Shania Twain, a renowned country star, received the Equal Play Award at the CMT Music Awards, which recognizes artists who advocate for elevating diverse and underrepresented voices in country music. In her acceptance speech, she called for the country music industry to provide an equal workspace for all talent and champion outstanding country artists who are not currently played, streamed, toured, or awarded at the level they deserve.
Twain’s Vision of Inclusivity
Twain emphasized her vision of inclusivity in the country music industry, to be on the path of inclusion and represent it by speaking for underrepresented communities. She brought rising stars on her Queen of Me tour, including Lily Rose, Lindsay Ell, Hailey Whitters, and others, hoping to impress and light up their careers. Twain believes that all talents should be given a fair chance to make it big in the industry without any biases or prejudices.
Celebrating Talented Women in Country Music
Alanis Morissette performed her hit song “You Oughta Know” at the 2023 CMT Music Awards with other Next Women of Country artists. The performance celebrates the 10-year anniversary of CMT’s Next Women of Country campaign. Alanis Morissette also highlighted and celebrated talented women in country music.
Morissette spoke to PEOPLE last year about the lasting impact of her third album and how it gave people permission to feel stigmatized feelings. Her third album opened doors for women to musically explore darker and less discussed subjects such as their own rage.
Winners at the CMT Music Awards
The CMT Music Awards recognizes country artists for their music and music videos. This year’s top honoree was Lainey Wilson with four nominations including video of the year, female video of the year, collaborative video of the year, and CMT performance of the year.
The winners of the main awards are Blake Shelton with “No Body” for Video of the Year, Carly Pearce with “What He Didn’t Do” for Female Video of the Year, Cody Johnson with “Human” for Male Video of the Year, Dan + Shay with “You (Performance Video)” for Group/Duo Video of the Year, and Hardy with Lainey Wilson featuring “wait in the truck” for Collaborative Video of the Year.
CMT Performance of the Year and DigitalFirst Performance of the Year
The CMT Performance of the Year award includes musical performances on a television show, series or variety special on CMT. The winner for 2023 is Cody Johnson with “‘Til You Can’t” from the 2022 CMT Music Awards.
The CMT DigitalFirst Performance of the Year award includes musical performances from a production, series, or livestream created for CMT Digital/Social Channels. The winner this year is Charley Crockett with “Time of the Cottonwood Trees” from CMT Campfire Sessions.
In conclusion, country music is transforming, and icons such as Shania Twain and Alanis Morissette continue to encourage inclusivity in this evolving industry. The CMT Music Awards reflect recognition and respect for artists who are breaking down barriers and paving new paths in their field.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
