Two of country music's brightest young stars shone on Monday night (Nov. 29) when "The Good Ones" singer Gabby Barrett co-hosted primetime TV special CMA Country Christmas with newly-crowned CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Carly Pearce.
Barrett sang "Silent Night" during the broadcast, with Pearce performing "O Holy Night."
The hosts were joined by performers Breland("The Christmas Song"), Brett Eldredge ("Merry Christmas Baby"), Lady A ("Christmas Through Your Eyes"), Pistol Annies ("Snow Globe"), Carrie Underwood ("Mary, Did You Know?), Lainey Wilson ("Christmas Cookies") and Jimmie Allen with Louis York and The Shindellas ("What Does Christmas Mean").
Underwood stole the show with a soulful rendition of a modern "reason for the season" song, furthering her reputation as one of Nashville's finest singers of gospel material.
For the grand finale, a student at Nashville School of the Arts, Truman Eltringham, 17, and Carter Hammonds, an 8-year-old student at FH Jenkins Preparatory School, collaborated with Barrett and Pearce on "Sleigh Ride."
CMA Country Christmas gathers country stars and artists from other genres for a merry series of holiday tunes and memorable collaborations. Previous hosts in the show's 12-year history included Thomas Rhett and his wife Lauren Akins, Trisha Yearwood, Jennifer Nettles, and Reba McEntire.
Per Stubhub, past highlights include Nettles and Idina Menzel earning a standing ovation in 2016 for their performance of "Little Drummer Boy." That same year, Loretta Lynn sang her original song "Country Christmas" with Nettles and Yearwood. The song originally appeared on Lynn's 1966 Christmas album and resurfaced on her second-holiday album 50 years later.
CMA Country Christmas is part of the ABC Television Network's slate of holiday programming. Additional network specials range from A Very Boy Band Holiday and The Great Christmas Light Fight to airings of Santa Claus is Comin' to Town and Olaf's Frozen Adventure. In addition, the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade returns for the first time since 2019, and of course the slate of holiday programming culminates with Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest.
