Carrie Underwood Christmas special coming to HBO Max

Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Country music star Carrie Underwood has landed her own Christmas special at HBO Max.

The streaming service said Thursday that Underwood, 37, will perform holiday favorites and songs from her first holiday album, My Gift, during the new TV special.

"Classic holiday favorites and music from @CarrieUnderwood's brand new album, My Gift? I'm feeling merry already," the network tweeted.

Deadline said Underwood will be backed by a live orchestra and choir. The special is executive produced by Underwood, Ann Edelblute and Playtone's Gary Goetzman and Tom Hanks.

"Carrie Underwood is a multi-faceted talented and we are thrilled to be partnering with her and our friends at Playtone to bring a dose of holiday cheer," HBO head of original content Sarah Aubrey said.

Underwood will shoot the concert in the fall. The special is expected to premiere during the holiday season.

My Gift is slated for release Friday.

"The journey of writing and recording this album started last year when I finished my tour and we could have never anticipated the circumstances we would be in this year," Underwood said. "Creating this album has been good for my heart, and I'm thrilled to get to share it with the world and to bring it to life with Playtone and HBO Max."

Underwood discussed My Gift during Thursday's episode of Today. She said recording the album was a "blessing" during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Underwood won Entertainer of the Year at the 2020 Academy of Country Music Awards last week. She performed a medley with the other nominees, including Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan and Eric Church.