Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood ‘Extremely Excited’ to Host ‘The 46th Annual CMA Awards’

“I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we are extremely excited to be back for a fifth year hosting the CMA Awards,” said Underwood. “Each year we work harder so that we can help present the best show possible.”

“We’re waiting on someone to do something really stupid between now and then,” said Paisley. “I have faith. We are excited. I think you walk out there with people expecting a certain thing now and that’s a great place to be. I think they know who we are. They know what we do up there together and we’ve become something different together than we are separately I think, which is fun.”

Paisley has won 14 CMA Awards since receiving the Horizon Award (now the New Artist Award) in 2000, including Entertainer of the Year in 2010. He is No. 5 on the list of top CMA Award winners of all time.

“I really think that the CMA Awards are a very special thing in our town,” said Paisley. “When they say it’s ‘Country Music’s Biggest Night™,’ it is. It’s the biggest night of ratings that we ever get. The reason that I think it has worked is because we both take it so seriously that we’re ready when we walk out there. We are focused on making sure that we’re not just crossing our fingers that it works, that what we have ready is ready.”

Underwood has received five CMA Awards in her career, including three consecutive wins as Female Vocalist (2006, 2007, 2008), as well as Single of the Year (2007 for “Before He Cheats”), and the Horizon Award (2006).

“I feel like each year our hosting gets better and better,” said Underwood. “We want to top that every year, so it’s a good challenge.”

*Carrie’s gown was designed by Catherine Deane