The co-hosts of the 54th Annual CMA Awards will also take the stage as performers. Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker are among the first batch of Country stars announced as performers on the awards show set for Wednesday, November 11, 2020. Additional performers include Gabby Barrett feat. Charlie Puth, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Rascal Flatts and Thomas Rhett feat. McEntire, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin.
This year’s CMA Awards will actually be among the first major awards to have the celebrity guests and performers in the same room since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Nashville’s Music City Center hosts the event airing on ABC.
“We are thrilled to have this incredible group of artists taking the stage at the CMA Awards this year! It is a privilege to bring these live performances to our viewing audience with the energy and excitement that the CMA Awards are known for,” stated Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “And although the show will feel a bit more intimate this year, we look forward to hosting our nominated artists and their guests as we celebrate the best of Country Music in a fully safe and physically distant environment. It will be an honor to bring the biggest Country stars in the world together – in one room – for the first time this year. You won’t want to miss it!”
The Country Music Association announced the performers and confirmed the songs and collaborations set for this year’s show:
“This year’s performers range from all-time CMA Awards record-breakers to those enjoying their first-ever nomination. Two-time CMA Awards nominee this year Barrett will be joined by Puth, making his CMA Awards debut to perform Barrett’s CMA Single of the Year nominated ‘I Hope.’ Two-time nominee this year Thomas Rhett performs his CMA Musical Event of the Year nominated ‘Be A Light’ alongside McEntire, Scott and Tomlin. McEntire will also be joined by Rucker for a showstopping collaboration, while Rucker enlists nominees Lady A to perform his new single ‘Beers & Sunshine.’
With two nominations this year, Church will perform ‘Hell of a View,’ while six-time nominated Combs will perform ‘Cold As You.’ Nominees Florida Georgia Line will perform ‘Long Live,’ while Lambert, this year’s top nominee with seven nominations, will perform ‘Settling Down’ from her CMA Album of the Year nominated album Wildcard. Reigning CMA New Artist of the Year and three-time nominee this year McBryde will perform ‘One Night Standards’ from her CMA Album of the Year nominated album Never Will. Morris, a five-time nominee this year, will perform her CMA Single and Song of the Year nominated ‘The Bones.’ And nominees Rascal Flatts will take the stage to perform ‘Bless the Broken Road.'”
