CMA Awards Wednesday Night Full of Familiar Faces, Big Honors

Wednesday night's CMA Awards will be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood for the second year in a row, and feature performances by Taylor Swift, reigning CMA New Artist of the Year Hunter Hayes, and a collaborative performance between the Zac Brown Band and Dave Grohl, frontman for the rock band Foo Fighters.

Kelly Clarkson, Sheryl Crow, and "Nashville" star Connie Britton will be among the presenters at the awards ceremony, ABC15.com reported, while Country music legend Kenny Rogers will be presented with The Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award by the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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When asked for a preview of what to expect during Wednesday night's CMA Award show, Paisley told USA Today that he "has to keep [himself] in check."

"I have to keep certain things in check, because I could go pretty roasty," Paisley told USA Today. "I'm a bit of an insult comic in real life, anybody who knows me will tell you that, so I have to be careful."

Paisley, who won the Entertainer of the Year award at the 44th annual CMA Awards, has had 18 of his singles reach the No. 1 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

When asked about the show's content, the multiplatinum-selling Underwood, known for such songs as "Before He Cheats" and "Jesus, Take the Wheel," said the pair would "keep [the show] current" through "new music, new artists, [and discussing] lots of new stuff going on in the world."

In addition to Rogers' lifetime achievement award, the 23-year-old Swift will be given CMA's Pinnacle Award, an honor that only Garth Brooks has received before her, ABC15.com noted.

Wednesday night's CMA Awards will also for the first time feature the Shazam app, allowing Country music fans to get custom content from performing artists and purchase the music they hear at the show without having to step away from the awards ceremony.

"We are thrilled that the CMA Awards is Shazamable," Shazam CEO Rich Riley said in a press release. "Awards shows like the CMA Awards are the perfect blend of exciting television and great music, making it an ideal fit for Shazam."

The show begins at 8 p.m. EST out of the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. It will be aired nationally on the ABC network.

Here's a look at Paisley and Underwood's introduction to the 2012 CMA Awards ...



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