Luke Bryan is ready for another round of co-hosting the CMA Awards with Peyton Manning. The two, who made their joint hosting debut last year, will return for this year’s CMA Awards, thanks to their on-air chemistry, and Manning’s strong work ethic.
“I thought we did a great job together,” Bryan says (via UMG Nashville). “I think he is a crazy – no pun intended – he’s a crazy pro-preparer and he knows his brand; I know my brand. He’s a little drier humor, and I’m a little more slapstick, I guess, maybe that’s the way to say it. So, I think the partnership of he and I — when we wrapped after the show, all the producers, everybody was raving, and obviously the ratings were great, and the show was great.”
Last year’s CMA Awards might have been amazing, but the “But I Got A Beer In My Hand” singer hints this year’s show will be even better.
“I think we just gotta take what Peyton and I learned from last year and build upon it and make a great show,” Bryan says. “And like I said, I knew we did a good job when they were trying to lock me and Peyton down that night for the following year. So, it was a great night, and we were excited about it. It’s gonna be another great night.”
Bryan recently celebrated another career milestone, with 30 No. 1 singles, including his most recent chart-topping hit, “Country On.”
“When I moved to Nashville, I moved for all the right reasons, just because I loved country music, and I loved being on stage,” Bryan said of the honor. “From the second I got here, there was never one minute — it just felt like I finally found the place for me to be. I never really looked back.
“To kickstart the whole process, and to have dreams of hopefully writing No. 1s and performing No. 1s, and being an artist, to the present day, you look at that, and it’s kind of hard to wrap your head around,” he added. “It’s s lot of sacrifices. I never would have imagined I’d hit a number like 30.”
Lainey Wilson leads this year’s list of CMA Awards nominations, with nine nods, followed by Jelly Roll with five nods, and Luke Combs and HARDY, who each earned four nominations
The 2023 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 8, at 8:00 PM ET on ABC.