Host Dolly Parton Dedicates the 2022 ACM Awards Show to People in Ukraine
Dolly Parton joked that she'd "rather pass a kidney stone" than get political, but there was a world political event on her mind as she hosted the ACM Awards on Monday night (March 7).
Maybe it wasn't so much political as social or humanitarian, and it was an necessary note Toward the end of her show-opening remarks, the ACMs host said:
"I want us to send our love and hope to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine."
Then, just before introducing the night's first performance, she took it a step further. "So why don't we just dedicate this entire show to them and pray for peace around this crazy old world?"
Response to Parton's remarks was overwhelmingly positive, with the live audience applauding with enthusiasm to begin a night marked by its rowdiness. She wouldn't be the only person to mention Ukraine on Monday — after winning Vocal Group of the Year, Matt Ramsey of Old Dominion also let the country under siege know that his heart is with them. Russia attacked Ukraine without provocation in late February, and since then, Russian military have bombarded the nation.
After that, Parton stuck to a line of humor that was more on brand. There was a joke about her chest less than one minute into the show, and more that poked fun at herself throughout an otherwise light-hearted evening.
“They are the real deal, and you now how I hate anything fake,” she said of her ACMs co-hosts, Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett. Then, after Kelly Clarkson paid tribute to her by singing "I Will Always Love You," she joked that, "I was backstage trying not to cry my false eyelashes off."
The two-hour broadcast streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime.