Little Big Town to Host First-Ever People’s Choice Country Awards

On September 28, the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville will be the venue for the first-ever People’s Choice Country Awards, with Little Big Town as the hosts. The talented quartet, who became Opry members in 2014, will grace the stage with a medley of their most popular songs. Broadcasting for two hours, the live ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 28, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and will be available for streaming on Peacock.

“We are honored to host the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards, especially on one of our most beloved stages in the entire world,” the band said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming so many of our talented peers to take the Opry stage for this magical night of music.”

Drawing inspiration from the illustrious heritage of the country music genre, the awards ceremony will embrace Nashville’s iconic venue, highlighting its rich history. The event will showcase captivating musical performances, innovative collaborations that transcend genre boundaries, heartfelt tributes to the genre’s esteemed legends, and more surprises.

Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook, the members of the group, previously served as hosts for the CMT Music Awards in 2018 and 2019 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

Their impressive track record includes several accolades, such as three Grammy wins for “Pontoon,” “Girl Crush,” and “Better Man” in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category. Additionally, they dominated the Vocal Group of the Year category at the CMA Awards for six consecutive years (2012-2017) and emerged victorious four times in the same category at the ACM Awards.

Little Big Town has achieved three chart-topping hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, namely “Pontoon,” “Girl Crush,” and Taylor Swift’s “Better Man.” Furthermore, they have amassed an impressive record of four No. 1 albums on the Top Country Albums chart, including The Reason Why, Tornado, The Breaker, and Nightfall.

“Little Big Town is a force in country music and a beloved staple on Music Row,” Cassandra Tryon, SVP, Entertainment Live Events, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said via a statement. “As Opry members, they’ve delighted fans for years on the world-famous stage and we’re honored to have them host, perform and bring this inaugural ceremony to life for our NBC and Peacock audiences.”

The People’s Choice Country Awards is an extension of the People’s Choice Awards, which first aired on CBS in 1975 and continued on the network until 2017. In 2018, the People’s Choice Awards shifted to E! and has been broadcasted on both NBC and E! since 2021.

(Photo Credit: Courtesy of UMG Nashville)