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2024 CMT Awards: The Complete Recap – Winners, Performances & More

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The 2024 CMT Awards included performances by Cody Johnson, Bailey Zimmerman, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum, Jordan Davis & more along with special tribute to Toby Keith. Hosted by 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.

Heading into the show, several artists shared the spot for top nominees including Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney, Cody Johnson, and this year’s host, Kelsea Ballerini – all with three nominees each. It was Ballerini’s fourth consecutive year and she confirmed, last year hosting the show.

Of those nominations, Wilson, Jelly Roll, Johnson, and Ballerini were all up for the night’s biggest honor: Video of the Year. The category began with 16 nominees. After the first round of voting, it was narrowed down to six and after the second round of voting it was cut to only three nominees – Cody Johnson for “The Painter, Jelly Roll for “Need A Favor” and Kelsea Ballerini for “If You Go Down (I’m Goin Down Too)”.

Kicking off the show was the very fitting performance of “That’s Texas” by Cody Johnson. Following Kelsea Ballerini’s opening monologue where she poked fun at her viral reaction at this year’s GRAMMY’s by ‘mind-reading’ fellow artists Lainey Wilson, Carly Pearce, Trisha Yearwood, Keith Urban, and even her boyfriend Chase Stoke.

Next up, presenters Montana Jordan & Emily Osment from the TV show “Young Sheldon” introduced Megan Moroney who performed “No Caller ID”. Following Moroney, Emmy-winning actor Paul Walter Houser (Blackbird) presented the Collaborative Video of the Year to Carly Pearce and Chris Stapleton for “We Don’t Fight Anymore”. In her acceptance speech, Pearce honored her video director Alexa Campbell who years ago shared with Pearce that it was her dream to become a director, to which Pearce responded by inviting her to direct her videos. 

Actress Amber Riley introduced Parker McCollum who sang his hit song “Burn It Down” which is also the #1 song in the country this week. McCollum brought out special guest Brittney Spencer to perform the chart topper with him.

Megan Moroney & Max Terriet (Fire Country) presented the next two awards: Breakthrough Female Video of the Year & Breakthrough Male Video of the Year. Ashley Cooke took home her first CMT Award and her first award ever with “your place” and Warren Zeiders won for “Pretty Little Poison”.

Wanting her own comeback song much like the success that Luke Combs had with “Fast Car”, Kelsea Ballerini began singing “Come to My Window” when singer Melissa Etheridge joined her on stage. The two then introduced the next CMT Crossroads collaboration: Jordan Davis & NEEDTOBREATHE performing their mash-up of “Brother” & “Next Thing You Know”

Actress Jane Seymour presented Trisha Yearwood with the first-ever June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award. This award recognizes artists for their humanitarian work as a way to honor June Carter Cash whose humanitarian work was an integral part of who she was. Yearwood “lives and breathes that same philosophy” as shown through her work with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, The Carter Project, and The Country Music Hall of Fame, to name only a few as she continues to advocate for new artists as well. In a beautiful acceptance speech where she compares her own life of being a part of a powerhouse couple while also not forgetting to shine her own light, Yearwood stated that she hoped this award reminds us all to “be a little bit less about me, and a little bit more about us”.

Jelly Roll then joined Ballerini to introduce Lainey Wilson who performed her current single, “Country’s Cool Again”. Following this, CMT’s Cody Alan introduced Bailey Zimmerman who performed “Where It Ends”.

Emma Roberts then introduced Keith Urban who performed his new single “Straight Line”. Carly Pearce then presented the CMT Performance of the Year Award to Jelly Roll who won for his performance of “Need A Favor” – the song he sang about a year ago on the 2023 CMT Awards and the first time he sang the song on live television. 

Next up, Parmalee introduced Sam Hunt who performed his latest single “Locked Up”. Then, James Van Der Beek introduced the host herself for her new, reimagined version of her now 10-year-old first single “Love Me Like You Mean It”.

Presenting Duo/Group Video of the Year were four women who are part of CMT’s ‘Next Women of Country’ initiative  and from Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” Album: Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, and Brittney Spencer. Dan and Shay won the award for the category for their hit “Save Me The Trouble”. 

Next, it was time for what would be an incredibly heart-warming tribute to country legend Toby Keith who lost his battle to cancer just a couple of months ago. In a mixture of anecdotes and performances, friends Roger Clemens and Sammy Hagar shared memories of their friend who proved to be exactly the witty, hilarious, and wholesome man that everyone believed him to be. Performances included “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” by Brooks & Dunn, “I Love This Bar” by Sammy Hagar, and “How Do You Like Me Now” by Lainey Wilson – all of which were played with Keith’s long-time band. During the performances, you were able to see everyone in the audience holding a red solo cup along with the band members across their set. At the end of Wilson’s performance, Clemens returned to the stage to Thank Keith’s wife and kids for sharing him with the world and to ask everyone to raise their Red Solo Cups with him as he said “Whiskey for my men” to which the entire room responded together with “Beer for my horses”.

The next few performances included Old Dominion & Megan Moroney performing their duet “Can’t Break Up Now”, Trisha Yearwood debuting the first single off of her brand new album that she fully co-wrote: “Put It In A Song”, and Dasha’s viral single “Austin”.

Minnie Driver presented the award for Male Video of the Year to Jelly Roll which marked his second win of the night for the same song – “Need A Favor”.

Celebrating 25 years of making country music, Little Big Town took the stage with Sugarland as the two groups came together to debut their take on Phil Collins’s “Take Me Home”. The phenomenal performance showcased the incredible blend of six exceptional voices. This collaboration would also foreshadow the future tour together for the two bands – hitting the road this fall. 

Gayle King then presented Female Video of the Year to Lainey Wilson. Before doing so she also joked about how earlier in the night Jelly Roll alluded to the late night that he would be having tonight, despite the early interview he has on CBS tomorrow morning. 

Shortly after, Billy Bob Thronton (Landman) would present the biggest honor of the night: Video of the Year. With his third win of the night, Jelly Roll sweeps all of his nominated categories. Since he was already able to thank many of the necessary people in his previous two speeches, he used his final acceptance speech to warn Gayle King that he would indeed be a little late to his interview in the morning. 

