The city of Nashville is getting another award show. NBC announces the debut of the People’s Choice Country Awards, taking place in September, live from the Grand Ole Opry.
“We’re excited to partner with the Grand Ole Opry to bring the year’s biggest celebration in country music to Nashville,” says Cassandra Tryon, Senior Vice President of Live Events at NBCUniversal Television & Streaming (via The Tennessean). “Country fans are passionate about their music and there’s no better place to host this event than from country music’s biggest stage.”
The news comes after NBCUniversal announced their equity investment in Opry Entertainment Group last year, alongside independent strategic investment company Atairos.
“This type of collaboration is what we envisioned when we selected Atairos and NBCUniversal as our strategic partner for Opry Entertainment,” adds Mark Fioravanti, President & CEO of Ryman Hospitality Properties. “We look forward to working with People’s Choice Country on their inaugural award show and showcasing the Opry, the city of Nashville and the Country Music community.”
Per The Tennessean, fans will choose the awards entirely from various categories. In addition, several honorary awards will be given throughout the ceremony as well, along with musical performances, collaborations, tributes to legends and other unforgettable moments.
Before the People’s Choice Country Awards, two major country music awards will take place this spring. First, the CMT Music Awards will air on CBS on April 2. The live ceremony, hosted by Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini, will feature performances by Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson and Carrie Underwood. More artists, as well as presenters, are expected to be announced in the near future.
The ACM Awards will take place on May 11 in Frisco, Texas, Nominees for those awards, as well as hosts, have yet to be announced.
At last year’s People’s Choice Awards, which took place in December, Underwood was named the Country Artist of 2022. Shania Twain was named the Music Icon.
A specific air date has yet to be announced. The two-hour telecast will air on both NBC and Peacock.
