Why Is Nick Jonas At The ACM Awards 2015? How The Pop Star Connected With Country Duo Dan + Shay

Nick Jonas isn’t exactly a country artist, so it was a little surprising to see his name on the list of performers for the 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. So how did Jonas decide to perform with country duo Dan + Shay at the 2015 ACM Awards? It seems it was all due to mutual friends.

“Our managers connected us first,” Jonas explained to CBS. “I heard that they liked what I was doing, and I loved what they were doing. I was first introduced by my girlfriend [Olivia Culpo] and her sister, who like their music, and it just happened pretty organically.”

Jonas and Dan + Shay haven’t said what song they’ll perform together. However, the country duo, who were nominated for vocal duo of the year, are excited for the gig. “To be performing is kind of next-level,” Shay Mooney told the Boot. “It’s going to be really cool, man. Dan’s been working really hard on the track, and it sounds bangin’, so it’s going to be a really fun performance.”

If all goes well, Jonas may even team up with the boys for his next album or vice versa. “We all write,” Jonas added. “That’s the great thing, and hopefully, after this we’ll get a chance to get in a room together and actually write something together and see what we can come up with.”

The former Jonas Brothers member isn’t the only non-country celebrity at the 2015 ACM Awards. Pop star Christina Aguilera (who is currently appearing on country music drama “Nashville”) was also announced as a performer. Taylor Swift, who famously left the country genre for pop, is also at the ACM Awards to pick up a milestone award.

The 2015 ACM Awards will air at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS. Find out how to live stream here. Check out the nominees here.