Enjoying the moment and celebrating the incredible night he had at the CMT Awards, Jelly Roll closed out the show with none other than – “Need A Favor”.

You can find the full list of winners and nominees below + follow us on Instagram for more from the show. 

CMT digital-first performance of the year

Musical performance from a production, series, or livestream created for CMT digital/social channels; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo).

  • Scotty McCreery – “It Matters To Her” (from CMT Stages)
  • Chase Rice – “Goodnight Nancy” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
  • Dylan Scott – “Don’t Close Your Eyes (Keith Whitley Cover)” (from CMT Digital Campfire Sessions)
  • Megan Moroney – “I’m Not Pretty” (from CMT Digital Campfire Sessions)
  • Nate Smith – “Whiskey On You” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
  • Stephen Wilson Jr. – “Year to Be Young 1994” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
  • The Castellows – “I Know It Will Never End” (from CMT Studio Sessions)

Collaborative video of the year
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists.

  • Carly Pearce feat. Chris Stapleton – “We Don’t Fight Anymore”
  • Ella Langley feat. Koe Wetzel – “That’s Why We Fight”
  • Jon Pardi, Luke Bryan – “Cowboys And Plowboys”
  • Justin Moore & Priscilla Block – “You, Me And Whiskey”
  • Lukas Nelson + Promise of The Real feat. Lainey Wilson – “More Than Friends”
  • Mickey Guyton feat. Kane Brown – “Nothing Compares To You”
  • Old Dominion & Megan Moroney – “Can’t Break Up Now”

Breakthrough female video of the year, presented by Walt Disney World
Best video from a female artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist.

  • Ashley Cooke – “your place”
  • Anne Wilson – “Rain In The Rearview”
  • Brittney Spencer – “Bigger Than The Song”
  • Tigirlily Gold – “Shoot Tequila”

Breakthrough male video of the year, presented by Walt Disney World
Best video from a male artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist.

  • Warren Zeiders – “Pretty Little Poison”
  • Chayce Beckham – “23”
  • Tyler Childers – “In Your Love”
  • Zach Bryan – “Oklahoma Smokeshow”

CMT performance of the year
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo).

  • Jelly Roll – “Need a Favor” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
  • Amber Riley – “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.” (from CMT Smashing Glass)
  • Bret Michaels & Chris Janson – “Nothing But a Good Time” (from CMT Crossroads)
  • Cody Johnson – “Human” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
  • Dustin Lynch feat. MacKenzie Porter – “Thinking ‘Bout You” (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)

Duo/group video of the year

Best video by a duo or group; awarded to the artists.

  • Dan + Shay – “Save Me The Trouble”
  • Brothers Osborne – “Nobody’s Nobody”  
  • Old Dominion – “Memory Lane”
  • Parmalee – “Girl In Mine”
  • The War And Treaty – “Have You A Heart”
  • Tigirlily Gold – “Shoot Tequila”

Male video of the year
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist.

  • Jelly Roll – “Need A Favor”
  • Bailey Zimmerman – “Religiously”
  • Cody Johnson – “The Painter”
  • HARDY – “Truck Bed” 
  • Jordan Davis – “Next Thing You Know”
  • Luke Combs – “Fast Car (Official Live Video)” 
  • Morgan Wallen – “Last Night (One Record At A Time Sessions)”

List of Winners:

Female video of the year
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist.

  • Lainey Wilson – “Watermelon Moonshine”
  • Ashley McBryde – “Light On In The Kitchen”
  • Gabby Barrett – “Glory Days”
  • Kacey Musgraves – “Deeper Well”
  • Kelsea Ballerini –  “Penthouse”
  • Megan Moroney – “I’m Not Pretty”
  • Reba McEntire – “Seven Minutes In Heaven”

Video of the year 

  • Jelly Roll – “Need A Favor”
  • Cody Johnson – “The Painter”
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)”

(Runner-Up)

  • Ashley McBryde – “Light On In The Kitchen”
  • HARDY – “Truck Bed”
  • Lainey Wilson – “Watermelon Moonshine”

(Remaining of the original 16 nominees)

  • Brandy Clark feat. Brandi Carlile – “Dear Insecurity”
  • Brothers Osborne – “Nobody’s Nobody”
  • Darius Rucker – “Fires Don’t Start Themselves”
  • Jason Aldean – “Let Your Boys Be Country”
  • Jordan Davis – “Next Thing You Know”
  • Kacey Musgraves – “Deeper Well”
  • Mickey Guyton feat. Kane Brown – “Nothing Compares To You”
  • Parmalee – “Gonna Love You”
  • Tyler Childers – “In Your Love”
  • Zach Bryan – “Nine Ball”

2022 CMT Awards: The Complete Recap – Winners, Performances & More

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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)

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.”

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music, ticket giveaways, merch, and more.

To keep up with CMT, follow along here on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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!”

Here Are The CMT Music Awards 2022 Nominations

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The CMT Music Awards Nominations have been revealed!

CMT Music Awards 2022

CMT Music Awards 2022

Kane Brown leads with four nominations. Kelsea Ballerini, Mickey Guyton, BRELAND, and Cody Johnson follow, racking up three nominations each. Rising stars, BRELAND and Cody Johnson received their first-ever nominations for the special accolades. Check out the full list of nominations below.

Hosted by Kelsea Ballerini and Anthony Mackie, the show is set to air on Monday, April 11th at 8PM ET / 7PM CT on CMT.  The 2022 CMT Music Awards will be a celebration country music fans will not want to miss. The show will honor country music’s biggest stars bringing next-level energy and one-of-a-kind performances and collaborations.

The annual show is the only entirely fan-voted award show in the country music world honoring the genre’s best and most fan-favorite artists. Fan voting begins now at vote.cmt.com.

Fans can tune in from home on CBS or streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.

 

HERE ARE THE 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATIONS:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR 
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration). Top nominees, from the first round of voting, will be announced on April 4. Final nominees, from the second round of voting, will be announced on show day, April 11. Final voting will be determined via social media and announced as the final category during the live show.

  • Brandi Carlile – “Right On Time”
  • Cody Johnson – “‘Til You Can’t”
  • Cole Swindell & Lainey Wilson – “Never Say Never”
  • Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood – “If I Didn’t Love You”
  • Kacey Musgraves – “justified”
  • Kane Brown – “One Mississippi”
  • 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
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

  • 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”
  • Miranda Lambert – “If I Was A Cowboy”
  • Tenille Arts – “Back Then, Right Now”

 

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

  • ​​Cody Johnson – “’Til You Can’t”
  • 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

Best video by a duo or group; awarded to the artists

  • Brothers Osborne – “I’m Not For Everyone”
  • Dan + Shay – “Steal My Love”
  • Maddie & Tae – “Woman You Got”
  • Old Dominion – “I Was On a Boat That Day”
  • Parmalee – “Take My Name”
  • Zac Brown Band – “Same Boat”

 

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR, Presented by SONIC®
Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)

  • BRELAND – “Cross Country”
  • Caitlyn Smith feat. Old Dominion – “I Can’t”
  • Elvie Shane – “My Boy”
  • Parker McCollum – “To Be Loved By You”
  • Priscilla Block – “Just About Over You”
  • Tenille Arts – “Back Then, Right Now”

 

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists

  • Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde – “Never Wanted To Be That Girl”
  • Dustin Lynch feat. MacKenzie Porter – “Thinking ‘Bout You”
  • Nelly & Florida Georgia Line – “Lil Bit”
  • Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood – “If I Didn’t Love You”
  • 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
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

  • Brothers Osborne – “Muskrat Greene/Dead Man’s Curve Medley (from CMTCampfire Sessions)”
  • George Strait – “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone (from CMT GIANTS: Charley Pride)”
  • 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 CMTMusic 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

Musical performance from a production, series or livestream created for CMT Digital / Social Channels; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

  • Brittney Spencer – “Sober & Skinny” (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
  • Carly Pearce – “Dear Miss Loretta” (from CMT :60 Songs)
  • Cody Johnson – “Dear Rodeo” (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
  • 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)

 

Don’t forget to cast your votes! Voting is open now at: vote.cmt.com.

Gear up for the big night and set your DVR’s for 8PM ET on April 11th and follow along on Twitter as we live-tweet the show, @CountrySwag.

Fans can also join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about the upcoming performance announcements in the coming weeks.

To keep up with CMT, follow along here on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Kelsea Ballerini & LANY Team Up For Wistful New Song “I Quit Drinking”

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Kelsea Ballerini and LANY joined forces on a brand new song, “I Quit Drinking”. Available now, June 9th, on all streaming platforms, take a look below as we dig a little deeper into the new song.

Kelsea Ballerini LANY new song CMT Awards

Photo by John Shearer / Getty Images for CMT

Kelsea Ballerini has been pushing the genre envelope for as long as she has been making music, and her newest collaboration is no exception. Now bridging the gap between country and indie is “I Quit Drinking” with dream-pop band LANY.

“I Quit Drinking” was written by Ballerini, Paul Jason Klein (frontman of LANY), and Nicolle Galyon – a natural write as the trio are in overlapping songwriting circles, but this was the first time the three of them had ever written together. Their sounds have always felt complimentary, but meshing indie and country is definitely new territory.

The mid-tempo track starts with a floaty piano that accompanies Ballerini’s smooth voice. In the first verse and chorus, she describes her old life-of-the-party ways and how they’ve changed since breaking up.

“wasn’t alcohol keeping us up ‘til the sun came around // thought we’d stay drunk forever but now // you’re the reason there’s no whiskey anywhere in this house” 

Essentially, without each other in their life, there is no reason to drink anymore because it will just lead to missing someone you can’t have. Klein joins in gently on the second verse, with Ballerini harmonizing later on. Clearminded, he sings “waking up sober, it feels kinda nice // except that I can’t sleep at night”. As much as he needed to change, he longs for the lazy mornings and hungover memories, even if it just leads to him being in a hungover state over his ex.

The production of the song is truly an equal mesh of country and pop, as it is produced by Jimmy Robbins (Kelsea Ballerini, Maddie & Tae) and Noah Conrad (LANY, Niall Horan). Ballerini and Klein premiered the song at the CMT Awards (which Ballerini co-hosted), and afterward, she also accepted an award for her collaboration during last year’s CMTs with Halsey.

“You know where my roots are and you know who I am… but this tells me that you hear music as music, and tells me that you love when people push boundaries and explore artistry,” she tells fans. Based on Ballerini’s whole catalog, including “I Quit Drinking” she is successfully bending the definition of country music while staying true to its most important rule: three chords and the truth.

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Kelsea Ballerini announcements and releases.

To keep up with Kelsea Ballerini, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

“I Quit Drinking” is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

2021 CMT Awards: The Complete Recap – Winners, Performances & More

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The 2021 CMT Music Awards show took place on Wednesday, June 9th live from Nashville. Hosted by Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini, the annual show is a celebration of country music and its fans. 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 2021 CMT Awards

Courtesy CMT

Maren Morris and Miranda Lambert were the most nominated artists, and Carrie Underwood and John Legend’s collaboration on “Hallelujah” won the most prestigious award of the night, Video of the Year. In addition, there were thirteen first-time nominees this year, including HARDY, Mickey Guyton, Niko Moon, Blanco Brown, Lainey Wilson, and Dylan Scott, among others.

Actual fans were in attendance from the show’s main location in Nashville. Lady A kicked off the night with a performance of “Like A Lady.” Fellow female artists, including Carly Pearce, Lindsay Ell, and The Shindellas joined them on stage as well. This energetic performance set the tone for an exciting show full of first-time collaborations. Chris Stapelton followed this with a fiery performance of “Arkansas” from the Bonnaroo Farm.

Little Big Town won the first award of the night, Group/Duo Video of the Year for “Wine, Beer, Whiskey.” Newcomer, Hailey Whitters was the first to perform on the Ram Truck Stage, singing “Fillin’ My Cup,” which features Little Big Town.

Luke Combs kept the party going with “Cold As You” from Assembly Hall. After, Mickey Guyton announced the CMT Equal Play award, which was given to the first black woman in country music, Linda Martell.

