Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Keith Urban, co-host Kelsea Ballerini, and Lainey Wilson are the first round of superstars added to the lineup. They will be joining previously announced performers, Carrie Underwood, co-host Kane Brown, and wife, Katelyn Brown, at the 2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS.
CMT Music Award’s First Round of Performers
The event will air LIVE from Austin, Texas, at the Moody Center on Sunday, April 2nd (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Also, the show will be available to stream LIVE and on-demand via Paramount+. *Each winner is selected by the fans, with voting now open at vote.cmt.com.
Blake Shelton
With eight career wins across two decades of nominations, the 2018 “Video of the Year” winner will again look to take home the night’s biggest award and will return to the CMT stage for the first time in five years to perform his new single, “No Body.”
Carly Pearce
Following last year’s fiery performance of “Diamondback,” the 2018 “Breakthrough Video of the Year” winner will again take the stage for another can’t-miss performance. The 10x nominee also looks to take home two wins for “Female Video of the Year” and “CMT Performance of the Year.”
Cody Johnson
The Texas powerhouse made an unforgettable debut at the 2022 awards, tying for most wins of the night and wowing audiences with “‘Til You Can’t,” which is nominated for “CMT Performance of the Year.” He’ll bring his hit single “Human” live to Austin’s Moody Center and compete for three more buckles, including the coveted “Video of the Year.”
Keith Urban
Vying for his 4th “Video of the Year” win and also nominated for his memorable show-opening performance at the 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS for “Wild Hearts,” the second-most nominated artist in CMT history, with nine wins, will once again bring a high-energy, can’t miss performance to the CMT stage.
Kelsea Ballerini
Fresh off her critically acclaimed SNL appearance, Ballerini will add to her co-hosting duties with another show-stopping performance on the CMT stage. She’s also up for two awards: “Female Video of the Year” and “Video of the Year.”
Lainey Wilson
Following one of the most unforgettable performances of the 2022 awards for her rain-soaked collab of “Never Say Never” with Cole Swindell, the Yellowstone star – and this year’s most-nominated artist (4x) – looks to take home her first CMT belt buckle and will bring her to hit “Heart Like a Truck” live from the Austin stage.
The nominees for the 2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS are:
VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo, or collaboration). The top 6 nominees, from the first round of voting, will be announced on March 27. The final 3 nominees, from the second round of voting, will be announced on show day, April 2. Final voting will be determined via social media and announced as the final category during the live show.
- Ashley McBryde, Caylee Hammack, Brandy Clark & Pillbox Patti – “Bonfire At Tina’s”
- Blake Shelton – “No Body”
- Carrie Underwood – “Hate My Heart”
- Cody Johnson – “Human”
- Elle King feat. Dierks Bentley – “Worth A Shot”
- Gabby Barrett – “Pick Me Up”
- HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson – “wait in the truck”
- Jimmie Allen – “Down Home”
- Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown – “Thank God”
- Keith Urban – “Wild Hearts”
- Kelsea Ballerini – “HEARTFIRST”
- Little Big Town – “Rich Man”
- Luke Bryan – “Country On”
- Luke Combs – “The Kind Of Love We Make”
- Morgan Wallen – “You Proof”
- Walker Hayes – “AA”
FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist.
- Carly Pearce – “What He Didn’t Do”
- Carrie Underwood – “Ghost Story”
- Gabby Barrett – “Pick Me Up”
- Kelsea Ballerini – “HEARTFIRST”
- Lainey Wilson – “Heart Like A Truck”
- Maren Morris – “Humble Quest”
- Miranda Lambert – “Actin’ Up”
MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist.
- Bailey Zimmerman – “Rock and A Hard Place”
- Cody Johnson – “Human”
- Cole Swindell – “She Had Me At Heads Carolina”
- Jelly Roll – “Son Of A Sinner”
- Kane Brown – “Like I Love Country Music”
- Luke Combs – “The Kind Of Love We Make”
- Morgan Wallen – “Wasted On You”
GROUP/DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo or group; awarded to the artists.
- Dan + Shay – “You (Performance Video)”
- Lady A – “Summer State Of Mind”
- Little Big Town – “Hell Yeah”
- Parmalee – “Take My Name”
- The War And Treaty – “That’s How Love Is Made”
- Zac Brown Band – “Out In The Middle”
BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from a female artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist.
- Avery Anna – “Narcissist”
- Kylie Morgan – “If He Wanted To He Would”
- MacKenzie Porter – “Pickup”
- Megan Moroney – “Tennessee Orange”
- Morgan Wade – “Wilder Days”
- Tiera Kennedy – “Found It In You”
BREAKTHROUGH MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from a male artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist.
- Bailey Zimmerman – “Fall In Love”
- Corey Kent – “Wild as Her”
- Drake Milligan – “Sounds Like Something I’d Do”
- Jackson Dean – “Don’t Come Lookin’”
- Jelly Roll – “Son Of A Sinner”
- Nate Smith – “Whiskey On You”
COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists.
- Elle King feat. Dierks Bentley – “Worth A Shot”
- HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson – “wait in the truck”
- Ingrid Andress with Sam Hunt – “Wishful Drinking”
- Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown – “Thank God”
- Midland feat. Jon Pardi – “Longneck Way To Go”
- Russell Dickerson feat. Jake Scott – “She Likes It”
- Thomas Rhett & Katy Perry – “Where We Started”
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).
- Black Pumas & Mickey Guyton – “Colors” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)
- Chris Stapleton – “Whenever You Come Around” (from CMT Giants: Vince Gill)
- Cody Johnson – “‘Til You Can’t” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)
- Cole Swindell & Lainey Wilson – “Never Say Never” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)
- Darius Rucker – “Let Her Cry” (from CMT Storytellers)
- Emmy Russell & Lukas Nelson – “Lay Me Down” (from Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Loretta Lynn)
- Keith Urban – “Wild Hearts” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)
- LeAnn Rimes with Ashley McBryde & Carly Pearce – “One Way Ticket” (from CMT Crossroads: LeAnn Rimes & Friends)
- The Judds – “Love Can Build A Bridge” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)
- Wynonna Judd & Brandi Carlile – “The Rose” (from Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration)
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).
- Charley Crockett – “Time of the Cottonwood Trees“ (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
- Chris Young – “Gettin’ You Home” (from CMT Stages)
- Ingrid Andress – “Wishful Drinking” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
- Jelly Roll – “Son of A Sinner” (from CMT All Access)
- Megan Moroney – “Tennessee Orange” (from CMT Viral To Verified)
- Scotty McCreery – “Damn Strait” (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
CMT will additionally air CMT MUSIC AWARDS EXTENDED CUT with an added 30 minutes of new performances and bonus content on Thursday, April 6th (8:00-11:30 PM, ET/PT), in addition to all new programming as part of CMT MUSIC AWARDS WEEK. Additional details are to be announced at a later date.
Official sponsors of the 2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS include Ram Truck Brand.
Performers, presenters, and additional details about the 2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS on CBS will be announced soon. For more information and news, visit CMTPress.com and ParamountPressExpress.com, use the hashtag #CMTAwards, and follow @CMT on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Tik Tok.
About the CMT MUSIC AWARDS:
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, who remains the most-awarded artist in CMT Awards history with 25 wins. 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS highlights here.
ABOUT 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. In 2022, Moody Center ranked #1 highest-grossing venue in its category by Billboard Magazine and received the 2022-23 New Venue of the Year Award by Pollstar Magazine. 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.