Dierks Bentley, Elle King & Lainey Wilson to Host 2023 CMA Fest on ABC
The Country Music Association’s biggest music event of the summer, CMA Fest, is set to air on Wednesday, July 19, on ABC and will be hosted by three of country music’s biggest stars, Dierks Bentley, Elle King, and Lainey Wilson.
“I could not be more excited to welcome Dierks, Elle, and Lainey as our CMA Fest hosts this year,” CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern said in a statement. “As fans experienced last year, the energy Dierks and Elle bring to the stage is palpable and will only be amplified with the addition of Lainey this year.”
Trahern continued, “Each of these artists have a deep passion for CMA Fest and Country Music fans from around the globe who travel to Nashville for the event. We are thrilled to have all three of them together to help us celebrate 50 years!”
Bentley, who released his 10th studio album in February, is a multi-time Grammy-nominated artist and a former three-time CMA award winner. One of those awards came in 2016 for his collaboration “Different for Girls” with his CMA Fest co-host King, herself a Grammy-nominated singer who released her third album in January.
As for Wilson, she had a big year in 2022, winning two CMA Awards for Female Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year. She released her fourth studio album in October 2022.
The three-hour primetime concert special will film in Nashville during CMA Fest’s milestone 50th anniversary later this week. The televised event will include never-before-seen performances and surprise collaborations from country music’s most exciting acts. Performances will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Since it started in 1972, the CMA Fest has become Nashville’s signature country music event, hosting tens of thousands of fans from all 50 states and 39 international countries. Ticket proceeds directly benefit high-quality music programs nationwide through the CMA Foundation. This year marks the 20th consecutive year CMA has produced a summer television special to be broadcast on ABC.
CMA Fest is a production of the Country Music Association, with Robert Deaton serving as executive producer and writer. Alan Carter is the director.
CMA Fest, Wednesday, July 19, 8/7c, ABC
