Big News! Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks Will Co-Host 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards
We can't wait to watch.
Country fans rejoice! The 2023 Academy of Country Music awards are just around the corner. Even better? Country music legends Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks have been selected to co-host this year’s event. Keep reading to learn more about the event, and about the sweet dynamic between these two very talented artists.
This will be Parton’s second time hosting and Brooks’ first, but it’s far from either of their first experiences with the ACM awards. Brooks was dubbed the ACM Artist of the Decade in the 90s, and has netted 22 awards; Parton was Entertainer of the Year in 1977, and has won 13 ACM awards, says Billboard. Think you’re excited to see this prolific pairing co-host? Just wait till you see how excited they are.
“We are excited about this because we’ve always wanted to do something together. We’ve always admired each other musically and as people and how we handle our business,” Parton tells Billboard. “This is a great thrill for me. I think the fans are going to enjoy seeing us together, ‘cause the Lord knows he’s got fans and I got a few.” More than a few, Dolly — more than a few.
In that interview, Brooks grabbed Parton’s hand and echoed her sentiment, saying one of the things for which he’s most excited is being able to collaborate with the amazing Dolly Parton. “I’m nervous … and I don’t know why that is because she’s never been anything but sweet to me, never been anything but treated me as an equal, though I’m not,” he tells Billboard. “It’s that thing when someone has done something that freaking cool, you just become a fan. If [George Strait] was here, I wouldn’t be holding his hand as much.”
“I’m a fan of [his] too … I think that’s going to be one of the things that hopefully shows up on camera that we like each other for real,” adds Parton, who will be doing double-duty as co-host and performer on this year’s ACM awards. She’ll be debuting a single from her upcoming album.
Brooks also mentions how he’s learned so much from his wife, country musician Trisha Yearwood, that he’s excited to learn from another iconic woman in the field. “A woman in this industry — and I’m married to one of the greatest singers ever — they have to work [so hard] … you get to watch them work, and when it’s your turn, your time, you work like a girl. You outwork everybody you can,” says Brooks.
Brooks and Partons’ dynamic is more than just a sweet friendship — they’re also a dynamic duo that’s sure to entertain ACM viewers. Brooks noted that he prefers to play the straight man, since comedy is difficult to nail. He’ll serve as the perfect foil for Dolly, who says, “I just talk off the top of my head. We’ll have a lot of fun together.”
As for what they’ll be wearing to the awards, queen of rhinestones Parton said she’ll be wearing “nothing but trash,” and Brooks, “nothing but Trish.” He may be a legendary artist in his own right, but when it comes to fashion, he admits that his wife knows best. Tune in to watch Brooks and Parton co-host the 58th ACM awards. They’ll take place in Frisco, Texas, and stream live, exclusively on Amazon Prime, on Thursday, May 11 at 8 p.m. EDT.
