NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nation singer Kelsea Ballerini opened the CMT Music Awards with a tribute to victims of a faculty capturing whereas sharing in that neighborhood’s grief, then danced alongside drag artists as states throughout the nation take into account legally limiting drag present performances,
Ballerini, a co-host of the annual awards present with singer Kane Brown, opened the Austin, Texas, present by itemizing the names of six victims three adults and three 9-year-olds who had been killed Monday at The Covenant College in Nashville, Tennessee. She famous how she shared their ache, explaining that in 2008 she witnessed a faculty capturing in her hometown highschool cafeteria in Knoxville and prayed for “actual motion” that may shield kids and households.
About two hours into the fan-voted awards present, the Tennessee native sang “If You Go Down (I’m Going Down Too)” and danced with Kennedy Davenport, Jan Sport, Manila Luzon and Olivia Lux, all stars of the present “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Her dwelling state of Tennessee was the primary to position strict limits on drag present performances, which had been set to take impact this month. The regulation has been briefly blocked after a lawsuit was filed earlier this week.
Nation famous person and five-time Grammy winner Shania Twain was given the Equal Play Award, recognizing her for being a “seen and vocal advocate” for various voices in nation music. Texas native and Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion launched Twain, the pair dancing and hugging to Twain’s hit, “Man, I Really feel Like a Girl.”
The lyrics to the tune grew to become an undercurrent to a decades-long profession of advocacy, Twain stated.
“I promise I’ll proceed to champion the numerous excellent nation artists that aren’t presently performed, they aren’t presently streamed, toured, signed or awarded on the degree they deserve,” Twain stated. “I consider in an all-inclusive nation music.”
Main nominee Lainey Wilson picked up early wins with feminine video of the yr for “Coronary heart Like a Truck” and collaborative video of the yr for “Wait within the Truck” with HARDY.
“My coronary heart is ’bout to beat proper out my chest, I’ll be sincere with y’all,” Wilson stated after profitable feminine video of the yr, calling the hit tune an anthem for surviving the “scratches, the dents and the bumps alongside the best way.”
This yr’s CMT Music Awards merged nation, rock and blues straight from the center of Texas, that includes performances together with collaborations with Alanis Morissette, The Black Crowes, Gwen Stefani and Gary Clark Jr. and tributes to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Nation Music Corridor of Famer Wynonna Judd and Ashley Judd carried out a canopy of Foreigner’s “I Need to Know What Love is” whereas heavy fog rolled over the stage and into the gang.
Pop singer Stefani carried out her No Doubt mid-Nineties pop-punk hit “Only a Woman” alongside nation singer Carly Pearce. Jelly Roll, already a double winner, introduced a choir out for his prayer-themed tune “Want a Favor” and bought the gang to boost their fingers to the roof.
Carrie Underwood has an opportunity to increase her document as essentially the most awarded artist in CMT historical past with 25 awards. Underwood, who additionally will carry out, was nominated once more for video of the yr for “Hate My Coronary heart.”
4-time Grammy winner Clark Jr. carried out a tribute to the late Texas guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn on the prime of the present.
Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd will probably be honored with a tribute efficiency following the demise in March of the final unique member, Gary Rossington. ZZ Prime’s Billy Gibbons, Slash of Weapons N’ Roses and the Allman Brothers’ Warren Haynes and Chuck Leavell are set to carry out with singers Paul Rodgers and Cody Johnson with backup vocals from LeAnn Rimes and Judd.
