NBC has picked up the People’s Choice Country Awards for a second year. The two-hour show will air live from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET/PT across NBC and Peacock.
Little Big Town hosted and performed on the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards, which aired on Sept. 28 from the same historic venue.
The pickup means that there will be four major country awards shows again next year – the CMT Music Awards on CBS and CMT (this year’s show aired on April 2); the ACM Awards on Prime Video (this year’s show streamed on May 11); and the CMA Awards on ABC (this year’s show aired on Nov. 8). Country award shows have traditionally done well on TV, and the genre is in a hot phase right now.
Jelly Roll was the top winner at the first People’s Choice Country Awards, with six awards in four categories. That was one of the first indications of his exploding popularity. Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson each won three awards. Jelly Roll also performed on the show, as did Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay, HARDY, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini and Icon Awards recipients Toby Keith and Wynonna Judd. (Here’s our report on snubs and surprises from the show.)
“With powerhouse performances, heartfelt tributes to country legends, and surprise moments, last year’s inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards was a huge success” Jen Neal, executive vice president, live events and specials, NBCUniversal Entertainment, said in a statement. “We look forward to returning to the Grand Ole Opry House in 2024 to honor and celebrate the country community.”
The People’s Choice Country Awards, which calls itself “the only award show for the people and by the people,” is a brand extension of the fan-driven People’s Choice Awards. That show originated on CBS in March 1975 and was a top-rated show for most of its run on that network. CBS last carried the show in 2017. E! picked it up in 2018, and NBC and E! have had “shared custody” of the show since 2021. The most recent edition, hosted by Kenan Thompson, aired on Dec. 6, 2022. The next edition is slated for Feb. 18.
Total viewership for the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards was up +16% compared to the 2022 People’s Choice Awards simulcast. The telecast was seen by 4.3 million viewers across all platforms, and content from the show reached 25 million cross-platform users (linear, digital and social).
The 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards will be produced by Den of Thieves. Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski will executive produce, along with RAC Clark as executive producer and showrunner.