BREAKING: Reba McEntire Will Not Return as 2021 CMA Awards Host

Country superstar Reba McEntire will not be returning to host the CMA Awards in 2021. The legendary entertainer, who co-hosted…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

October 7, 2021

9:18 am

Reba; Photo by John Russell, CMA

Country superstar Reba McEntire will not be returning to host the CMA Awards in 2021.

The legendary entertainer, who co-hosted last year’s ceremony alongside Darius Rucker, and the 2019 CMA Awards with Carrie Underwood and Dolly Parton, confirmed to Billboard that she will not host or co-host the show this year.

She told the publication that she wasn’t returning “to my knowledge” and the Country Music Association later confirmed the news.

Prior to hosting the CMA Awards, McEntire was a longtime host of the Academy of Country Music Awards.

The 55th Annual CMA Awards are less than five weeks away and the CMA has yet to reveal this year’s host/co-hosts. In a press release serviced on Wednesday (Oct. 6), the CMA shared that the host, along with presenters and performers, would be announced in the “coming weeks.”

Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker; Photo Courtesy ABC

The CMA Awards will return to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and audience members will be allowed to attend.

A limited number of tickets to attend “Country Music’s Biggest Night” will go on sale on Monday, Nov. 1 at 10 am CT.

“We are so excited to return to Bridgestone Arena for this year’s CMA Awards ceremony,” says  Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “We have a truly fantastic show in the works that we will share more about in the coming weeks.”

The 55th Annual CMA Awards will air Wednesday, November 10 at 8/7c on ABC.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.