CMA Country Christmas to Feature Gabby Barrett, Carly Pearce and More

Can you hear the jingle bells ringing?

Written by Chris Parton
CMA Country Christmas to Feature Gabby Barrett, Carly Pearce and More
Gabby Barrett performs for the 2021 CMA Country Christmas special on ABC.

A festive holiday tradition returns to network TV this month, with the CMA Country Christmas special set for November 29. And this year, the gift of country joy includes Gabby Barrett, Carly Pearce and more.

Airing on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu, the cozy evening of Christmas-y cheer will be hosted for the first time by Barrett and Pearce, with a cast of co-stars so big it can only mean country fans were good all year long.

Performers will also include Jimmie Allen with Louis York & The Shindellas, BRELAND, Brett Eldredge, Lady A, Pistol Annies, Carrie Underwood and Lainey Wilson, for what the show describes as an “intimate” musical special with an at-home feel, reminiscent of holiday TV concerts of days gone by.

Many of those stars are having career-best years or just released Christmas albums, with Pearce winning last week’s CMA Female Vocalist of the Year award and Allen scoring the trophy for New Artist of the Year. Likewise, Eldredge recently released his second holiday set, Mr. Christmas, while Pistol Annies dropped Hell of a Holiday and Underwood’s first Christmas project, My Gift, was expanded with a deluxe edition.

The annual CMA Country Christmas special will find Nashville’s biggest stars performing classic holiday favorites — and perhaps a few new originals — and airs on ABC November 29 at 8 p.m. ET. The show is traditionally taped during CMA Awards week.

Last year’s 2020 program was hosted by Thomas Rhett and his wife, Lauren Akins, and featured soul-warming performances from Tim McGraw, Lady A, Florida Georgia Line and more.