It Will Be Ladies Night At CMA Awards

Scheduled CMA Awards Presenters

Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton will co-host the 53rd CMA Awards, which will air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena at 7 p.m. Wednesday on ABC.

For the first time in the history of the CMA Awards, three women will host country music’s biggest night — and they boast country music’s biggest voices, reports The Tennessean.

The night will be a celebration of the genre’s women and will include performances from the hosts as well as Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum with Halsey, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves with Willie Nelson, Pink and Chris Stapleton, Brooks & Dunn with Brothers Osborne, Garth Brooks with Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Thomas Rhett and Keith Urban.

A female-forward opening number will set the tone for the show, featuring McEntire, Parton and Underwood, along with Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Crystal Gayle, The Highwomen, Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Tanya Tucker and Gretchen Wilson.

Between performances and presenters, 40 country women will be on the CMA Awards stage throughout the night.

The concept for the 53rd CMA Awards, which will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 7 p.m. Wednesday on ABC, was born out of the 50th CMA Awards, which adopted a more inclusive, reflective character. Memories were made and revisited during the commemorative program in 2016 when legacy artists, including Randy Travis, Roy Clark, Charley Pride and Alabama, had musical moments in the spotlight. Deaton realized country music fans craved a broader range of artists than those currently on country radio. When he started making plans for 2019’s program, he revisited the theme.