Reba McEntire to host ACM Awards for 17th time, talks fan diversity in country music

Hi, I’m Reba McEntire. Welcome to the Academy of Country Music Awards. I love live television and I love to host award shows. I haven’t got to do one a long time. And then last year when Dolly and Garth did the ACMS, I thought, man, I want to do that again. So here we are. I don’t really have any big surprises that even if I could tell you I don’t have them. What I’m trying to do is basically get all my stuff together with my outfits and the the monologue and and to keep the show is. Entertaining as possible because what we’re really all tuning in for is see who’s gonna win. But the music, I know there’s gonna be some new songs that are gonna be performed that night and I think it’s gonna be very important for everybody’s career, the level, the stage they’re in in their career to get that new music out. It’s it’s the best press ever. Obviously you talked about new music and and artists being able to showcase it and obviously you know parody and country music, particularly with with female singers, there’s always been top of mind and is it getting better? Or no. It’s might be getting better, but it’s not equal yet. We’re all always fighting for that, always vying for that airtime. Streaming radio, just vying for attention. That’s another reason why it’s so important to be on the Academy of Country Music Awards show, to get your face out in front of the public. And it’s always been harder for women, but we just suck it up and go work harder and try to find that fantastic song to sing. I knew what I was up against when I got into the music business and the television business, Movie business. It’s just something you accept, but you just go work harder, you know? Another big obviously conversation in Nashville is Beyoncé. One of the conversations that’s come out of that is how you know people of color and black people don’t feel welcomed or safety in the country space. And a lot of times the conversation was that it’s getting better, but the actual statistics show that it’s not. So what needs to be done for people of color to to feel more welcomed in the space? Come talk to me, I’ll tell them they’re welcome. I’d accept them Absolutely, 100%. A great singer is a great singer. Shouldn’t matter what color you are, absolutely not. So come on, systematically what we’re seeing is, is, you know, I think there was a stat that said 20% of people of color don’t feel safe at at country concert. So what needs to be done on the ground level because everybody can’t talk to Reba like I’m fortunate able to do right now. Well, I do have a lot of people of color at my concerts and I’m very tickled about that, so. All I can say is please join us. Please come on. We’ll welcome you absolutely.