BY MELISSA RUGGIERI
The formula perfected by the Grammys – unlikely musical pairings equals ratings gold – has been aped admirably by the CMAs the past few years.
Wednesday's 49th annual awards show, airing live from Nashville on ABC (I'll be there, so make sure to follow live updates on the blog, Twitter and Facebook), will spotlight a set of unique collaborations: Chris Stapleton ( who last month performed a memorable set at Parklife music festival ) with Justin Timberlake; Eric Church and Hank Williams Jr.; Thomas Rhett with Fall Out Boy; Keith Urban and John Mellencamp; and Vegas buddies Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn.
The performance lineup also includes Georgia staples the Zac Brown Band, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line and Little Big Town, as well as Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton, Sam Hunt, Miranda Lambert and CMA hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.
An eclectic parade of presenters has been tapped as well: Edie Brickell and Steve Martin; Miss America (and Georgia native) Betty Cantrell; Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley (who plays a solo show at The Tabernacle on Dec. 5); longtime Atlantan Jennifer Nettles; Pentatonix; Darius Rucker; Cole Swindell; Keifer Sutherland; and Heather O'Reilly and Megan Rapinoe of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team, among others.
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