After an intimate performance from Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, and Jack Ingram of “Tequila Does” around a campfire, Ballerini took home her first CMT Award for Performance of the Year with Halsey for “The Other Girl” from last year’s CMT Awards. In her award speech, she addressed the “chatter” that occurred after this performance last year.

“The fact that you voted this as the winning performance tells me that you know where my roots are and that you know who I am, Ballerini explained. “But it also tells me that you hear music as music, and it also tells me that you love when people push boundaries and explore their artistry and as I make a new record that means the absolute world to me.”

After the rocking performance from Brothers Osborne and Dierks Bentley of the duo’s song “Lighten Up,” Thomas Rhett slowed it down, singing the title track from his new album, Country Again. Ballerini and the lead singer of the group LANY, Paul Klein, debuted their new cross-genre song “I Quit Drinking.”

Right before Ingrid Andress performed her current single “Lady Like” on the piano, Chris Young and Kane Brown were awarded the Collaborative Video of the Year for “Famous Friends.” Another first-time collaboration took place after; Guyton and trap-country artist Breland, sang “Cross-Country” together. Both are fresh faces making a name for themselves in the genre.

Brett Young announced the Breakthrough Video of the Year, which was given to Dylan Scott for his song, “Nobody.” Scott performed this song on the Ram Truck stage earlier in the show. This was not only his first CMT Award, but his first-ever mainstream country award. Lauren Alaina and Jon Pardi followed this announcement with their fun breakup collaboration “Getting Over Him.”

Little Big Town came back on stage to announce the Male Video of the Year, which was awarded to Kane Brown for “Worship You.” The video was directed by Alex Alvga, which Brown said was the third award he has won with him. The video features Brown’s wife, Katelyn, and daughter, Kingsley, who he thanked in his speech.

“Everyone knows that I love family, and the merch that I sell is not just for my family at home, but my family that works for me and everyone in country music,” Brown confessed.

Later, Gladys Knight announced the Female Video of the Year to Gabby Barrett for her hit song, “The Good Ones.” After Luke Bryan sang his latest number-one hit, “Down to One.” Fireworks went off behind him at Assembly Hall in Nashville when the song concluded.

The show ended with the announcement of Video of the Year, which was awarded to Carrie Underwood and John Legend for “Hallelujah.” She gave a shoutout to the video’s director, Randee St. Nicholas in her acceptance speech. This is Underwood’s highly impressive 23rd CMT award, and Legend’s first. Brown and Young came back on stage and closed out the show with an epic performance of their CMT Award-winning song, “Famous Friends.”

Click here for the full list of winners from the show.

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music, ticket giveaways, merch, and more.

To keep up with CMT, follow along here on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Here Are The 2021 CMT Music Awards Winners (Full List)

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The CMT Music Awards Winners are below!

CMT Music Awards 2021

CMT Music Awards 2021

 

Hosted by Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini, the 2021 CMT Music Awards show kicked off on Wednesday, June 9th at 8PM ET / 7PM CT on CMT.  The annual show is a celebration of country music and its fans. Honoring country music’s biggest stars, 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.

 

HERE ARE THE 2021 CMT MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS:

 

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

  • Carrie Underwood with John Legend – “Hallelujah” ** WINNER
  • Kane Brown – “Worldwide Beautiful”
  • Keith Urban with P!nk – “One Too Many”
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “hole in the bottle”

 

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

  • Carly Pearce – “Next Girl”
  • Gabby Barrett – “The Good Ones” ** WINNER
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “hole in the bottle”
  • Maren Morris – “To Hell & Back”
  • Mickey Guyton – “Heaven Down Here”
  • Miranda Lambert – “Settling Down”

 

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

  • Chris Stapleton – “Starting Over”
  • Darius Rucker – “Beers and Sunshine”
  • Kane Brown – “Worship You” ** WINNER
  • Luke Bryan – “Down To One”
  • Luke Combs – “Lovin’ On You”
  • Thomas Rhett – “What’s Your Country Song”

 

DUO/GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo or group; awarded to the artists

  • Brothers Osborne – “All Night”
  • Lady A – “Like A Lady”
  • Little Big Town – “Wine, Beer, Whiskey” ** WINNER
  • Old Dominion – “Never Be Sorry”
  • Parmalee and Blanco Brown – “Just The Way”
  • Runaway June – “We Were Rich”

 

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)

  • Dylan Scott – “Nobody” ** WINNER
  • Hailey Whitters feat. Little Big Town – “Fillin’ My Cup”
  • HARDY – “Give Heaven Some Hell”
  • Lainey Wilson – “Things a Man Oughta Know”
  • Mickey Guyton – “Black Like Me”
  • Niko Moon – “GOOD TIME (Ride Along Video)”

 

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists

  • Carrie Underwood with John Legend – “Hallelujah”
  • Chris Young and Kane Brown – “Famous Friends” ** WINNER
  • Elle King and Miranda Lambert – “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
  • Keith Urban with P!nk – “One Too Many”
  • Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris – “Chasing After You”
  • Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard – “Undivided”

 

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

  • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs “1, 2 Many”
  • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Dan + Shay “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
  • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus “This Is Us”
  • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Kelsea Ballerini and Halsey “The Other Girl” ** WINNER
  • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Little Big Town “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
  • From CMT Crossroads – Nathaniel Rateliff and Margo Price “Twinkle Twinkle”

Fans can also join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about the upcoming performance announcements in the coming weeks.

To keep up with CMT, follow along here on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Here Are The CMT Music Awards 2021 Nominations

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The CMT Music Awards Nominations have been revealed!

CMT Music Awards 2021

CMT Music Awards 2021

Maren Morris and Miranda Lambert lead with three nominations each. Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, and Mickey Guyton also racked up multiple nominations. While many rising stars received their first-ever nominations for the special accolades. Check out the full list of nominations below.

Hosted by Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini, the show is set to air on Wednesday, June 9th at 8PM ET / 7PM CT on CMT.  The 2021 CMT Music Awards will be a celebration country music fans will not want to miss. The show will honor country music’s biggest stars bringing next-level energy and one-of-a-kind performances and collaborations.

The annual show is the only entirely fan-voted award show in the country music world honoring the genre’s best and most fan-favorite artists. Fan voting begins today at vote.cmt.com.

