Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton and his ex-wife Miranda Lambert and more are set to perform at the 2021 56th annual Academy Of Country Music Awards in Nashville, it was reported on Tuesday.

The annual country music awards show will return with performances from the iconic Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium and Bluebird Café venues on April 18.

And the extensive line-up has been released, including the three megastars and the likes of Maren Morris, Kenny Chesney, Chris Stapleton and Eric Church.

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Stars: Carrie Underwood (pictured), Blake Shelton and his ex-wife Miranda Lambert are set to perform at the 2021 56th annual Academy Of Country Music Awards in Nashville, it was reported on Tuesday

Dan + Shay, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, Little Big Town, Kane Brown and Carly Pearce will also take to the stage, along with co-hosts Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton.

As for the nominations, Maren, 30, and Chris, 42, lead with six nods each

Miranda, 37, who was married to Blake, 44, from 2011 to 2015, is hot off their heels with five nominations and Ashley McBryde and Thomas Rhett have four apiece.

The Academy Of Country Music Awards is continuing to work on diversifying, and this year marks the first time four black artists are nominated, with Jimmie Allen, Kane Brown, Mickey Guyton and John Legend all up for prizes.

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Back to business: The annual country music awards show will return with performances from the iconic Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium and Bluebird Café venues on April 18 (pictured Blake, 44)

What’s more, it’s the first time each Single of the Year nomination features a female artist, with Miranda, Gabby Barrett, Carly, 30, Ingrid Andress and Maren, 30, all in contention for the prize.

ACM CEO Damon Whiteside commented on the forthcoming ceremony: ‘We have come a long way when the five most focal singles of the year are female.

‘When you figure there’s been so much discussion about the lack of females at radio and just the lack of female content and presence in general in the country music industry.

‘We’ve all been working really hard to combat that as an industry.

‘And it’s exciting to see that there’s just so much great content coming from our really strong female artists out there. I think that’s a major, major statement right there.’

The health and safety of the artists, fans, industry, staff and partners involved in the ACM Awards is their number one priority, it was stated in a press release.

‘All guidelines set forth by national, state and local health officials will be closely followed and implemented during the production along with additional safety measures to be instated by Dick Clark Productions and the Academy Of Country Music,’ it was shared earlier this week.

The show is produced for television by Dick Clark Productions with R.A. Clark, Barry Adelman and Linda Gierahn serving as executive producers. 

It will broadcast LIVE on the CBS Television Network on Sunday, April 18 from 8pm ET/PT.

It will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.