Carrie Underwood has co-hosted the CMA Awards with fellow country superstar Brad Paisley for the past decade, and in 2018, the pair will return for another evening of antics, entertainment and country music. In an interview with Taste of Country, Underwood explains that although the comedic banter and onstage chemistry she and Paisley have perfected over the years may seem effortless to fans, both co-hosts work hard each year to make the awards show a special event.

"The trick is to try and keep everything fresh," Underwood says. "To try and figure out just what we're gonna talk about, and how to keep everything rolling. We want to be funny, and we want to be timely, and we want to be respectful, and we want to just make it a great show. There's a lot of love that's put into hosting the CMAs, and I hope people feel that above all else."

In 2017, the duo gave an opening monologue that addressed a wide range of events that took place that year, from a spoof song about a solar eclipse to a more somber nod to the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting that took place in Las Vegas that October, and even touched on the presidential election. Although she has a decade's worth of experience hosting the evening, Underwood says she still can't believe that she and Paisley have held the CMA gig for so many years.

"It's crazy," she says. "I still remember getting that phone call about the first year, and I was like, 'They want us to what?' It was just kinda crazy, and 11 years later, we're still doing this."

The 2018 CMA Awards ceremony is set to take place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 14. The event will air live on ABC at 8PM EST.

The Boot will be staying up late covering the most buzzed-about winners, fashion and moments at the 2018 CMA Awards. Readers can watch along with us by checking back to TheBoot.com for the latest CMAs headlines, liking The Boot on Facebook and following The Boot on Twitter.

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