Fans can tune in from home on several different networks who will be broadcasting the show including CMT, MTV, MTV2, Logo, Paramount Network, and TV Land.

 

HERE ARE THE 2021 CMT MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATIONS:

 

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration). Top five nominees, from the first round of voting, will be announced on June 1. Top 3 nominees, from the second round of voting, will be announced on June 8. Final voting will be determined via social media and announced as the final category during the live show.

  • Carrie Underwood with John Legend – “Hallelujah”
  • Dierks Bentley – “Gone”
  • Elle King and Miranda Lambert – “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
  • Ingrid Andress – “Lady Like”
  • Kane Brown – “Worldwide Beautiful”
  • Keith Urban with P!nk – “One Too Many”
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “hole in the bottle”
  • Kenny Chesney – “Knowing You”
  • Maren Morris – “Better Than We Found It”
  • Mickey Guyton – “Heaven Down Here”
  • Miranda Lambert – “Settling Down”
  • Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris – “Chasing After You”
  • Sam Hunt – “Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s”
  • Willie Jones – “American Dream”

 

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

  • Carly Pearce – “Next Girl”
  • Gabby Barrett – “The Good Ones”
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “hole in the bottle”
  • Maren Morris – “To Hell & Back”
  • Mickey Guyton – “Heaven Down Here”
  • Miranda Lambert – “Settling Down”

 

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

  • Chris Stapleton – “Starting Over”
  • Darius Rucker – “Beers and Sunshine”
  • Kane Brown – “Worship You”
  • Luke Bryan – “Down To One”
  • Luke Combs – “Lovin’ On You”
  • Thomas Rhett – “What’s Your Country Song”

 

DUO/GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo or group; awarded to the artists

  • Brothers Osborne – “All Night”
  • Lady A – “Like A Lady”
  • Little Big Town – “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
  • Old Dominion – “Never Be Sorry”
  • Parmalee and Blanco Brown – “Just The Way”
  • Runaway June – “We Were Rich”

 

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)

  • Dylan Scott – “Nobody”
  • Hailey Whitters feat. Little Big Town – “Fillin’ My Cup”
  • HARDY – “Give Heaven Some Hell”
  • Lainey Wilson – “Things a Man Oughta Know”
  • Mickey Guyton – “Black Like Me”
  • Niko Moon – “GOOD TIME (Ride Along Video)”

 

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists

  • Carrie Underwood with John Legend – “Hallelujah”
  • Chris Young and Kane Brown – “Famous Friends”
  • Elle King and Miranda Lambert – “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
  • Keith Urban with P!nk – “One Too Many”
  • Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris – “Chasing After You”
  • Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard – “Undivided”

 

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

  • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs “1, 2 Many”
  • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Dan + Shay “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
  • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus “This Is Us”
  • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Kelsea Ballerini and Halsey “The Other Girl”
  • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Little Big Town “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
  • From CMT Crossroads – Nathaniel Rateliff and Margo Price “Twinkle Twinkle”

Performers and presenters to be announced at a later date.

 

Don’t forget to cast your votes! Voting is open now at: vote.cmt.com.

Gear up for the big night and set your DVR’s for 8PM ET on June 9th and follow along on Twitter as we live-tweet the show, @NYCountrySwag.

Fans can also join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about the upcoming performance announcements in the coming weeks.

To keep up with CMT, follow along here on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

2020 CMT Awards: The Complete Recap

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Country artists Kane Brown and Ashley McBryde, along with Modern Family star, Sarah Hyland hosted this year’s CMT Awards that took place in unique locations all over Nashville, Tennessee. Take a look below to see which artists took home hardware.

This year’s award show was very different than previous years in certain ways, as winners accepted their awards virtually and artists performed their songs from all different venues throughout Nashville, including Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, Cherokee Dock, The Barn at Sycamore Farms, and Ruskin Cave.

One thing remained the same though; all the winners were chosen by the fans. They even got to vote for their favorite Video of The Year throughout the night, which started with fourteen nominees and dwindled down to just three by the start of the show. Carrie Underwood’s “Drinking Alone,” directed by Randee St. Nicholas, beat out Keith Urban’s “Polaroid” and Tanya Tucker’s “Bring My Flowers Now.” Underwood also took home the Female Video of the Year award with the certified gold song. For Underwood, this was her 21st and 22nd CMT award, making her the winningest artist in CMT history.

“Fan, you guys never cease to amaze me at how hard you work,” Underwood expressed after winning the Video of the Year. “I’ve seen you guys throwing Twitter parties and doing your thing and voting…this one is really all about you guys, especially because we haven’t been together, but I feel so loved this evening.”

CMT’s own Cody Alan and Katie Cook hosted a small, but live viewing party presented by Ram Trucks. The select, socially-distanced fans got to watch the show live from Cumberland Park on a big screen.

Luke Combs got the show off to a raging start with his upbeat, drinking tune “1, 2 Many.” Brooks and Dunn, who are featured on the studio version of the track, surprised fans and came out to perform their verse. Kix Brooks brought Combs a beer, which he then quickly shot-gunned. Sam Hunt was on next, performing his latest number one song, “Hard To Forget.”

McBryde handed out the first award of the night; the Duo Video of the Year award presented to Dan + Shay for “I Should Probably Go To Bed,” continuing their incredible success at award shows. They also performed this song later in the show. Shortly after, CMT honored their first Equal Play award winner to Jennifer Nettles for her contribution and dedication to getting women more airplay on country radio.

One aspect that made this show stand out from other years was the elaborate, music video-styled sets put together for the artists. A few sets we loved included Shania Twain’s, who performed her classic hit “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under” in a western-themed jail cell with realistic mannequins beside her, and Kelsea Ballerini and Halsey’s performance of “The Other Girl” in an old saloon in Los Angeles.

Speaking of memorable performances, Chris Young took home the award for CMT Performance of the Year for “Drowning” at the CMT Artists of the Year special. That night honored five artists who had tremendous years in 2019 and Kane Brown was one of the recipients. However, that week his friend and drummer, Kenny Dixon passed away in a car accident and Young stepped in for Brown who was too emotional to perform.

