Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood Reveal CMA Awards Hosting Secrets In ‘Southern Living’

"Brad is willing to make himself the butt of the joke, which you've got to respect," said Underwood.

Written by Lauren Laffer
Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood Reveal CMA Awards Hosting Secrets In ‘Southern Living’
Photo courtesy Southern Living

Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley have proudly hosted the annual CMA Awards for the last eight years. The duo will continue the tradition as they approach their ninth year and the 50th anniversary of the awards ceremony. What makes the hosting pair so successful in their duties? They credit their onscreen chemistry and off-screen friendship.

“There’s a lot of trust between us,” Paisley told Southern Living, the magazine that both he and Underwood appear on the September cover. “That’s key when you’re standing out there on that tightrope. More than that, what makes a great balance is she has such grace, and I don’t.”

“Brad is willing to make himself the butt of the joke, which you’ve got to respect,” said Underwood. “We’re both willing to look stupid, but he assumes the role of annoying big brother. And I’m sure he would call me the annoying little sister.”

Photo courtesy Southern Living

Photo courtesy Southern Living

“Brad and Carrie work together so well because they understand each other, their timing works, and they’re sensitive to each other onstage,” explained the executive producer Robert Deaton. “We had no way of knowing how good they’d be, but two or three years later, we realized they’re as special as Sonny and Cher were as a duo. They do a 10-minute opening monologue, and they make it look easier than it really is. That’s really hard work. It’s an art form.”

“The personas you see onstage, what I call the ‘George and Gracie moments,’ are really their natural chemistry.” added Sarah Trahern, CEO of the CMA, “It’s something magical.”

The two will continue to put their bond to the forefront when they host the 50th Annual CMA Awards, airing Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. See more from Paisley and Underwood in the upcoming September edition of Southern Living.