Dierks Bentley Is Afraid of Long Speeches at the ACMs – Here’s Why

Forgive Dierks Bentley if he’s looks relieved when winner’s keep their speeches short at Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards.

He just really, really wants to be able to perform his song with Sheryl Crow.

“This was one of those things where, why is this happening to me? I didn’t have to work for it or beg for it,” he told PEOPLE Country, adding that this duet only came together a week ago.

“I was going to just be a part of the audience and now I get to sing with one of my favorite singers of all time singing my favorite song I’ve ever written of all time.”

That being said, Bentley, 38, is aware that his performance comes toward the end of the broadcast, or as he calls it, “when the chopping starts happening.”

“I feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop,” he joked. Co-host Blake Shelton, says Bentley, “is gonna go up there and do a really long joke and they’re gonna say, ‘Sorry, he just took your two minutes and 55 seconds.’ I’m gonna be watching every speech like, hurry up!”

The Academy of Country Music Awards will air Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS.

People Magazine