Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban + More Booked for 2012 ‘CMA Country Christmas’
Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban and a handful of other country music superstars are set to perform during the third annual 'CMA Country Christmas' prime time special, scheduled to air on ABC this upcoming holiday season.
Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles will return to host the yuletide extravaganza for the third consecutive year, a gig the singer has held down since the event's inception in 2010.
“I am so excited to be hosting this year, and I love inviting the audience to get into the spirit of the season by bringing a toy for donation!" an enthusiastic Nettles shares. "It is such a joy to watch this holiday special grow -- in not only its talent roster, but moreover in its charitable celebration of the season."
Martina McBride, Little Big Town, the Band Perry, Dierks Bentley and Scotty McCreery round out the group of confirmed country performers, with mainstream superstars John Legend, Colbie Caillat and opera star Katherine Jenkins added to the bill to give some pop flavor to the mostly country music event.
McCreery and Lady A will no doubt debut holiday-themed music from their respective Christmas releases during the annual event, which will also host a charitable toy donation drive. The former 'American Idol' winner's 'Christmas With Scotty McCreery' album was released today (Oct. 16), while Lady Antebellum's 'On This Winter's Night' will hit store shelves and digital retailers next week (Oct. 22).
'CMA Country Christmas' will be taped in front of a live audience at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 3, just two days after the upcoming CMA Awards ceremony wraps in the same venue. The event will air later in the holiday season on the ABC network.