“It was a really difficult moment for me, to get up there and play that knowing that he (Brown) was watching, knowing everything he was going through,” Young reflected. “I can’t imagine, even still, what his passing does to you.”

CMT continued their tradition of showcasing new artists throughout the show from the Ram Truck stage. Artists who performed snippets of their hits included Ingrid Andress, Travis Denning, Caylee Hammack, Riley Green, Mickey Guyton, and HARDY.

Old Dominion won the Group Video of the Year award for “One Man Band,” and Luke Bryan took home Male Video of the Year for “One Margarita.” He said the video was a blast to shoot and was a perfect song to lift our spirits as we entered the uncertainties of the coronavirus pandemic.

Gabby Barrett, making her CMT Awards debut, gave us an explosive performance of her double-platinum smash hit, “I Hope.” Later, Taylor Swift, who won the Breakthrough Video of the Year at the CMT’s thirteen years ago, announced Barrett as this year’s winner.

Later in the show, Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus performed “This Is Us” on stage together for the first time. This was followed by the announcement of the Collaborative Video of the Year; Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani for “Nobody But You.”

“I really do believe that these award shows are beginning to lose credibility over the last few years and fan-voted awards, to me, are really the only stand-up award shows left in our industry, Shelton stated after winning, “because you guys buy the records and come to the shows and vote on these things.”

Other performances included “Martha Divine” by McBryde, “Chasin’ You” by Morgan Wallen, “What She Wants Tonight” by Bryan, “Worship You” by Brown, and an acoustic rendition of “Hell and Back” by Maren Morris. A drinking song began this fun and incredible night, so it was fitting that a drinking song would end the show as well. Little Big Town performed their energetic current single, “Wine, Beer, Whiskey” from the Ruskin Cave.

 

HERE IS THE COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director. 

  • Carrie Underwood – “Drinking Alone” * WINNER
  • Keith Urban – “Polaroid”
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “homecoming queen?”
  • Luke Combs – “Beer Never Broke My Heart”
  • Miranda Lambert – “Bluebird”
  • Tanya Tucker – “Bring My Flowers Now”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

  • Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
  • Carrie Underwood – “Drinking Alone” * WINNER
  • Gabby Barrett – “I Hope”
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “homecoming queen?”
  • Maren Morris – “The Bones”
  • Miranda Lambert – “Bluebird”

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

  • Jason Aldean – “Got What I Got”
  • Luke Bryan – “One Margarita” * WINNER
  • Luke Combs – “Even Though I’m Leaving”
  • Morgan Wallen – “Chasin’ You (Dream Video)”
  • Sam Hunt – “Hard To Forget”
  • Thomas Rhett – “Remember You Young”

GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a group; awarded to the artists

  • Lady A – “Champagne Night”
  • Little Big Town – “Wine, Beer, Whiskey” (Live Cut)
  • Midland – “Cheatin’ Songs (Live From the Palomino)”
  • Old Dominion – “One Man Band” * WINNER
  • The Chicks – “Gaslighter”
  • The Highwomen – “Crowded Table”

DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo; awarded to the artists

  • Brothers Osborne – “All Night (Studio Performance)”
  • Dan + Shay – “I Should Probably Go To Bed” * WINNER
  • Florida Georgia Line – “Blessings”
  • LOCASH – “One Big Country Song”
  • Maddie & Tae – “Die From A Broken Heart”

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)

  • Blanco Brown – “The Git Up”
  • Caylee Hammack – “Family Tree”
  • Gabby Barrett – “I Hope” * WINNER
  • Ingrid Andress – “More Hearts Than Mine”
  • Riley Green – “I Wish Grandpas Never Died”
  • Travis Denning – “After a Few”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists

  • Blake Shelton with Gwen Stefani – “Nobody But You” * WINNER
  • Carly Pearce and Lee Brice – “I Hope You’re Happy Now”
  • Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber – “10,000 Hours”
  • Kane Brown featuring Nelly – “Cool Again”
  • Marshmello and Kane Brown – “One Thing Right”
  • Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi – “Beer Can’t Fix”

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

  • From CMT Artists of the Year: Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
  • From CMT Crossroads: Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs – “Brand New Man”
  • From CMT Artists of the Year: Chris Young – “Drowning” * WINNER
  • From CMT Crossroads: Halsey and Kelsea Ballerini – “Graveyard”
  • From CMT Artists of the Year: Sam Hunt – “Fancy”
  • From CMT Crossroads: Sheryl Crow and Chris Stapleton – “Tell Me When It’s Over”

QUARANTINE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
*favorite video created during quarantine

  • Big & Rich – “Stay Home”
  • Brad Paisley – “No I In Beer”
  • Carly Pearce – “It Won’t Always Be Like This (The Social Distance Sessions)”
  • Charlie Worsham ft. Billy Justineau, Molly Tuttle, Rachel Loy, Jillian Jacqueline, Tucker Wilson, Stephen Wilson Jr., Leigh Nash, Fancy Hagood, Lucie Silvas, John Osborne & Sadler Vaden – “With A Little Help From My Friends” (Beatles Cover)
  • Dave Haywood (of Lady A) & Kelli Haywood – “Just Another Day In Quarantine”
  • Dolly Parton – “When Life Is Good Again”
  • Granger Smith – “DON’T COUGH ON ME!” * WINNER
  • Luke Combs – “Six Feet Apart”
  • Tenille Townes ft. Abby Anderson, Kassi Ashton, Keelan Donovan, Alex Hall, Adam Hambrick & Caylee Hammack – “Lean On Me” (Bill Withers Cover)
  • Thomas Rhett ft. Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin & Keith Urban – “Be A Light” (Fan Video)

——

Fans can also join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about the upcoming performance announcements in the coming weeks.

To keep up with CMT, follow along here on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

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2020 CMT Awards: What You Need To Know

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The CMT Music Awards are set to air on Wednesday, October 21st at 8PM ET / 7PM CT on CMT, MTV, MTV2, Logo, Paramount Network, Pop, and TV Land. Check out all you need to know below.

Save-The-Date: Fan-Voted CMT Awards to Air on October 21, 2020

Hosted by Ashley McBryde, Kane Brown, and Sarah Hyland, the 2020 CMT Music Awards will be a celebration country music fans will not want to miss. The show will honor country music’s biggest stars bringing next-level energy and unique performances from Music City.

