CMT unveiled the highly-anticipated nominations for the 2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS, Paramount Global’s signature country music tentpole entirely fan-voted award show. Hosted by 2023 nominees Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini, the show airs LIVE from Austin, Texas’ Moody Center on Sunday, April 2, 2023 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.* Each winner is selected by the fans, with voting now open at vote.cmt.com.
Breakout superstar Lainey Wilson leads this year’s star-studded list with a total of four nominations, including the highly coveted “Video of the Year,” “Female Video of the Year,” “Collaborative Video of the Year” and “CMT Performance of the Year.” Artists with three nods this year include Cody Johnson, first-time nominee Jelly Roll and co-host Kane Brown.
The first round of nominations for the highly coveted “Video of the Year” award includes 16 acts, including another nod for Carrie Underwood, who reigns as the most awarded artist in CMT history with a total of 25 wins and is also slated to perform. Also facing off for the night’s biggest award: Ashley McBryde with Caylee Hammack, Brandy Clark + Pillbox Patti, Blake Shelton, Cody Johnson, Elle King + Dierks Bentley, Gabby Barrett, HARDY + Lainey Wilson, Jimmie Allen, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Walker Hayes, plus co-hosts Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown with wife Katelyn.
New this year, CMT continues its longstanding history of recognizing the next wave of rising stars by expanding its “Breakthrough Video of the Year” category into Male and Female for the first time, recognizing the tremendous increase in the genre’s breakout talent with a total of 12 nominees across the twin categories. This year’s “Breakthrough Female” nominees include Avery Anna, Kylie Morgan, MacKenzie Porter, Megan Moroney, Morgan Wade and Tiera Kennedy; Bailey Zimmerman, Corey Kent, Drake Milligan, Jackson Dean, Jelly Roll and Nate Smith will compete in “Breakthrough Male.”
Across all categories, CMT is recognizing 21 first-time nominees: Avery Anna, Bailey Zimmerman, Charley Crockett, Corey Kent, Drake Milligan, Jackson Dean, Jelly Roll, Katelyn Brown, Kylie Morgan, Lukas Nelson, Megan Moroney, Morgan Wade, Nate Smith, Pillbox Patti, The War And Treaty, Tiera Kennedy and Wynonna Judd, who receives two nominations, including one with her late mother, Naomi Judd, for their final performance together at the 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS. The show continues to celebrate out-of-genre range of talent with first time nominees Black Pumas, Emmy Russell and Jake Scott; Katy Perry also receives her first nomination since 2015.
