The Grand Ole Opry’s a centesimal Anniversary celebration on Wednesday, March nineteenth was a giant hit. That includes principally conventional nation artists like Alan Jackson, Jamey Johnson, Reba McEntire, Marty Stuart, and Clint Black—with rousing tribute performances by Carrie Underwood for Randy Travis, and Ashley McBryde singing her emotional “Woman Goin’ Nowhere”—it actually did justice to the majesty of nation music’s most storied establishment.
To learn Saving Nation Music’s full recap of the occasion, CLICK HERE.
The three-hour particular on NBC additionally did rather well within the scores, regardless of the dearth of present, mainstream star energy except for Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, and a pair others. The Opry 100 pulled in 5.23 million viewers, making it probably the most watched general program for community tv on Wednesday.
Talking of missing present star energy, Jelly Roll was scheduled to carry out on the presentation, however backed out final minute on account of sickness. Jelly Roll was alleged to sing “Jackson” with Ashley McBryde. Submit Malone crammed in for him. Some additionally anticipated Jelly Roll to be stunned with an invite to affix the Opry. A video presentation explaining the significance of the invitation performed moments earlier than Jelly Roll’s efficiency slot. But when it was deliberate, Jelly Roll was not there to just accept it.
Although the Opry 100 Celebration did barely worse in scores than final November’s CMA Awards (6.08 million viewers), it did considerably higher than NBC’s “Individuals’s Alternative Nation Awards” offered in partnership with the Grand Ole Opry, which noticed fairly abysmal scores of 3.3 million folks in 2024, or roughly 2 million lower than Opry 100 present.
It seems like there are lots of classes that might be discovered from the success of the Opry 100 broadcast by nation’s congested awards present panorama. Tv viewers aren’t drawn as a lot by modern star energy as they’re with performers that really feel acquainted. Versus at all times making an attempt to advertise an artist’s present single, these awards ought to focus extra on crafting “moments” that expose the emotion behind songs. The Opry 100 had many such moments.
And the obvious takeaway is that viewers need to see nation legends together with the present stars. In fact awards exhibits and specials will showcase the most well-liked stars of the day. However an increasing number of, the most well-liked stars are from outdoors of the main label circuit, whereas some legendary artists are simply as common and revered as they ever have been, if no more.
A lot of the criticism you noticed for the Opry 100 presentation was not that it felt outdated and stuffy. It’s that there might have been much more face time for nation legends. However nation music’s conventional followers shouldn’t look this reward horse within the mouth. They need to be thankful for the extra traditional-leaning presentation, and proclaim it’s what they need to see from the CMA and ACM Awards, identical to the 2022 CMA Awards featured, and noticed a scores enhance for it.
Many 20-somethings are too busy with Tik-Tok for appointment tv or 3-hour specials, so that you would possibly as nicely give attention to the nation followers who’re really going to concentrate. These followers are inclined to need to see a mixture of younger and outdated, and to expertise performances which can be contemporary and nostalgic. That’s what the Opry 100 celebration had, and that’s what nation’s awards exhibits ought to have extra of shifting ahead.
– – – – – – – –
In case you loved this text, think about leaving Saving Nation Music A TIP.
