The first time in 20 years the show has left Nashville,
from Music City to the Live Music Capital!

The 2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS are coming to Texas! The fan-voted award show, hosted by 2023 nominees Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini, airs LIVE on CBS at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 2, 2023 from The Moody Center in Austin. Texas Lifestyle Magazine plans to bring you all the action from the red carpet! 

The awards show brings with it a whole host of country music stars to Austin. Featured performers include Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson and Carrie Underwood, along with co-hosts Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown & wife Katelyn Brown.

CMT has unveiled the highly-anticipated nominations for this year’s CMT Music Awards. 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 17 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.

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). 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”

FEMALE BREAKTHROUGH 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”

MALE BREAKTHROUGH 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)

Tickets are available for purchase online. Official sponsors of the 2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS include Ram Truck Brand.

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Cover photo courtesy Key Art Press

Emily Hord is the Assistant Editor of Texas Lifestyle Magazine and a native Texan. She graduated from Texas A&M University and in her free time, she enjoys going to see live music and spending time with her friends and family.