Reba McEntire Shares How She’s Preparing To Host ACM Awards

The superstar is putting the finishing touches on her plans for “Country Music’s Party of the Year” and reveals that she will sport five different looks throughout the evening.

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Nicole Palsa

| Posted on

May 14, 2024

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5:24 pm

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Reba McEntire will host the ACM Awards for the 17th time in 2024

Reba McEntire is putting the final touches on her plans to host the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be held on Thursday, May 16. This year marks the 17th time the country music icon has hosted the ACM Awards, making her the artist with the most ACM hosting gigs in history. McEntire also has 16 ACM Award victories to her name and a stunning nine nominations for ACM Entertainer of the Year, including her 1994 win in the category. And, she has the record for the most Female Artist of the Year nominations.

The country queen sat down with co-hosts Amber Anderson and Kelly Sutton as a guest on Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast to discuss how she’s been preparing for her 17th time hosting the ACMs.

Reba McEntire will host the ACM Awards for the 17th time in 2024
Reba McEntire; Photo Courtesy the Academy of Country Music

Reba’s Wardrobe Selection Process

About two months before the awards, the “Fancy” singer began choosing her outfits for the special night. “I think our first session of trying on all the clothes was a good five, six hours,” she tells Country Heat Weekly. “There was clothes flown in from all over the country to my house in Nashville. And then the second session lasted for two hours with more new clothes. But then also the clothes that we have picked from the first session to make sure that we still like everything. So if you go to a store and you try on clothes for 30 minutes and you know you’re exhausted, multiply that times about seven or eight. It’s so tiring.”

Part of the reason for the long hours is making sure the outfits work from all angles. “I had one outfit that we were trying on. It was gorgeous. And then they said, ‘Okay, well walk in here and let’s take a picture.’ I couldn’t walk and I said, ‘Okay, you’re gonna have to split that back seam up to my knees so I can walk’ and then I was walking and then I looked around in the back mirror, I said, ‘Oh my gosh, what are we gonna do about that?’

She admits she won’t have any quick changes during her performance this time, but that the looks will be “spectacular.”

How Many Outfits Will Reba Wear?

The country music icon plans to have five different outfits during the two-hour show – one for the red carpet, three for her hosting duties, and one for her performance.

“They’ve got to be comfortable. They’ve got to be flashy. They’ve got to be different. And most of all, they’ve got to be comfortable. That’s the number one thing.”

When comfort is a top priority, the Oklahoma native prefers pants over dresses. “With pants, I can wear my boots. With a dress, I have to wear heels of some sort, kind of shoes.” Like many women, Reba is not a fan of sporting heels. “I love platforms because you have the height, but you don’t have that arch that just kills my feet and you’re walking on your tippy toes almost. And I’m crying by the end of the night. So I do not like them heels.”

Does Reba Help Write Her Monologue?

Awards shows historically bring in a team of writers and comedians to help craft the host’s monologues, but Reba is heavily involved in developing the script as well.

“I’m at the very beginning,” the multi-talented superstar says of the process. “They send me the first script and I look it over and I say, ‘We need to change this. I love this and let’s keep working on this one.’ So It takes a village to put a show together and anybody with positive, great ideas, I don’t care where they come from.”

YouTube video

Advice From Boyfriend Rex Lynn

Despite her years of experience, Reba admits she still gets “a little bit” nervous about hosting. “I always like to have fun though. My boyfriend, Rex Lynn, he always says, “Go have fun. You’re not having fun, don’t do it.” So I know if I can take that first two or three steps out and I get that first two or three sentences down, I’m golden. I’m gonna have fun the rest of the night.” 

The rest of the star-studded lineup includes Post Malone, Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Parker McCollum, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson and can’t-miss collaborative performances from Kelsea Ballerini with Noah Kahan, Nate Smith and Avril Lavigne, and Blake Shelton with Gwen Stefani. 

The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards will be held on Thursday, May 16. The show will air live from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas at 8 p.m. EDT / 7 p.m. CDT / 5 p.m. PDT exclusively on Prime Video. For this special occasion, fans do not need a Prime membership to watch, as everyone is invited to the “Party of the Year.” 

A limited number of tickets to attend the ACM Awards are still available for purchase.

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Nicole Palsa

Written by

Nicole Palsa

Nicole Palsa is a freelance writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. Since 2012, she has written about the newcomers, superstars, and legends of country music for publications including Music Mayhem, Country Now, and Country Music Tattle Tale. Palsa has served as a volunteer guide with Musicians On Call since 2016 and is a Troubadour member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications and her Bachelor of Arts degree in French. In addition to being a devoted country music fan, Nicole is a family historian and genealogist who can often be found in stacks of research. She is also an avid traveler with a passion for wildlife and nature photography.