Luke Bryan is gearing up for round two of co-hosting the 2023 CMA Awards with NFL star Peyton Manning. “When I think about being a kid and watching the CMAs and now I’m co-hosting it with a Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, it’s a wild ride,” Bryan expresses to American Songwriter and other media.
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The country superstar notes how they balance each other out, saying that they both know their brands, and while Manning is a “pro-preparer” with a dry sense of humor, the singer leans more into slapstick. “I thought we did a great job together,” Bryan observes of their hosting debut in 2022, adding that he knew they did something right when the night of the show, the producers were trying to lock them in for 2023. “I think we just got to take what Peyton and I learned from last year and build upon it and make a great show. It was a great night and we were excited about it. It’s going to be another great night.”
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Hosting the CMAs isn’t the only project the two have in the works. In early 2022, the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback reached out to Bryan with the idea of doing a documentary about country music. “I’m probably not going to be able to say no to you because I don’t know how I could tell you no on something like this,” Bryan recalls of his response.
The upcoming Hulu docuseries, It’s All Country, casts Bryan as host with he and Manning serving as executive producers. Bryan says that it will tell an all-encompassing story about the artists and songs who’ve shaped country music across decades. “What Peyton and I want to do is create a series that tells all the stories of country music, really try to cover the mainstream country, the girls the boys, all of the strides in racial equality in country music and even getting Texas country people and underground country people and really hear their stories and make it what it is,” he explains, adding that they want to “really dive into fun stories.” “It’s all country…We can’t wait to see how it comes together. It’s going to be a fun thing to be a part of.”
The 2023 CMA Awards air live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on November 8 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. It’s All Country does not yet have a release date.
Photo: Peyton Manning (Chris Haston); Luke Bryan (Ryan Anderson) / Courtesy of CMA
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