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On Sunday 2 April, the 2023 CMT Music Awards aired live from Austin, Texas’ Moody Center for the first time ever - and that wasn't the only ‘first’ of the evening.
At his debut ceremony, country-rap prodigy, Jelly Roll, won his first ever CMT Award for Digital-First Performance of the Year - before swiftly following that up with his second and third CMT Awards, for Breakthrough Male Video of the Year and Male Video of the Year.
It was a momentous evening for the Nashvillian, who completed a clean sweep as he was victorious in all three of his nominated categories. The genre-blending maverick also delivered a powerful performance of his recent single, ‘Need A Favor’.
In addition, the 2023 CMT Awards served as a successful evening for Lainey Wilson, whose hit single, ‘Heart Like A Truck’, earned her the Female Video of the Year award. The Bell Bottom Country star also performed the hit single - which hit No. 1 on Country Radio earlier in the day - to the delight of the Texas crowd.
Lainey also received the Collaborative Video of the Year alongside HARDY for their bewitching duet, ‘Wait in the Truck’, while home-state hero, Cody Johnson, won the 2023 CMT Performance of the Year for his CMT Awards rendition of ‘‘Til You Can't’ last year.
Fan-favourite husband-and-wife duo, Kane Brown and Katelyn Brown, won the most prized award of the evening, the CMT Video of the Year Award. Through the success of their charming ballad, ‘Thank God’, they put an end to Carrie Underwood's historic run of wins.
Zac Brown Band also triumphed in the Group/Duo Video of the Year category, while rising star, Megan Moroney, took home the award for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year for her widely celebrated hit single, ‘Tennessee Orange’.
A star-studded array of performers took the stage at the 2023 awards show, including Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Carly Pearce and Carrie Underwood.
Also performing were this year's co-hosts, Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown, with Brown taking the stage alongside his wife for a moving, unforgettable rendition of their chart-topping and Video-of-the-Year-winning single, ‘Thank God’.
The RAM Trucks Side-Stage showcased a suite of rising country stars, including Megan Moroney, Nate Smith, Avery Anna, Jackson Dean, Chapel Hart and Lily Rose.
The newly solo Tyler Hubbard and Jelly Roll also performed at the 2023 CMT Awards, along with Wynonna and Ashley McBryde. Darius Rucker joined up with The Black Crowes for a fiery performance, while another blockbuster collaboration took place on the 2023 CMT stage between Gwen Stefani and Carly Pearce.
There was also a special celebration of ‘CMT Next Women of Country’s ten-year anniversary, which featured a joint performance by Alanis Morissette, Ingrid Andress, Lainey Wilson, Madeline Edwards and Morgan Wade. They played Alanis’ anthemic ‘You Oughta Know’.
Elsewhere in the evening, country megastar Shania Twain was honoured with the CMT Equal Play Award, in recognition of the Canadian hitmaker's continued role as a ‘visible and vocal advocate for elevating diverse and underrepresented voices in country music’.
Shortly before CMT weekend, it was revealed that Billy Gibbons, Chuck Leavell, Cody Johnson, Paul Rodgers and Slash & Warren Haynes would be performing a special tribute for Lynyrd Skynyrd and their founding member, Gary Rossington.
The illustrious guitarist sadly passed away in early March. LeAnn Rimes and Wynonna Judd also performed as part of the tribute as ‘The Honkettes’. More recently, Gary Clark Jr. was added to the line-up of 2023 CMT performers, and he took to the stage early on in the evening for a special Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute.
The blockbuster roster of presenters included the likes of Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Charles Esten, Megan Thee Stallion, and more. They were joined by a range of TV stars, including Outer Banks’ Madison Bailey and Stranger Things' Noah Schnapps.
Paramount Global’s signature country music tentpole returned for the global premiere exclusively via the CBS Television Network, and is now available to stream on demand on Paramount+.
For the full list of CMT Awards 2023 Performers, see below:
Lainey Wilson
Cody Johnson
Kelsea Ballerini
Blake Shelton
Carly Pearce
Keith Urban
Carrie Underwood
Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown
Jelly Roll
Tyler Hubbard
The Black Crowes & Darius Rucker
Wynonna & Ashley McBryde
Nate Smith
Megan Moroney
Lily Rose
Jackson Dean
Chapel Hart
Avery Anna
Carly Pearce & Gwen Stefani
Alanis Morissette, Ingrid Andress, Lainey Wilson, Madeline Edwards & Morgan Wade
Gary Clark Jr.
Midland & Jon Pardi
For the full list of CMT Awards 2023 Nominees, see below:
Video of the Year
- Blake Shelton - “No Body”
- Carrie Underwood - “Hate My Heart”
- Cody Johnson - “Human”
- HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson - “wait in the truck”
- Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown - “Thank God” (WINNER)
- Morgan Wallen - “You Proof”
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” (WINNER)
- 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” (WINNER)
- 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” (WINNER)
Breakthrough Female Video of the Year
- Avery Anna - “Narcissist”
- Kylie Morgan - “If He Wanted To He Would”
- MacKenzie Porter - “Pickup”
- Megan Moroney - “Tennessee Orange” (WINNER)
- 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” (WINNER)
- 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” (WINNER)
- 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) (WINNER)
- 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) (WINNER)
- Megan Moroney - “Tennessee Orange” (from CMT Viral To Verified)
- Scotty McCreery - “Damn Strait” (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
For the full list of 2023 CMT presenters, see below:
Carly Pearce
Carrie 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)
Travis Kelce
For more on CMT Awards, see below:
