Lainey Wilson, