On Monday (December 30), Carrie Underwood announced that she was stepping down as host of the CMA Awards. Underwood hosted the ceremony for the past 12 years.
For the first 11 of those years, Underwood co-hosted with Brad Paisley. Together, the two created hilarious skits and parody songs that many country fans can still recite today.
Much to fans’ dismay, Paisley did not return to host the awards in 2019. He was replaced by two guest co-hosts, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton.
Together, McEntire, Parton, and Underwood led a female-centered show and opened the ceremony with a medley honoring the legendary women of country music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPacGAykVQg
Hosting with McEntire and Parton was one of the standout moments of Underwood’s 2019. She reflected on the experience in a post on Instagram, writing, “One of the highlights of 2019 and of my entire career so far was being on stage with the legends that are Reba and Dolly Parton.”
She also shared how grateful she was for Paisley and the many years they got to host the ceremony together.
Then she dropped a bombshell, saying she decided it was time to hand over hosting duties to someone new:
“It’s hard to imagine topping what we have accomplished together, so I’ve decided that it’s time to pass the hosting torch (at least for now!) to others that will cherish it and honor it as much as I do,” she wrote.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6tSXTTlCYg/
Since the CMA Awards are held in November, the CMA still has plenty of time to find a new host or hosts to fill Underwood’s shoes.
Not long after Underwood made her announcement, the CMA shared her post and thanked her for all of her hard work over the years. “We love you, Carrie! You’ll always be family to us. Thanks for 12 amazing years hosting the #CMAawards,” the CMA’s post read.
Based on what the CMA had to say, it seems like its relationship with Underwood may not end just yet. The organization ended its message by saying, “We look forward to working with you in 2020 and beyond to help spread Country Music to fans around the world!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6tVdMtJRyu/
The CMA certainly has its work cut out for it when it comes to finding a new host for 2020. Paisley and Underwood had that “it” factor as hosts, and it will be hard for anyone else to replicate it.
You can relive some of Paisley and Underwood’s best moments as CMA Awards hosts by tuning in to the video below. We’ll miss them both!