The annual show is the only entirely fan-voted award show in the country music world honoring the genre’s best and most fan-favorite artists. Fan voting has closed for all categories, except the highly coveted “Video of the Year”, which remains open now through the show. Visit vote.cmt.com to cast your votes.

Up for awards are Ashley McBryde, Dan + Shay, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Sam Hunt and Thomas Rhett who lead with three nominations each. Blanco Brown, Carrie Underwood, Gabby Barrett, Kane Brown, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, and The Chicks also racked up multiple nominations. While many rising stars received their first-ever nominations for the special accolades. Check out the full list of nominations below.

Check out a full list of performances to expect, nominations, and everything you need to know below… 

 

When are the 2020 CMT Awards? Wednesday, October 21st at 8PM ET / 7PM CT

Where can I watch the 2020 CMT Awards? CMT, MTV, MTV2, Logo, Paramount Network, Pop, or TV Land

Who is performing at the 2020 CMT Awards?

– MAIN STAGE PERFORMERS: Ashley McBryde, Dan + Shay, Gabby Barrett, Jimmie Allen + Noah Cyrus, Kelsea Ballerini + Halsey, Kane Brown, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs + Brooks & Dunn, Maren Morris, Morgan Wallen, Sam Hunt, and Shania Twain

– RAM TRUCKS SIDE STAGE PERFORMERS: Caylee Hammack, HARDY, Ingrid Andress, Mickey Guyton, Riley Green, and Travis Denning

 

Who is presenting at the 2020 CMT Awards?

– PRESENTERS: Brandi Carlile, Demi Lovato, Diplo, Idina Menzel, Jessica Chastain, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Rob Thomas, Tanya Tucker, and Taylor Swift

 

Who is nominated for the 2020 CMT Awards?

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director. * Fans can vote for the top six finalists by visiting vote.cmt.com into the show on Wednesday, October 21.

  • Carrie Underwood – “Drinking Alone”
  • Keith Urban – “Polaroid”
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “homecoming queen?”
  • Luke Combs – “Beer Never Broke My Heart”
  • Miranda Lambert – “Bluebird”
  • Tanya Tucker – “Bring My Flowers Now”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

  • Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
  • Carrie Underwood – “Drinking Alone”
  • Gabby Barrett – “I Hope”
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “homecoming queen?”
  • Maren Morris – “The Bones”
  • Miranda Lambert – “Bluebird”

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

  • Jason Aldean – “Got What I Got”
  • Luke Bryan – “One Margarita”
  • Luke Combs – “Even Though I’m Leaving”
  • Morgan Wallen – “Chasin’ You (Dream Video)”
  • Sam Hunt – “Hard To Forget”
  • Thomas Rhett – “Remember You Young”

GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a group; awarded to the artists

  • Lady A – “Champagne Night”
  • Little Big Town – “Wine, Beer, Whiskey” (Live Cut)
  • Midland – “Cheatin’ Songs (Live From the Palomino)”
  • Old Dominion – “One Man Band”
  • The Chicks – “Gaslighter”
  • The Highwomen – “Crowded Table”

DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo; awarded to the artists

  • Brothers Osborne – “All Night (Studio Performance)”
  • Dan + Shay – “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
  • Florida Georgia Line – “Blessings”
  • LOCASH – “One Big Country Song”
  • Maddie & Tae – “Die From A Broken Heart”

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)

  • Blanco Brown – “The Git Up”
  • Caylee Hammack – “Family Tree”
  • Gabby Barrett – “I Hope”
  • Ingrid Andress – “More Hearts Than Mine”
  • Riley Green – “I Wish Grandpas Never Died”
  • Travis Denning – “After a Few”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists

  • Blake Shelton with Gwen Stefani – “Nobody But You”
  • Carly Pearce and Lee Brice – “I Hope You’re Happy Now”
  • Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber – “10,000 Hours”
  • Kane Brown featuring Nelly – “Cool Again”
  • Marshmello and Kane Brown – “One Thing Right”
  • Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi – “Beer Can’t Fix”

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

  • From CMT Artists of the Year: Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
  • From CMT Crossroads: Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs – “Brand New Man”
  • From CMT Artists of the Year: Chris Young – “Drowning”
  • From CMT Crossroads: Halsey and Kelsea Ballerini – “Graveyard”
  • From CMT Artists of the Year: Sam Hunt – “Fancy”
  • From CMT Crossroads: Sheryl Crow and Chris Stapleton – “Tell Me When It’s Over”

QUARANTINE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
*favorite video created during quarantine

  • Big & Rich – “Stay Home”
  • Brad Paisley – “No I In Beer”
  • Carly Pearce – “It Won’t Always Be Like This (The Social Distance Sessions)”
  • Charlie Worsham ft. Billy Justineau, Molly Tuttle, Rachel Loy, Jillian Jacqueline, Tucker Wilson, Stephen Wilson Jr., Leigh Nash, Fancy Hagood, Lucie Silvas, John Osborne & Sadler Vaden – “With A Little Help From My Friends” (Beatles Cover)
  • Dave Haywood (of Lady A) & Kelli Haywood – “Just Another Day In Quarantine”
  • Dolly Parton – “When Life Is Good Again”
  • Granger Smith – “DON’T COUGH ON ME!”
  • Luke Combs – “Six Feet Apart”
  • Tenille Townes ft. Abby Anderson, Kassi Ashton, Keelan Donovan, Alex Hall, Adam Hambrick & Caylee Hammack – “Lean On Me” (Bill Withers Cover)
  • Thomas Rhett ft. Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin & Keith Urban – “Be A Light” (Fan Video)

——

Although it is sure to be different, this will definitely be a night not to miss. Make sure to gear up for the big night and set your DVR’s for 8PM ET on October 21st and follow along on Twitter as we live-tweet the show, @NYCountrySwag.

Fans can also join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about the upcoming performance announcements in the coming weeks.

