This time, Jesus is not going to take the wheel for Carrie Underwood.
In a recent radio interview, Underwood shared her vision for the upcoming Country Music Association Awards. She’ll be hosting the show with co-hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton.
“I feel like the three of us love what we do so much,” Underwood said, “and we love country music and it means something — I feel like — to have us up there on that stage kind of driving the bus for the evening and setting the tone.”
She added that she wants to be respectful of the country genre and of this awards show. “Because it’s so important to us, and (will) shine a lot on what I think is the backbone of country music: that’s the females that have come before all of us and will come in the future.”
“I was very pleased and happy and excited to hear the news that the CMA wanted to have this year’s show be focused on women in country music — past, present, future, all of us together standing united,” she said, adding of her co-hosts, “It does not get bigger than that or better than that.”
Combined, the three hosts hold 124 CMA Awards nominations and 22 total wins. And this year, Underwood is nominated for three CMA Awards for entertainer of the year, female vocalist of the year, and album of the year for Cry Pretty.
This year’s CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 13 at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.