Jimmie Allen and Elle King to Host Nashville New Year’s Eve Special With Rachel Smith
Music City will welcome the new year with New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash on CBS, and the hosts for the night have officially been revealed. Country artists Jimmie Allen and Elle King and Entertainment Tonight anchor Rachel Smith have signed on to host the special.
The special returns to CBS for the second year in a row, and Allen, who performed on last year's edition, says he's already "looking forward" to the event. Allen has previous experience as a host on the 2022 ACM Awards alongside Dolly Parton and Gabby Barrett.
“I was part of the show last year as a performer, so being able to co-host it this year with Elle King & Rachel Smith and see all the great performances that are lined up — it’s going to be awesome," Allen says via press release. "Hosting is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and to do it on CBS is a big deal. I get to represent not only Nashville and country music but my home state of Delaware – primetime television on New Year’s Eve! Let’s bring this new year in right!”
King has been making a name for herself in country music over the past few years with her hit single, "Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)" with Miranda Lambert, among others. She also has TV experience, as she shared hosting duties with Dierks Bentley for the 2022 CMA Fest television special.
"New Year’s Eve has always been one of my favorite nights to celebrate because we get to reflect on the year we’ve had while getting a fresh start,” King says. “Nashville has been so amazing and welcoming to me this year and I can’t wait to see what next year brings. I am so excited to be hosting the festivities live from Music City!”
Rachel Smith is a television personality on Entertainment Tonight who has roots in Middle Tennessee. She grew up in nearby Clarksville, Tenn., and attended college at Nashville's Belmont University.
New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash will air on CBS on Saturday, Dec. 31 from 8-10 PM and continuing from 10:30PM-1:30AM ET. Previously announced performers include Brooks & Dunn, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town and Zac Brown Band, with more artists being announced soon. The production will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.