Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton to Co-Host the ACM Awards

As she has for the past 12 years, Reba McEntire will host the Academy of Country Music Awards on April 3, live from Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena. She will not bear the hosting duties alone this year, though. She has a new co-host, good friend and country music star Blake Shelton.

Last year Reba and Shelton announced the 2010 nominations together, and USA Today reports that ACM executive director Bob Romeo took notice. He says, "When they did that, you saw a chemistry. They played off each other naturally. They seemed warm and spontaneously funny."

Producers have thought about Shelton co-hosting before -- and they are well aware of his sometime crude Twitter updates to his more than 150,000 followers. The ‘Hillbilly Bone’ singer assures, "I cut them right off and tell them, 'Guys, don't worry about it.’ They're a little worried, but I think that makes them excited at the same time." Romeo thinks he will be just fine and adds, "Reba can keep him on a leash. Both Reba and Blake are funny, and they can get out there on you."

Besides being fellow Okies, the two also share another connection: Reba is managed by her husband, Narvel Blackstock, and Shelton is managed by Narvel's son, Brandon Blackstock. Shelton tells The Boot that what he likes about the Blackstock-McEntire corporation is “they are a company, but they're a family. When you're brought into that, they treat you like family.”

Shelton has his first major headlining tour this year and it kicks off on Jan. 28 in La Crosse, Wis.