To keep up with CMT, follow along here on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

—————

SHOP THE HERO COLLECTION

The Hero Collection by NYCountry Swag is inspired by the men and women of the Fire, Police and Military Departments across the country. A portion of sales from each purchase is donated to different foundations that support our heroes. We are dedicated to honoring their service and remembering their sacrifice.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

Kane Brown and Sarah Hyland to Host CMT Music Awards

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The CMT Music Awards have revealed their first pair of hosts for the show, Kane Brown and Sarah Hyland.

Save-The-Date: Fan-Voted CMT Awards to Air on October 21, 2020

CMT announced today (October 8th), that the 2020 CMT Music Awards show will have multiple hosts including the first set to be revealed, country superstar Kane Brown and actor, musician, and producer Sarah Hyland. This marks first-time hosting duties for both stars.

In a recent press release, CMT producers shared “From our first conversations about this year’s show, we knew we wanted multiple hosts who reflected both our artists and our audience. Kane and Sarah are young stars on momentous career rolls:  Sarah is an award-winning, sought-after Hollywood actor who’s been a familiar face to millions of TV households for over 10 years; and Kane is a self-made success story who has skyrocketed to country music fame by crossing musical genres and delivering history-making hits. We’re thrilled to welcome them both to their first-time hosting duties at the CMT Music Awards.”

As previously announced, Brown will also be performing on the show along with special performances by fellow nominees Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Dan + Shay, Luke Bryan, and Maren Morris. Each one-of-a-kind performance will take place from outdoor spaces in and around Nashville, Tennessee. Additionally, breakout stars Caylee Hammack, HARDY, Ingrid Andress, Mickey Guyton, Riley Green, and Travis Denning will each perform on the Ram Side Stage with even more surprises to come.

The annual show is the only entirely fan-voted award show in the country music world honoring the genre’s best and most fan-favorite artists. Fan voting has already begun and will continue through Monday, October 12th at 12PM EST. Visit vote.cmt.com to cast your votes.

Up for awards are Ashley McBryde, Dan + Shay, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Sam Hunt, and Thomas Rhett who lead with three nominations each. Blanco Brown, Carrie Underwood, Gabby Barrett, Kane Brown, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, and The Chicks also racked up multiple nominations. While many rising stars received their first-ever nominations for the special accolades. Check out the full list of nominations below.

Set to air on Wednesday, October 21st at 8PM ET / 7PM CT on CMT, the 2020 CMT Music Awards will be a celebration country music fans will not want to miss. The show will honor country music’s biggest stars bringing next-level energy and unique performances from Music City.

Fans can tune in from home on several different networks who will be broadcasting the show including CMT, MTV, MTV2, Logo, Paramount Network, Pop and TV Land.

 

HERE ARE THE 2020 CMT MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATIONS:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director. Final nominees announced on 10/12, with final voting held until 10/16 and announced in-show.

  • Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
  • Blanco Brown – “The Git Up”
  • Carrie Underwood – “Drinking Alone”
  • Dan + Shay – “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
  • Keith Urban – “Polaroid”
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “homecoming queen?”
  • Little Big Town – “Sugar Coat”
  • Luke Combs – “Beer Never Broke My Heart”
  • Miranda Lambert – “Bluebird”
  • Old Dominion – “Some People Do”
  • Sam Hunt – “Hard To Forget”
  • Tanya Tucker – “Bring My Flowers Now”
  • The Chicks -“Gaslighter”
  • Thomas Rhett – “Remember You Young”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

  • Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
  • Carrie Underwood – “Drinking Alone”
  • Gabby Barrett – “I Hope”
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “homecoming queen?”
  • Maren Morris – “The Bones”
  • Miranda Lambert – “Bluebird”

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

  • Jason Aldean – “Got What I Got”
  • Luke Bryan – “One Margarita”
  • Luke Combs – “Even Though I’m Leaving”
  • Morgan Wallen – “Chasin’ You (Dream Video)”
  • Sam Hunt – “Hard To Forget”
  • Thomas Rhett – “Remember You Young”

GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a group; awarded to the artists

  • Lady A – “Champagne Night”
  • Little Big Town – “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
  • Midland – “Cheatin’ Songs (Live From the Palomino)”
  • Old Dominion – “One Man Band”
  • The Chicks – “Gaslighter”
  • The Highwomen – “Crowded Table”

DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo; awarded to the artists

  • Brothers Osborne – “All Night (Studio Performance)”
  • Dan + Shay – “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
  • Florida Georgia Line – “Blessings”
  • LOCASH – “One Big Country Song”
  • Maddie & Tae – “Die From A Broken Heart”

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)

  • Blanco Brown – “The Git Up”
  • Caylee Hammack – “Family Tree”
  • Gabby Barrett – “I Hope”
  • Ingrid Andress – “More Hearts Than Mine”
  • Riley Green – “I Wish Grandpas Never Died”
  • Travis Denning – “After a Few”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists

  • Blake Shelton with Gwen Stefani – “Nobody But You”
  • Carly Pearce and Lee Brice – “I Hope You’re Happy Now”
  • Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber – “10,000 Hours”
  • Kane Brown featuring Nelly – “Cool Again”
  • Marshmello and Kane Brown – “One Thing Right”
  • Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi – “Beer Can’t Fix”

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

  • From CMT Artists of the Year: Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
  • From CMT Crossroads: Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs – “Brand New Man”
  • From CMT Artists of the Year: Chris Young – “Drowning”
  • From CMT Crossroads: Halsey and Kelsea Ballerini – “Graveyard”
  • From CMT Artists of the Year: Sam Hunt – “Fancy”
  • From CMT Crossroads: Sheryl Crow and Chris Stapleton – “Tell Me When It’s Over”

 

Don’t forget to cast your votes! Voting is open now at: vote.cmt.com.

Although it is sure to be different, this will definitely be a night not to miss. Make sure to gear up for the big night and set your DVR’s for 8PM ET on October 21st and follow along on Twitter as we live-tweet the show, @NYCountrySwag.

Fans can also join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about the upcoming performance announcements in the coming weeks.

To keep up with CMT, follow along here on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

—————

SHOP THE HERO COLLECTION

The Hero Collection by NYCountry Swag is inspired by the men and women of the Fire, Police and Military Departments across the country. A portion of sales from each purchase is donated to different foundations that support our heroes. We are dedicated to honoring their service and remembering their sacrifice.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook: