Nashville is home to the famous Broadway bars and an NHL team, but on Monday night, it was home to the CMT Music Awards.
The CMT Music Awards honor the best and brightest in country music as voted by fans. It is the country music equivalent of the MTV Video Music Awards. This year, the show was aired on CBS for the first time since its creation in 2002. The 2022 rendition was hosted at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium by The Falcon and the Winter Solider’s Anthony Mackie and country music star Kane Brown.
Female country artist Kelsea Ballerini also hosted, but from her home. Ballerini tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the show, so she fulfilled her duties the best she could while away from the main stage. Ballerini hosted from her living room and even gave a live performance from her backyard.
The event was a star-studded affair, including those outside of country music. The cast of Queer Eye and television host Gayle King attended the event and even had a part in the show. King shared a small anecdote about musical artist Carly Pearce, who paid for King and her team’s meal before the show. King noted how “country music people are the nicest people.”
The musical acts ranged from CMT regulars such as Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean to TikTok newcomers Priscilla Block and Breland. Block and Breland, along with others, were featured on the RAM trucks stage, where they played snippets of their songs before the commercial break.
It was a record night for Underwood. She took home her 25th award and her 10th for video of the year after she and Aldean won for their work on “If I Didn’t Love You”
Even the commercials got in on the country music fun. Skechers ran an advertisement featuring Willie Nelson, who chirped that he wanted to legalize Skechers shoes. It was quirky and had a hidden meaning, just like country music.
One of the finest moments of the night was George Strait winning his first-ever golden buckle. He won Best CMT performance for his cover of Charlie Pride’s “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone” on CMT Greats: Charlie Pride. Strait was not in attendance for the event, so he accepted the award remotely.
Miranda Lambert sparkled during her performance of “If I Was A Cowboy” on the outdoor stage. Donning a leather jacket with neon green fringe and a tie-dye pink cowboy hat, she truly did look like the queen of cowboys. The splash of turquoise her jewelry added complemented the color palette of her look.
Underwood was not the only one to make history Monday night. The Judds gave their first televised performance in 20 years. The “Why Not Me” singers gave a tear-jerking performance of their 1990 hit “Love Can Build A Bridge” to promote their upcoming final tour.
Several newcomers took home awards as well. Parker McCollum won Breakthrough video of the year. Cody Johnson won for Male video of the year for “‘Til You Can’t” and CMT digital-first performance of the year for “Dear Rodeo.”
There was also a category for Trending comeback song of the year. It featured “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton, “Neon Moon” by Brooks and Dunn, “Freight Train” by Alan Jackson, “Suds in the Bucket” by Sara Evans, “I’m a Survivor” by Reba McIntire and the winner: “Love Story (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift. Most of the songs in this category were reintroduced to the masses by TikTok, however, they are still favorites on most classic country radio stations.
Kenny Chesney closed out the show with a rocking performance of his hit “Beer in Mexico.” The crowd sang along as the energy radiated off the stage and into the seats. Arguably Chesney’s best song, “Beer in Mexico” provided fans with an opportunity to sing along at home and sign off from the program with a smile.
Country music has changed over the years, however, the genre continues to produce toe-tapping tunes. The CMT Music Awards blended the past with the present and showcased the future of country music.
