The 2023 CMT Music Awards were hosted by Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown on June 1 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The red carpet was filled with stars from the country music industry and beyond as they walked the steps to enjoy a night of celebration for the year’s best videos. The live performances kept audiences on edge and were certainly memorable. Did your favorite artist come out on top? Here are this year’s winners.
Jelly Roll Takes Home Multiple Awards
Rapper Jelly Roll’s first live performance and awards show nomination proved to be successes as he took home multiple awards for his song “Son of a Sinner.” Not only did he win Breakthrough Male Video of the Year, but he also won Collaborative Video of the Year for “Wait in the Truck” featuring Lainey Wilson, and CMT DigitalFirst Performance of the Year. Jelly Roll expressed his excitement throughout the night, especially when seeing Gwen Stefani on the red carpet, as No Doubt was one of his first concerts ever.
Other Winners
Megan Moroney won Breakthrough Female Video of the Year for her single “Tennessee Orange,” while Kane and Katelyn Brown won Video of the Year for their song “Thank God.” HARDY’s “Wait in the Truck” featuring Lainey Wilson won Collaborative Video of the Year. Six finalists were nominated for Video of the Year, which was later narrowed down.
Performances
Performances were given by Kelsea Ballerini, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” queens, Jelly Roll, and Slash, Billy Gibbons, and Cody Johnson who paid tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd. The event also featured collaborations between Gwen Stefani and Carly Pearce, and a rendition of “You Oughta Know” featuring Alanis Morissette, Ingrid Andress, Lainey Wilson, Madeline Edwards, and Morgan Wade.
Shania Twain Honored
Shania Twain was honored with the CMT Equal Play Award at the event. The award is given to artists who have shown tremendous support for female country music artists. Shania was recognized as one of the most successful female country artists to date and was applauded for her contribution to the industry.
Video of the Year Nominees
The much-anticipated Video of the Year category had tough competition this year. Blake Shelton’s “Minimum Wage,” Carrie Underwood’s “Southbound,” Cody Johnson’s “’Til You Can’t,” HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson’s “Wait in the Truck,” Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown’s “Thank God,” and Morgan Wallen’s controversial “Dangerous: The Double Album” were all nominated.
Where to Watch
The 2023 CMT Music Awards aired live on CBS and was streaming on Paramount+. Viewers can also stream the event live on CBS website, CBS app, Paramount+, and other streaming services such as YouTube TV, fuboTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and Hulu + Live TV. However, it won’t be available for next-day streaming on Hulu but can be streamed on CBS.com, CBS app, and Paramount+ after the event.
In summary, the 2023 CMT Music Awards showcased an array of talent and celebrated some of the greatest country music videos of the year. The event was filled with stunning performances while honoring a pioneer in the industry. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
