NBC, Grand Ole Opry Partner For People’s Choice Country Awards
The show will air from the Grand Ole Opry in September.
Another country music awards show is coming to the small screen – the People’s Choice Country Awards.
On Thursday, March 9, NBCUniversal announced the first-ever People’s Choice Country Awards in partnership with the Grand Ole Opry. The new, two-hour show is an extension of the fan-driven People’s Choice Awards.
“We’re excited to partner with the Grand Ole Opry to bring the year’s biggest celebration in country music to Nashville,” said Cassandra Tryon, Senior Vice President, Live Events, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming. “Country fans are passionate about their music and there’s no better place to host this event than from country music’s biggest stage.”
Airing live from the world-famous Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville, Tenn., People’s Choice Country Awards will take place in September of 2023 and will broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
According to a press release, the People’s Choice Country Awards will “lean into the rich connection between country music and the Opry through chart-topping musical performances, genre-bending collaborations, legendary tributes and surprise moments that regularly happen from the iconic venue.”
Produced by Den Of Thieves with Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski serving as Executive Producers, the show will extend to social platforms with All-Access Live bringing fans at home behind the scenes as well as interactively connecting country’s most popular stars with their biggest fans.
Billed as the “only award show for the people and by the people,” the People’s Choice Country Awards promises to recognize the best that country music has to offer. Winners will be chosen entirely by the fans.
The People’s Choice Country Awards announcement also revealed that several honorary awards will be dispersed throughout the ceremony.
This just-announced project comes after NBCUniversal’s equity investment in Opry Entertainment Group alongside Atairos. The investment totaled $296 million and was finalized in 2022.
NBC is also home to the People’s Choice Awards. The 2022 ceremony aired on NBC and E! on December 6, 2022. The show, which amassed 173 million total engagements across all platforms, honored country legend Shania Twain with the Music Icon Award.
Twain was on hand to accept the award as well as offered a performance that featured a medley of her greatest hits as well as a new song from her sixth album, Queen of Me. The country hitmaker took to the People’s Choice Awards’ stage for the first time since 2005 and demanded the crowd’s attention with her powerhouse vocals.
“Oh my gosh, this is such a privilege and a dream! Am I dreaming? Thank you so much for presenting me with this award and highlighting my work for having a significant impact,” she said during her acceptance speech. “I don’t know if that’s the right thing to say, but it’s always my wish to inspire people with my music.
“I always miss my mother at these moments my life. She would have loved watching her little girl living this moment right now. But my fans, my friends, my team — you are the ones, who really fill that space… not my mother’s space. But you’re here with me, you’re celebrating, we’re celebrating together, and you’ve made me feel loved and special my whole working life. I’ll always be grateful for that.”
Twain continued, “From a very young age I turned to songwriting as a form of escapism. This is my go-to place. It never occurred to me how powerful lyrics can become when you are able to record and share them with the world. The biggest honor is that people have found strength and inspiration in my work. Thank you and I love you for that.”
Carrie Underwood was also celebrated during the 2022 People’s Choice Awards. She was named “The Country Artist Of 2022” during the show.
“This award is definitely—well, this whole night is all about the fans. And I certainly have just the most incredible fans. You guys have supported me for many years, especially out on the road this year,” she shared during her acceptance speech. “Thank you guys so much for all the love. Thank you for this. What a wonderful early Christmas present. Thank you, I can’t thank you enough. God bless.”
The 2022 People’s Choice Awards also featured appearances by Lizzo, Ryan Reynolds, and more.
Update:
The inaugural two-hour “People’s Choice Country Awards” will air live on Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT across NBC and Peacock, from the world-famous Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville.
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.
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