When Dolly Parton hosts the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards on March 7, she will get some help from Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett, who will co-host the awards ceremony live from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Allen and Barrett are both recent ACM Awards winners, with Allen picking up the new male artist of the year honor last year, while Barrett picked up the new female artist of the year honor in 2021.
“The Academy has a long history of highlighting the biggest stars in country music alongside today’s rising stars, and this year that will spotlight even further,” Damon Whiteside, ceo of the Academy of Country Music, said in a statement. “Reigning ACM new male artist of the year winner Jimmie Allen and reigning ACM new female artist of the year Gabby Barrett will co-host the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards side-by-side with Dolly Parton, pairing two of today’s most exciting new artists in the genre with one of the world’s most beloved music icons.”
Over the past year, Allen has released his Bettie James Gold Edition project, featuring collaborations with Monica, Little Big Town, Keith Urban and more. He also has a current top five hit on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart with his duet with Brad Paisley, “Freedom Was a Highway,” and is nominated for a Grammy in the all-genre best new artist category. In addition to these music accolades, Allen also competed on Dancing With the Stars, earning a 7th place finish.
In 2021, Barrett earned her second Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 with the multi-week hit “The Good Ones.” She also released the deluxe edition of her debut album, Goldmine. Additionally, Barrett and husband, Cade Foehner, welcomed their first child, daughter Baylah May, in January 2021. Barrett will also be honored at the 2022 Billboard Women in Music Awards.
This year’s ACM Awards will stream live on Prime Video, marking the first major music awards show to be exclusively streamed.
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