Kelly Clarkson To Make History With NFL Honors Hosting Gig
Clarkson is “so stoked” for the opportunity.
The 12th Annual NFL Honors presented by Invisalign is the annual two-hour primetime awards special that recognizes the NFL’s best players, performances and plays from the 2022 season. This year, Kelly Clarkson will make history as the first woman to host the show during Super Bowl weekend in Phoenix, AZ.
The GRAMMY award winner recently caught up with Access Hollywood to discuss her new TV gig. During the interview, she explained that she wasn’t too sure about the invitation at first. This hesitation stems from the fact that she isn’t very involved in the world of sports, as her priorities lie with her Emmy-winning daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and her music career.
“I had mixed feelings. … I was like, ‘Now, wait, I’m not involved in sports ball whatsoever,’” Clarkson joked. “‘Shouldn’t you ask someone who’s involved in the sports community?’”
However, that hesitation eventually faded and in December, she revealed on her talk show that she’s “so stoked” to serve as host.
In honor of this event, Clarkson also hosted famed sports commentator and Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame wide receiver, Michael Irvin, on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
“Busy time if you’re a football fan like me,” she said as she introduced Irvin. “We’ve got the playoffs behind us, the big game ahead, and right in the middle of that it’s the NFL Honors, which happens to be this Thursday night on NBC, NFL Network and Peacock. And for the very first time ever, they’ve got a woman hosting. I’m not talking about a regular woman, y’all. I’m talking, she’s incredible. This is a life altering moment. Me, I am actually hosting. Lifelong Sportsball fan right here, coming at ya.”
Clarkson will follow a string of celebrity hosts for the NFL Honors, including Steve Harvey, Alec Baldwin, Conan O’Brien and Seth Meyers.
NFL Honors debuted in 2012 and features special awards the week leading up to the Super Bowl, such as The Associated Press’ annual accolades, the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Presented by Nationwide and the newest Pro Football Hall Of Fame Class Presented by Uber Eats.
This year’s Hall of Fame class features 15 finalists including defensive end Dwight Freeney, cornerback Darrelle Revis and left tackle Joe Thomas. The other nominees include cornerback Albert Lewis, offensive tackle Willie Anderson, kick returner Devin Hester, defensive end Jared Allen, linebacker Patrick Willis, and defensive back Ronde Barber.
Award presenters will include NFL players and Legends Derrick Brooks, Ray Lewis, Joe Namath, JJ Wattand Andrew Whitworth; and celebrities Tiffany Haddish, Paul Walter Hauser, H.E.R., Joel McHale, Meek Mill, Tracy Morgan and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Music for NFL Honors will be performed by Emmy award-winning music director Jason Halbert and The Kelly Clarkson Show House Band. In addition, the NFL Players Choir, which features current and former NFL Players led by Grammy-winning Gospel producer Myron Butler, will perform during the in-memoriam segment.
As recent semi-finalists on America’s Got Talent, the choir has been a headliner of the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration for fifteen years.
NFL Honors Red Carpet Show presented by Invisalign airs at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network leading up to NFL Honors, which will be televised live from Symphony Hall in Phoenix on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and NFL Network and streamed live on Peacock.
Just days later, on Sunday (Feb. 12), sports fans will tune into the long-awaited Super Bowl LVII. This game will find the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ.
Ahead of the big game, country superstar Chris Stapleton will sing the National Anthem. Later on, RIHANNA will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, which will be produced by DPS with Roc Nation and Jesse Collins serving as executive producers, and Hamish Hamilton serving as director.
Super Bowl LVII will take place on Sunday (Feb. 12) and air at 5:30 p.m. CT on FOX.
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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