2022 CMT Awards: The Complete Recap – Winners, Performances & More
The 2022 CMT Music Awards show took place on Monday, April 11th live from Nashville. Hosted by actor Anthony Mackie, Kane Brown, and quarantined Kelsea Ballerini, the special event is the only entirely fan-voted award show in the country music world, honoring the genre’s best and most fan-favorite artists.
Carrie Underwood // CMT Awards (Photo Credit: Getty Images for CMT)
Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood were the night’s big winners, taking home the first and final awards, Collaborative Video of the Year and Video of the Year for their duet, “If I Didn’t Love You.”
Keith Urban kicked off the show with a high-energy performance of his current top-ten radio single, “Wild Hearts.” This was followed by a collaboration between Cole Swindell and Lainey Wilson from the rainy, Lower Broadway stage. They sang their top-5 hit, “Never Say Never” off Swindell’s new album Stereotype.
Anthony Mackie, star of the Captain America series, was supposed to host the show with Kelsea Ballerini, however, Kane Brown filled in after Ballerini tested positive for COVID-19. Still feeling okay at home, she hosted remotely and even performed her new song “HEARTFIRST” later in the show. Martina McBryde and Thomas Rhett offered their co-hosting services during the comical opening bit.
The show featured a lot of new and first-time performances, starting with Little Big Town who debuted their witty new song, “Hell Yeah;” Thomas Rhett and Riley Green performed their drinking tune, “Half of Me” off Rhett’s new album, Where We Started for the first time together live; Underwood sang her haunting new song, “Ghost Story,” live for the second time in as many weeks on national television. Decked out in purple, her and her aerial acrobats flew and twirled all over the stage, making it an unforgettable moment in CMT history.
The next two performers were big winners at the ACM Awards; Carly Pearce, who won Female Artist of the Year showed her sassy side with a fiery performance of “Diamondback” off her most recent album 29: Written in Stone, and the Group of the Year, Old Dominion performed their current single, “No Hard Feelings” off their most recent album, Time, Tequila & Therapy.
Celebrating 20 years of CMT Crossroads, rock star Bryan Adams took the stage with Aldean to sing Adam’s power ballad, “Heaven.” After, two 2022 GRAMMY nominees, Mickey Guyton and The Black Pumas performed the group’s song, “Colors”
Last year’s Breakthrough Video of the Year award-winner, Dylan Scott, presented this year’s winner, Parker McCollum’s “To Be Loved By You.” He was humbly at a loss for words accepting his award. Gabby Barrett displayed her beautiful vocals during her performance of “Pick Me Up” off the deluxe version of her debut album, Goldmine.
Walker Hayes sang his fun single, “AA.” Like his viral hit, “Fancy Like,” this track has a choreographed routine that his background dancers showcased on stage. Later, power couple, Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd performed Morris’ “I Can’t Love You Anymore” off her new record, Humble Quest.
Before Kacey Musgraves introduced The Judds, who haven’t performed at the CMT in over 20 years, Miranda Lambert accepted the award for Female Video of the Year with “If I Was A Cowboy.” She later performed the song on Lower Broadway sporting a fashionable pink tie-dye cowboy hat.
The Group/Duo Video of the Year was given to Maddie and Tae’s “Woman You Got.” Font (Maddie) was in attendance and accepted the award on their behalf. She was very emotional and thankful for their first-ever CMT award. Jimmie Allen, Monica, and Little Big Town joined together for the first time to sing their song, “Pray” off Allen’s Bettie James (Gold Edition) collaboration project. The song, which was a deep cut on the album, emphasized that even though we are all different people who worship in different ways, we all pray to a higher being.
Cody Johnson won the Male Video of the Year for his first number one at country radio, “’Til You Can’t,” which he performed earlier in the show. He also won CMT digital-first performance of the year for “Dear Rodeo” from CMT Campfire Sessions. Kenny Chesney closed out the show with a performance of his classic hit, “Beer in Mexico,” wrapping up a memorable night in Nashville.
Like always, the CMT features new artists on their Ram Truck stage. This included Parker McCollum, Breland, Jessie James Decker, Elvie Shane, Caitlyn Smith, and Priscilla Block.
Several awards were announced before the show, including Comeback Song of the Year which went to Taylor Swift for “Love Story,” and country music legend, George Strait, received the CMT Performance of the Year Award for his rendition of the late Charley Pride’s hit “Is Anyone Goin’ To San Antone.”
