Country singer Ashley McBryde might bring swagger and a badass spirit to her songs, but when it comes to taking on co-hosting duties at tomorrow night’s 2020 CMT Music Awards, she’s showing a more vulnerable side.
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In an interview with CBS This Morning, the 37-year-old shares that prepping for the gig has been a nerve-wracking thrill.
“I was nervous immediately,” says McBryde. “I’ve always wanted to host or present in some way, and so I said yes, of course, automatically, but then… butterflies.”
McBryde, who is co-hosting with Kane Brown and Modern Family actress Sarah Hyland, is also nominated for three awards: Video of the Year, Female Video of the Year, and CMT Performance of the Year—all for her single “One Night Standards.” This year’s ceremony is designed for the pandemic era, featuring pre-taped performances from various locations (mostly in and around Nashville).
Even without the pressure of a live audience, McBryde is anxious to deliver. She says she leaned on Hyland for help with navigating uncharted territory.
“After seeing Sarah over Zoom… I’m most looking forward to hosting with her,” says McBryde. “She’s such a sweetheart and so good at this. She makes it easy to relax and calm down and slow down.”
“[The teleprompter] is so much fun,” she later adds sarcastically. “I was trying to read it so fast. They are so nice at CMT and they were like, ‘Ashley, can you please slow down?’ and I’m like, ‘I’m trying.'”
McBryde also reveals a fun fact about her previous awards. “They are safe; they are in my guest bathroom downstairs,” she says. “Everyone has to use that room at some point when they come over the house. And some people have actually picked up the awards off the shelf and taken selfies with them and done speeches with them.”
With any luck, after tomorrow, she’ll need to make more room on the shelf.
The 2020 CMT Music Awards airs Wednesday, October 21st at 8PM ET/7PM CT on CMT.