CMT Music Awards

The fan-voted CMT Music Awards are back for 2023! This year, the event will be held at Austin’s Moody Center, and will air live on CBS, while streaming live on Paramount+ on Sunday, April 2.
Lainey Wilson leads in nominations with four, while Kane Brown, Jelly Roll and Cody Johnson are right behind her with three. In the days heading into the ceremony, Shania Twain was announced as the recipient of the CMT Equal Pay Award, which celebrates artists who are advocates for “elevating diverse and underrepresented voices in country music,” according to the CMTs. She is the third artist to receive the honor, whose previous winners were Jennifer Nettles and Linda Martell.

Brown and Kelsea Ballerini are set to co-host the event, which will feature performances from Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and many more. Presenters include Megan Thee Stallion, HARDY, Noah Schnapp, Travis Kelce and others.

The show begins at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Keep checking back as we update the full list of winners as they’re announced during the 2023 CMT Music Awards!

Video of the year

Carrie Underwood – “Hate My Heart”HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson – “wait in the truck”Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown – “Thank God”

Female video of the year

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 equal play

WINNER: Shania Twain

The CMT Music Awards are taking over Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on Sunday (April 2), and the jam-packed list of performers and presenters is officially complete.

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Lainey Wilson, one of the night’s performers, leads this year’s nominees, earning four nods: video of the year (HARDY featuring Wilson, with “Wait in the Truck”), female video of the year (“Heart Like a Truck”), collaborative video of the year (“Wait in the Truck”) and CMT performance of the year (for her “Never Say Never” performance with Cole Swindell on the 2022 CMT Music Awards).

The most recent addition to the performer lineup is Gary Clark Jr., who will take the stage for a tribute to the late Stevie Ray Vaughn.

See the full list of performers — including the Ram Trucks Side Stage performances — and presenters below. Catch the 2023 CMT Music Awards on Sunday (April 2) at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, before it becomes available for streaming the next day on Paramount+.

Main Stage Performers

Alanis Morissette with Ingrid Andress, Lainey Wilson, Madeline Edwards and Morgan WadeThe Black Crowes & Darius RuckerBlake SheltonCarly PearceCarrie UnderwoodCody JohnsonCody Johnson, Paul Rodgers, Billy Gibbons, Chuck Leavell, Slash and Warren Haynes with LeAnn Rimes and WynonnaGary Clark Jr.Gwen Stefani & Carly PearceJelly RollKane Brown & Katelyn BrownKeith UrbanKelsea BalleriniLainey WilsonTyler HubbardWynonna & Ashley McBryde

Ram Trucks Side Stage Performers

Avery AnnaChapel HartJackson DeanLily RoseMegan MoroneyNate Smith

Presenters

Carly PearceCarrie UnderwoodCharles EstenDixie D’AmelioDustin LynchHARDYIan Bohen and Jen LandonJon PardiLeAnn RimesMadison BaileyMax ThieriotMegan Thee StallionNoah SchnappParker McCollumPeter FramptonShania TwainSteve HoweyTravis Kelce

Four-time Grammy winner and Austin native Gary Clark Jr. has been added to the performers lineup for the 2023 CMT Music Awards. He’ll be delivering a tribute to the Texas blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Clark’s performance joins the previously announced tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, as well as performances from Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Carly Pearce and many more.

The CMT Music Awards, hosted by Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini, will take place at Moody Center in Austin for the first time, on Sunday, April 2, airing on CBS Television Network and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+.

Also announced on Friday (March 31), is this year’s roster of presenters. The musicians, actors and athletes set to appear are Pearce, Underwood, Charles Esten, Dixie D’Amelio, Dustin Lynch, HARDY, Ian Bohen + Jen Landon (Yellowstone), Jon Pardi, LeAnn Rimes, Madison Bailey (Outer Banks), Max Thieriot (Fire Country), Megan Thee Stallion, Noah Schnapp (Stranger Things), Parker McCollum, Peter Frampton, Shania Twain, Steve Howey (True Lies) and Travis Kelce.

