Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan are hosting Sunday’s ACM Awards, and their bromance seems to be heating up in advance of the big day.
In a press conference on Friday, it became abundantly clear that humor will be as prevalent as music at Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards, and since it’s the 50th anniversary of the event, there will no doubt be some special performances, too.
Miranda Lambert leads the nominees with eight ACM nominations. Keith Urban and Eric Church will start the event with a kickoff performance. A-list attendees include Taylor Swift and Garth Brooks.
“I don’t even know who’s singing. That’s just the God’s honest truth,” Blake Shelton says. “I know Miranda is and I always look forward to that.”
This year's ACM Awards 50th anniversary show is going to be Texas-sized big, here's a preview: http://t.co/1RjIrneokS pic.twitter.com/mfYl43fjGp
— billboard (@billboard) April 17, 2015
The banter between Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan at this press conference was hilarious, and is no doubt only a prelude of what’s to come on Sunday.
“I want something to go wrong today so I know something won’t go wrong during the show,” ACM Awards executive producer R.A. Clark, son of the late Dick Clark, said.
“That will be Blake’s rehearsal,” Bryan replied.
Both Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan are nominated for male vocalist of the year.
“We can duke it out right now,” Bryan said when asked who should win.
“I’m going to take the high road here,” Shelton said, “and I say I do.”
Vote Miranda for @ACMawards Entertainer of the Year! Vote every day now through April 19th! #ACMawards50 https://t.co/O8Eo5dbnng
— Miranda Lambert (@mirandalambert) April 13, 2015
Blake Shelton reportedly won’t be holding back when it comes to jokes at the ACM Awards.
“Being it’s the 50th, it’s cool we’re going way back and we’re honoring some of these artists that have been here like Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert–digging way back,” he said to laughter from the press conference attendees.
Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Reba McEntire, and Brooks & Dunn will also be honored at the event.
“You’re probably an icon award guy, too, aren’t you?” Blake Shelton asked Luke Bryan. “No, you’re too new.”
Talk turned to The Voice, and how the singing competition show has changed Blake Shelton.
“He’s been getting some facials,” he said. “He’s hydrating early in the morning. He’s exfoliating.”
“I apologize for my tardiness,” said Bryan, who arrived a couple minutes late to the press conference. “It’s a lot of work getting prepared to look better than Blake.”
How many of these 25 surprising @ACMawards facts do you know? #TriviaTuesday http://t.co/CPQsI7uz1V pic.twitter.com/c3q7IpE519
— CBS Television (@CBS) April 7, 2015
If this was the comedy banter between Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan at the press conference, then the ACM Awards should be positively hilarious. Whether Shelton beats Bryan out for male vocalist of the year or it goes the other way around, their bromance will help the two maintain their bosom buddy status.
Will you be tuning it to see the show? It airs Sunday evening at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Fans might forget it’s a country music awards show when they listen to these two in their roles as comedians.