Kelsea Ballerini Felt ‘So Rusty’ Doing Her 2020 ACM Awards Performance

Kelsea Ballerini is no stranger to the awards show stage, but on Wednesday night (Sept. 16)’s 2020 ACM Awards, her fans will see a performance like none she's done before. The country star will sing her single “Hole in the Bottle” to an empty Ryman Auditorium, which the Ballerini describes to late-night talk show host James Corden as a "weird, weird" experience.

Ballerini pre-taped her 2020 ACMs performance, as did all of Wednesday night's Ryman performers, because "[the Academy of Country Music is] being really wonderful and safe with everything." She admits when she got onstage for the filming, she felt "so rusty."

"I was just so nervous," she recounts, "and then at the end, I kinda forgot there weren't people there — and no one said anything back, it was just crickets."

"It's odd," adds Ballerini, who is nominated for Female Artist of the Year at the 2020 ACM Awards, "but it’s nice to be back on any kind of stage."

During the 2020 ACM Awards, some performers will sing live from the Bluebird Cafe and the Grand Ole Opry House. The awards show is being hosted in Nashville for the first time ever, after being delayed five-plus months due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The 2020 ACM Awards are set to air on CBS beginning at 8PM ET. Keith Urban is hosting the show.

See the Best Red Carpet Looks From the 2019 ACM Awards: