‘American Idol’ Reunion: Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery Unite On Stage At People’s Choice Country Awards
The country stars rose to fame together on Season 10 of ‘American Idol.’
Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery; Photo by: Mickey Bernal/NBC
American Idol alums Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina reunited on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry on Thursday (Sept. 28) to present the award for The Social Country Star of 2023 at the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards.
“Scotty and I know how important it is to forge that direct bond with every fan your likes reposts, shares, and especially tonight, your votes matter,” Alaina began during the presentation.
Presented An Award To Blake Shelton
“Tonight we bring a first to country music, an award to recognize the artist who dominates social media,” McCreery added.
After the nominees were showcased on the screen, the pair revealed, “And the People’s Choice Country Award Goes To Blake Shelton!”
Watch
Red Carpet Looks
Prior to the show, Scotty McCreery walked the red carpet alongside his wife, Gabi, while Lauren Alaina and her fiancé, Cam Arnold, made their red carpet debut.
Appeared On The Great Idol Reunion
The pair previously joined forces during the Great Idol Reunion in May of 2022, where McCreery and Alaina made their long-awaited and much-anticipated return to the Idol stage.
McCreery and Alaina teamed up to perform the beloved classic country hit, “When You Say Nothing At All,” a tune made famous by Keith Whitley in 1988 and Alison Krauss in 1995.
Prior to stepping on stage together, the longtime friends reminisced upon their time on the show.
“I was a fan of this show before I was even on this show,” McCreery recalled. “Life was pretty normal for both of us going to high school up until the show.”
“I loved American Idol so much that it was a punishment for me to not be able to watch it,” Alaina added. “So, I’m excited to be back. I’m excited to represent our season.”
McCreery, who won season 10 of Idol in 2011, and Alaina, the season 10 runner-up, were just teenagers when they appeared on the hit singing competition show. Fast-forward 11 years, both artists have both become chart-topping country hitmakers with radio success and award wins.
Previously Teamed Up To Perform Duets
While competing on Idol, McCreery and Alaina performed multiple duets together, including a cover of the popular Randy Travis song, “I Told You So.”
Their performance on the Idol reunion show marked the first time in 11 years that McCreery and Alaina have performed together on television and will certainly go down as one of their best performances together.
Idol Memories
Prior to The Great Idol Reunion, McCreery recalled hearing Alaina sing for the first time ever during an interview with Audacy’s Rob + Holly at the Tortuga Music Festival. “I’ll never forget the first time I met Lauren Alaina, it was Hollywood Week, and I’m listening to her sing thinking, ‘Oh my God, she is incredible.’ Thinking she’s going all the way, and obviously she did.”
After winning Idol in 2011, McCreery went on to release five studio albums, including his latest project, Same Truck. He earned five consecutive No.1 singles and is currently climbing the charts at country radio with his latest single, “Cab In A Solo,” which will appear on his forthcoming yet-to-be-announced new album.
Lauren Alaina finished as the runner-up on Season 10 of Idol. Following the show, the Georgia native released several EPs, as well as three full-length albums. She also became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in early 2022 and recently signed with Big Loud Records. Her latest project, the Unlocked EP includes her current single, “Thicc As Thieves.”
People’s Choice Country Awards
The first-ever People’s Choice Country Awards took place at the iconic Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday (Sept. 28).
Throughout the show, awards for 12 categories were given out, including People’s Artist of 2023, Male Artist of 2023, Female Artist of 2023, Group/Duo of 2023, New Artist of 2023, Social Country Star of 2023, Song of 2023, Collaboration Song of 2023, Crossover Song of 2023, Album of 2023, Music Video of 2023 and Concert Tour of 2023.
Toby Keith was honored with the Country Icon Award, which was presented to him by Blake Shelton. Wynonna Judd was also celebrated with the Country Champion Award, given to her by Brothers Osborne.
The coveted awards show also featured performances from Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Toby Keith, Wynonna Judd and more.
Adam Doleac, Blake Shelton, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce, Chris Young, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Hunter Hayes, Jessie James Decker, Josh Ross, Kameron Marlowe, Kristin Cavallari, Lady A, Lauren Alaina, Leanne Morgan, Mickey Guyton, Nikki Garcia, Scotty McCreery and The War And Treaty were also on hand to present.
Little Big Town was the host of the show. “We are honored to host the inaugural ‘People’s Choice Country Awards,’ especially on one of our most beloved stages in the entire world,” the group previously shared in a press release. “We look forward to welcoming so many of our talented peers to take the Opry stage for this magical night of music.”
The 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards’ aired live on NBC and Peacock on September 28 at 8/7c simultaneously on NBC and Peacock.
The livestream also aired on Peacock, PCA Twitter, NBC Twitter/Facebook/YouTube, TODAY All Day/Twitter, E! News Twitter/Facebook/YouTube/E!Online, Access Twitter/YouTube, and Circle TV Network and Circle social platforms, featuring red carpet arrivals, backstage chats and more.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
