Luke Bryan to host CMA Awards in November

Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Luke Bryan will host the 2021 Country Music Association Awards.

The 45-year-old singer said Monday that he will host the 55th annual awards show in November. The event will mark Bryan's first time hosting the CMA Awards.

"It's an honor to announce I'll be hosting the 55th annual #CMAawards for the first time!" Bryan tweeted.

Bryan will be the first person to host the awards show solo since Vince Gill in 2003. Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker hosted the 2020 ceremony.

"The CMA Awards is one of the biggest nights of the year for country music," Bryan said in a press release. "Being asked to host the CMA Awards was definitely something I put a lot of thought into before answering. The pressure that comes along with that can be overwhelming, but knowing I get to help honor and celebrate so many of my friends, I knew it was something I couldn't turn down."

"I'm looking forward to making it fun and memorable and using this platform to continue to make country music shine," he added.

Bryan is nominated at the CMA Awards for Musical Event of the Year for "Buy Dirt" with Jordan Davis. He is a previous two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year award winner.

The CMA Awards will air live Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. EDT from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Eric Church and Chris Stapleton lead the list of 2021 nominees.

Bryan released his seventh studio album, Born Here Live Here Die Here, in August 2020. He also serves as a judge on the ABC singing reality competition series American Idol.