NBC pulled out all the stops to bid Blake Shelton farewell on the Season 23 finale of The Voice earlier this year. The fan-favorite coach became the final member of the show’s original panel to walk away following 12 years in the Big Red Chair. It turns out that goodbye was more of a see you later, as the country star will return to the network to be a part of the inaugural People's Choice Country Awards. There’s a sweet reason behind Shelton’s appearance, too, as he’ll be presenting one of the night’s biggest honors.
Blake Shelton will present the first Country Music Icon award to Toby Keith, when the first ever People’s Choice Country Awards air live from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 28. The former coach of The Voice is “eager,” per NBC, to pay tribute to the fellow country music legend from Oklahoma. The presentation will apparently be one of the most exciting of the show, as Cassandra Tryon of NBCUniversal said:
We’re overjoyed to honor legendary artist Toby Keith with the first-ever ‘Country Icon’ Award. As a talented songwriter and powerhouse performer, Keith has touched the hearts of fans across the globe. His illustrious career and passion for philanthropy has cemented his place as an icon in country music history.
That’s certainly a meaningful reason to return to the network where Blake Shelton spent over a decade of his life. This isn’t the first time he’s stepped up for his friend Toby Keith, either. Last November the “Come Back as a Country Boy” artist filled in for Keith as the headliner of the Veteran’s Day concert “A Salute to Our Heroes,” when Keith was forced to pull out as he continued to recover from stomach cancer.
The “Red Solo Cup” singer revealed last year that he’d been diagnosed with cancer in Fall 2021, and spent much of the next six months receiving chemotherapy, radiation and undergoing surgery. Blake Shelton made a lot of sense as his replacement at the Veteran's Day event, given the artists’ shared connection to the military. Shelton’s father served in the honor guard in Korea following the Korean War, and his brother served in the Army, while Toby Keith’s father also served in the Army.
It also seems fitting that NBC was able to call on Blake Shelton to help them honor the “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” artist, and it’ll be fun to see him again, even if it’s not as a coach on The Voice. The singing competition may have lost its resident cowboy, but the country music genre is still very well-represented, with Reba McEntire replacing Shelton for Season 24, which premieres September 25. Country duo Dan + Shay, as well, will make history as the first coaching duo in Season 25 next spring.
For those looking forward to welcoming Blake Shelton back to NBC, the People’s Choice Country Awards — hosted by Little Big Town — will air from 8-10 p.m. ET Thursday, September 28, on NBC and on streaming with a Peacock subscription. Check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what other premieres are headed our way soon.
