CMT and CBS together announce the 2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS. The country’s only entirely fan-voted awards will air Sunday, April 2nd, 2023 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) LIVE from Austin, Texas’ Moody Center for the first time ever. Paramount Global’s signature country music tentpole returns for its global premiere exclusively via the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.*
Multi-platinum country superstar, Kelsea Ballerini, will return as CMT MUSIC AWARDS co-host for the third consecutive year, as she revealed not too long ago during a major surprise on-stage moment with global powerhouse, Carrie Underwood, as part of her sold-out “The Denim & Rhinestones Tour” stop in ATX at Moody Center. Underwood, who holds the title of the winningest artist in CMT history, with a total of 25 trophies, was revealed as the first performer for the 2023 show.
Carrie Underwood and Kelsea Ballerini
“Both Austin and Nashville are two of the world’s greatest music cities. We couldn’t be more excited to announce the return of the CMT MUSIC AWARDS on CBS than with co-host, Kelsea Ballerini, surprising Carrie Underwood, our most awarded artist, in the middle of her incredible live performance at Moody Center. The exact venue where we’ll all be back exactly five months from today. Our fans are in for an unforgettable night of music with plenty of surprises, as the Live Music Capital meets Music City for the first time ever on a national stage in what will be a true country music extravaganza.” — shared Margaret Comeaux, John Hamlin, Leslie Fram, and Jason Owen, Executive Producers, CMT MUSIC AWARDS
Carrie Underwood is currently on her 43-city U.S. arena tour, which kicked off October 15th and continues through Spring 2023. Upcoming stops include New York’s Madison Square Garden, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, and L.A.’s Crypto.com Arena.
Carrie Underwood and Kelsea Ballerini
Kelsea Ballerini returns to the CMT stage for the third time as co-host, on the heels of her busiest year to date. The award-winning songwriter, producer, and performer recently released her critically acclaimed fourth studio album, SUBJECT TO CHANGE, and wrapped a sold-out 10-city headlining run. She is next appearing as part of the historic concert event “The Judds: Love Is Alive – The Final Concert,” premiering March 2023 on CMT.
CMT MUSIC AWARDS
For its inaugural year on CBS, the 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS delivered 5.89 million viewers, a 529% increase from June 2021. Also, the event dominated social media with 2.7 billion impressions across platforms.^
The 2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS Executive Producers are Margaret Comeaux (CMT), John Hamlin (Switched On Entertainment), Leslie Fram (CMT), and Jason Owen (Sandbox Entertainment); Patrizia DiMaria (Ladypants Productions) is co-executive producer; Jackie Barba and Heather D. Graffagnino are executives in charge of production; Shanna Strassberg and Taryn Hurd are talent producers.
Additional details for the 2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS on CBS will be announced soon. For more information and news, visit CMTPress.com and ParamountPressExpress.com, use hashtag #CMTAwards and follow @CMT on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Tik Tok.
CMT MUSIC AWARDS
“We are beyond thrilled to welcome the CMT Music Awards to Moody Center in 2023! This event will have not only a huge financial impact on Austin and its tourism industry, but it will also showcase two of the top music brands globally, Austin as The Live Music Capital of the World and Country Music Television.” — stated Tom Noonan, President & CEO, Austin CVB
Celebrated for its high-powered, world-premiere, and cross-genre performances, the CMT MUSIC AWARDS has aired live since 2005, delivering Nashville’s biggest party to music fans across the globe. The 2022 show, hosted by superstars Anthony Mackie, Kelsea Ballerini, and Kane Brown, featured performances from country music’s biggest stars with epic first-time collaborations and cross-genre pairings, including Jimmie Allen, Monica + Little Big Town, Kenny Chesney, Mickey Guyton + Black Pumas, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris + Ryan Hurd, Keith Urban, the last televised performance from legendary duo The Judds, and Carrie Underwood.
MOODY CENTER
“The programming team at Oak View Group and Moody Center has spent the past two years cultivating this relationship and working to endear CMT, CBS, and Paramount to Austin and our new, world-class arena. CMT’s commitment to Austin reflects those efforts and we couldn’t be more grateful and excited to host them next year.” — stated Michael Owens, Vice President of Programming, at Moody Center
Moody Center provides the nation’s 11th-largest city with a premier venue to host the biggest artists and acts on the planet. Designed specifically for concerts, the new arena replaces the 45-year-old Frank C. Erwin Jr. Center at The University of Texas and is home to The University of Texas Women’s and Men’s basketball games, family shows, and other sporting and community events. Moody Center is the first of its kind in the industry with an unrivaled partnership between Oak View Group, Live Nation/C3 Presents, The University of Texas at Austin, and Minister of Culture, Matthew McConaughey. For additional information and news, follow @moodycenteratx on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Tik Tok.
*Paramount+ Premium subscribers will have access to stream live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service as well as on demand. Essential-tier subscribers will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs.
^Source: Nielsen Media Research, Most Current Ratings for April 11, 2022.