Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt to Perform at ACM Awards

Eric Church and Kelsea Ballerini have also been added to the 51st event's lineup

March 3, 2016

Dierks Bentley will be pulling double duty at the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards. Already tapped to co-host the show with Luke Bryan, Bentley will also perform.

The “Somewhere on a Beach” singer joins an expanded roster of artists, including Eric Church, Sam Hunt and Kelsea Ballerini, set to take the stage during the Las Vegas telecast. Previously announced performers include Carrie Underwood, Cam, Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line and Kenny Chesney, who will close out the final night of the ACM’s Party for a Cause Festival after the awards.

Ahead of his live-TV-hosting debut, Bentley has been having some fun at his own expense. He recently filmed an outrageous video of himself honing his emcee skills, doing his best Ron Burgundy while intoning, “The human torch is denied a bank loan,” in front of the mirror. (Watch the clip below.)

Bentley should be practicing a possible acceptance speech: he’s nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, opposite Church, Jason Aldean, Brett Eldredge and Chris Stapleton. Church and Stapleton lead all nominees with five each.

The ACM Awards air live Sunday, April 3rd, at 8:00 p.m./ET on CBS.