He also notes how the win isn’t just his, but a reflection of the hard work of his entire team, including the tour bus and truck drivers. “It’s all about them too,” he affirms. “That’s something that’s fun too, how it trickles to everybody.”
The 2023 CMA Awards air live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday (November 8) at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Photo by Terry Wyatt/WireImage
