Reba McEntire’s ACM Awards Monologue Teases Luke Bryan, Maren Morris + More

Reba McEntire's 2019 ACM Awards monologue stuck with a theme she introduced in 2018. The playful show opening took aim at a couple country artists and made a statement about the lack of women in country music.

"Do you know it snowed in las Vegas just a few weeks ago?" the host asked. "Yeah. It was so cold it froze us women out of Entertainer of the Year." Last year she famously joked about hosting, "I guess they finally figured out that it only takes one woman to do the job of two men."

The new joke drew a healthy applause from the live audience at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday (April 7). A woman hasn't been nominated since Carrie Underwood in 2017, and no woman has won the award since Taylor Swift in 2012.

McEntire didn't focus on the topic for very long, however. For her 16th hosting gig she panned the room, joking at the expense of younger stars in a way they're sure to brag about later.

"Female artist nominee Maren Morris has a birthday coming up this Wednesday," McEntire says. "I am not saying Maren is young, but the party is at Chuck E Cheese."

Morris turns 29 years old on Wednesday (April 10).

McEntire returned to host after a hiatus in 2018 and kept a promise to keep it a family show once again. She doesn't do politics and makes sure there are no hurt feelings with those at home. After telling Taste of Country she wouldn't, she impersonated Cardi B as she did on Instagram last month. That came near the end, after which she closed with, "They just announced 200,000 new jobs were created last month and yep, Kelly Clarkson got every one of them, Kelly is one busy woman. She just finished a tour, back on the voice, a movie coming out, children's book, a talk show and just since I started speaking, she's already knitted a scarf and sketched a picture."

Quips about Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean also spiced up the monologue. The 2019 ACM Awards aired on CBS on Sunday, with McEntire among the anticipated performers. She'll sing her new song "Freedom."

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