Little Big Town on Hosting Inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards: ‘It Will Feel Like a Party, Connecting the Past and Present’

Hitmaking vocal group Little Big Town will host the inaugural, fan-voted People’s Choice Country Awards when it premieres on tomorrow (Sept. 28) on NBC and Peacock from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House.

“It’s going to feel like a really good party, but also a feeling of coming back home — connecting with the past and the present and all those things I think we are kind of missing and needing right now,” LBT member Phillip Sweet tells Billboard via Zoom.

“We are lucky enough to be Grand Ole Opry members, so we will be the gatekeepers of the Grand Ole Opry stage that night,” LBT member Kimberly Schlapman adds of the group’s 2014 induction into Grand Ole Opry membership. While this will mark the first People’s Choice Country Awards to be held on the Grand Ole Opry House stage, the Opry House has a venerable history of awards shows, previously serving as the home to the CMA Awards ceremony from 1974 (when Johnny Cash served as host of the show) through 2004.

Though the People’s Choice Awards began in 1975, and has regularly honored country artists in its all-genre ceremony, this marks the first time they have launched a specifically country music-centered awards show.

Little Big Town will guide a show whose slate of nominees includes Morgan Wallen (11 nominations), Luke Combs and HARDY (nine nominations each), Jelly Roll (eight nominations), Lainey Wilson (seven nominations), Zach Bryan and Kane Brown (six nominations each) and Megan Moroney (five nominations).

Blake Shelton, Kane Brown, Toby Keith, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Dan+Shay, Kelsea Ballerini, Carly Pearce and Little Big Town are among the evening’s performers. Shelton will honor Toby Keith with the Country Music Icon award, while Wynonna Judd will be honored with the Country Champion award, saluting her longtime commitment to social causes and philanthropy.

Little Big Town’s breakthrough 2005 single “Boondocks” first demonstrated the quartet’s show-stopping vocal power, as well as its enviable artistic range. Together, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, Schlapman, Sweet and Jimi Westbrook are capable of delivering Fleetwood Mac-inspired rock harmonies, light-hearted pop-country fare and sultry ballads such as “Girl Crush.” They’ve earned three Grammys and have been named the CMA Awards’ vocal group of the year six times. They also won a People’s Choice Award trophy for favorite country group in 2017.

The People’s Country Choice Awards’ inaugural moment comes as country music has experienced an elite year on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, with artists like Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Jason Aldean and Zach Bryan surging to the upper echelons of the chart.

“It’s a unique situation, the fact that we’re the ones that connect the dots with fans and bring all this history together with the modern age of where country music is at the top of the charts right now,” Sweet says. “To see the unbelievable level of superstars we have in our genre that are just ruling all of music and it’s a special night, we jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it. We love hosting. We always have so much fun.”

“You look at a song like ‘Fast Car’ that Tracy Chapman wrote,” Fairchild says. “I love the original and I love Luke [Combs]’s version, and seeing such a lyrically substantive song. I love that Luke didn’t change any of the lyrics, and I think it was something his father had played for him growing up. So to watch that be at the top of the Billboard charts along with a lot of other country people right now is pretty epic.

“I also think it speaks to how people listen to music today,” Fairchild continues. “They’ll go to a Lil Baby show or a SZA show, then see Morgan Wallen, or Kane Brown, or Kelsea Ballerini. It’s the way people are streaming, listening and spending their money on shows.”

Given the precedent in country music of longtime hosting gigs held by artists including Vince Gill (who hosted the CMA Awards from 1992 to 2003), Reba McEntire (who hosted the ACM Awards 16 times), and the duo of Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley (who co-hosted the CMA Awards for 11 years), Little Big Town’s members say they would be open to a similar long-running gig — and they’ve appreciated the work done by their fellow artists who have held hosting roles.

“The longest stretch we hosted was probably a four- or five year-run of CMA Fest. It’s fun to get into a rhythm with writers and a network that wants to do fun things,” Fairchild says. “Luke [Bryan], Dolly, Reba, they’ve all been great hosts; it’s a lot to live up to.”

“I think Vince [Gill] was incredible. He had such a relaxed feeling at the CMAs for so many years,” Fairchild says. “And I thought Brad and Carrie were always so funny with their delivery as hosts.”
Westbrook notes that as much fun as fans are having in the main Opry House, artists just might be having even more fun backstage: “It’s always so special seeing everyone and that’s where we have the most fun, great memories.”

Among the artists the group is looking forward to reconnecting with is Blake Shelton. “We haven’t seen him in a long time. And Wy [Wynonna],” Schlapman says.

“And Kelsea [Ballerini]’s performances lately have just been blowing my mind. It’s always exciting to see what she will come up with. And I kind of already know what she’s going to do,” Fairchild adds with a coy smile.

Sweet is excited to see Jelly Roll: “He’s such a sweet guy and I met him a few months back, and he’s having such a huge moment,” he says.

Following its hosting duties, coming up for Little Big Town is collaboration with “My Boy” hitmaker Elvie Shane, although they were scant on details. “We cut an incredible song, and hopefully fans will get to hear that soon,” Fairchild says.