Jelly Roll and Ashley McBryde to Co-Host a ‘CMA Fest’ Special Airing Far Earlier Than Usual
variety.comChris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Country stars Jelly Roll and Ashley McBryde will team up as hosts for ABC’s annual “CMA Fest” special, set to be taped at the festival this week and then air on the network June 25.
It’s the first time either singer has hosted a prime-time special. The 16-day window between the end of CMA Fest and the ABC special bearing its name will seem like a short one to those who remember the long period of years when the special was held back for airing in the dog days of August or September.
But the June 25 date represents a big jump even on last year’s accelerated schedule, when “CMA Fest” aired on July 19. The bumping up of the air date suggests a belief that country’s current hot streak merits a more immediate commemoration of the genre’s biggest annual live event, rather than putting it on ice in the editing room for weeks or months.
CMA Fest takes place in Nashville Thursday through Sunday. Although no announcements have been made about who will be featured on the ABC special, the likeliest suspects include the top performers slated for the festival’s nightly Nissan Stadium concerts.
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