Vaughan was born in Dallas in 1954, and released six studio albums, beginning with 1983’s Texas Flood. He would become one of the all-time great guitarists, melding the influence of jazz and blues on songs such as “Crossfire” and “Love Struck Baby.” Though Vaughan died in August 1990 in a helicopter crash, his music has continued to inspire artists such as John Mayer and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Clark Jr. has earned three top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, including 2012’s Blak and Blu, 2015’s The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, and 2019’s This Land.

The Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute will feature Slash of Guns N’ Roses, Wynonna Judd, Billy Gibbons, Chuck Leavell, Cody Johnson, Paul Rodgers, Warren Haynes and LeAnn Rimes. The tribute performance follows the death of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s final original founding member, guitarist Gary Rossington, who passed away on March 5 at age 71.

On Monday (March 27), CMT revealed the six finalists for video of the year at their upcoming awards show, including Morgan Wallen, Blake Shelton and more.

Wallen’s visual for “You Proof” is nominated, while Shelton is competing with 2022’s “No Body.” The four other nominees rounding out the category include Carrie Underwood‘s “Hate My Heart” from her latest album Denim & Rhinestones, Cody Johnson‘s “Human,” HARDY‘s Lainey Wilson-assisted “Wait in the Truck” and Kane Brown‘s “Thank God” with his wife Katelyn Brown.

Voting in the video of the year category, which started with a crop of 16 videos, will continue through the weekend, with the top three nominees being announced Sunday (April 2) ahead of the show and the big winner revealed during the telecast on CBS.

Underwood’s inclusion in the top six continues her hot streak at the CMT Awards; the American Idol champ holds the record as the most-awarded artist in the show’s history, and she’s been up for video of the year for five consecutive years.

Shelton coming out on top would make it The Voice coach’s second win for video of the year after being crowned in 2018 for “I’ll Name the Dogs,” though the Browns would make history with a win as the first-ever husband and wife duo to take home the prize. (The Different Man singer also happens to be co-hosting the ceremony opposite Kelsea Ballerini.)

For HARDY, Wilson, Johnson or Wallen, a victory over the country veterans would bring a first-time win in the category. The latter currently holds the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for the third consecutive week with his sprawling, 36-track album One Thing at a Time (chart dated April 1).

The CMT Music Awards have revealed additions to the 2023 performers lineup, welcoming Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson and CMT Music Awards co-host Kelsea Ballerini.

They will join previously announced performers Carrie Underwood, as well as CMT Music Awards co-host Kane Brown and his wife, Katelyn Brown.

The CMT Music Awards will take place at Moody Center in Austin on Sunday, April 2, airing live on CBS and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+.

Wilson leads this year’s nominees, earning four nods: video of the year (HARDY featuring Wilson, with “Wait in the Truck”), female video of the year (“Heart Like a Truck”), collaborative video of the year (“Wait in the Truck”) and CMT performance of the year (for her “Never Say Never” performance with Cole Swindell on the 2022 CMT Music Awards).

Following Wilson with three nominations each are Johnson, Brown and first-time nominee Jelly Roll. Johnson is nominated for video of the year (“Human”), male video of the year (“Human”) and CMT performance of the year (“‘Til You Can’t” from the 2022 CMT Music Awards). Kane and Katelyn Brown’s clip for “Thank God” is up for video of the year and collaborative video of the year, while Brown’s “Like I Love Country Music” is up for male video of the year. Jelly Roll is up for male video of the year and breakthrough male video of the year for “Son of a Sinner.” He’s also nominated for CMT digital-first performance of the year, for his performance of “Son of a Sinner” at CMT All Access.

Ballerini is up for video of the year and female video of the year, both for her “HEARTFIRST” visual. Pearce is nominated for two honors: female video of the year (“What He Didn’t Do”) and CMT performance of the year, for her collaboration with LeAnn Rimes and Ashley McBryde on Rimes’ “One Way Ticket,” from CMT Crossroads: LeAnn Rimes & Friends. Shelton’s “No Body” video is up for video of the year, while Keith Urban is nominated for video of the year (“Wild Hearts”) as well as CMT performance of the year (“Wild Hearts,” from the 2022 CMT Music Awards).