Jim Wright
Originally posted onSeptember 8, 2023 @ 7:11 pm
Wyonna Judd to Host Christmas Special and Receive Honor
NBC and Peacock have announced that Grammy Award-winning country superstar Wynonna will host the holiday party of the year with “Christmas at the Opry,” airing Thursday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Additionally, she will receive the Country Champion Award at the inaugural “People’s Choice Country Awards,” airing live on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
The Sept. 28 “People’s Choice Country Awards” will air live on NBC and Peacock while the Dec. 7 “Christmas at the Opry” will air on NBC and next day on Peacock. Both events will originate from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
“Wynonna is one of the most recognized and lauded performers in country music,” said Cassandra Tryon, Senior Vice President, Live Events, NBCUniversal Entertainment. “Not only is she incredibly talented, her selflessness and passion for putting the needs of others in the spotlight is unmatched. We can’t think of a better person to honor as our inaugural ‘Country Champion’ and to celebrate the holidays with across these two major country music events.”
Featuring the best and brightest voices in country music, the festive two-hour special “Christmas at the Opry” will treat viewers to an array of Christmas favorites, holiday classics and today’s biggest hits. Wynonna will host the highly anticipated musical event featuring performances in front of a live audience of country music fans. Tickets for the Oct. 3 taping of “Christmas at the Opry” are on sale now at Opry.com and the performer lineup will be announced at a later date.
As the first Country Champion Award recipient at the inaugural “People’s Choice Country Awards,” Wynonna will be celebrated for her decades-long career and heroic efforts around philanthropy and activism. She has consistently used her public platform to create meaningful change and advocate for children, military veterans and their families, disaster relief and more through her work with numerous organizations including the Wounded Warrior Project and Habitat for Humanity. Wynonna will join previously announced “People’s Choice Country Awards” honoree Toby Keith, who will be presented with the Country Icon Award. A limited number of show tickets and VIP packages for the “People’s Choice Country Awards” are available now at Opry.com.
“Christmas at the Opry” is executive produced by Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski for Den of Thieves along with RAC Clark and Jen Jones.
“People’s Choice Country Awards” is produced by Den of Thieves with Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski serving as executive producers, along with RAC Clark as executive producer and showrunner.
These projects are an example of collaboration resulting from NBCUniversal’s equity investment in Opry Entertainment Group alongside Atairos, which was finalized last year.
ABOUT WYNONNA JUDD
With the release of her 1992 self-titled solo debut, Wynonna emerged as a singular force in American music. Beyond the five Grammy Awards, the multi-platinum albums and sold-out tours, the country/soul vocalist built on the Appalachian traditionalism that defined the Judds to create a world where Top 5 dance/club hits were as possible as being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Having practically grown up as America’s favorite musical daughter, Wynonna matured into a woman who embraced how life is filled with peaks and valleys, great thrills, and heavy disappointment. Those realities informed her 5x-platinum “Wynonna” and nearing 3x-platinum “Tell Me Why,” the albums that gave voice to every human being emerging into their own adulthood with joy in their heart.
Beyond the groundbreaking music she and her mother created as the Judds, Wynonna has grown into her once-in-a-generation vocal prowess with an ease that made people clamor to her. “No One Else on Earth,” “Tell Me Why,” “She Is His Only Need,” “Girls With Guitars” and “I Saw The Light” set the next chapter in motion of for the girl from Ashland, Ky. who became a global superstar.
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