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Look below for a complete list of winners:
Video of the year:
- Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood – “If I Didn’t Love You” (final nominee) – Winner
- Brandi Carlile – “Right On Time”
- Cody Johnson – “‘Til You Can’t” (final nominee)
- Cole Swindell & Lainey Wilson – “Never Say Never”
- Kacey Musgraves – “justified”
- Kane Brown – “One Mississippi” (final nominee)
- Kelsea Ballerini feat. Kenny Chesney – “half of my hometown”
- Luke Combs – “Forever After All”
- Maren Morris – “Circles Around This Town”
- Mickey Guyton – “Remember Her Name”
- Miranda Lambert – “If I Was A Cowboy”
- Taylor Swift feat. Chris Stapleton – “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
Female video of the year:
- Miranda Lambert – “If I Was A Cowboy” – Winner
- Brandi Carlile – “Right On Time”
- Gabby Barrett – “Footprints On The Moon”
- Kacey Musgraves – “justified”
- Maren Morris – “Circles Around This Town”
- Mickey Guyton – “Remember Her Name”
- Tenille Arts – “Back Then, Right Now”
Male video of the year:
- Cody Johnson – “‘Til You Can’t” – Winner
- Eric Church – “Heart On Fire”
- Kane Brown – “One Mississippi”
- Luke Bryan – “Waves”
- Luke Combs – “Forever After All”
- Thomas Rhett – “Country Again”
- Walker Hayes – “Fancy Like”
Group/duo video of the year:
- Maddie & Tae – “Woman You Got” – Winner
- Brothers Osborne – “I’m Not For Everyone”
- Dan + Shay – “Steal My Love”
- Old Dominion – “I Was On a Boat That Day”
- Parmalee – “Take My Name”
- Zac Brown Band – “Same Boat”
Breakthrough video of the year:
- Parker McCollum – “To Be Loved By You” – Winner
- BRELAND – “Cross Country”
- Caitlyn Smith feat. Old Dominion – “I Can’t”
- Elvie Shane – “My Boy”
- Priscilla Block – “Just About Over You”
- Tenille Arts – “Back Then, Right Now”
Collaborative video of the year:
- Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood – “If I Didn’t Love You” – Winner
- Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde – “Never Wanted To Be That Girl”
- Dustin Lynch feat. MacKenzie Porter – “Thinking ‘Bout You”
- Nelly & Florida Georgia Line – “Lil Bit”
- Jimmie Allen & Brad Paisley – “Freedom Was A Highway”
- Jordan Davis feat. Luke Bryan – “Buy Dirt”
- Kelsea Ballerini feat. Kenny Chesney – “half of my hometown”
CMT performance of the year:
- George Strait – “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone (from CMT GIANTS: Charley Pride)” – Winner
- Brothers Osborne – “Muskrat Greene/Dead Man’s Curve Medley (from CMT Campfire Sessions)”
- H.E.R. feat. Chris Stapleton – “Hold On (from 2021 CMT Music Awards)”
- Kane Brown – “Three Wooden Crosses (from 2021 CMT Artists of the Year)”
- Kelsea Ballerini feat. Paul Klein of LANY – “I Quit Drinking (from 2021 CMT Music Awards)”
- Mickey Guyton feat. Gladys Knight & BRELAND – “Friendship Train (from 2021 CMT Music Awards)”
- Nelly feat. Kane Brown, Blanco Brown & BRELAND – “Ride Wit Me (from CMT Crossroads: Nelly & Friends)”
CMT digital-first performance of the year:
- Cody Johnson – “Dear Rodeo” (from CMT Campfire Sessions) – Winner
- Brittney Spencer – “Sober & Skinny” (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
- Carly Pearce – “Dear Miss Loretta” (from CMT :60 Songs)
- Jon Pardi – “On The Other Hand / Forever and Ever, Amen” (in honor of 2021 CMT Artist of a Lifetime Randy Travis)
- Josh Turner LIVE (from CMT KickBack)
- Lainey Wilson – “Things A Man Oughta Know” (from the CMT Studio)
Comeback song of the year:
- Taylor Swift – “Love Story” – Winner
- Alan Jackson – “Freight Train”
- Brooks & Dunn – “Neon Moon”
- Dolly Parton – “9 to 5”
- Reba McEntire – “I’m A Survivor”
- Sara Evans – “Suds in the Bucket”
- Shania Twain – “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”
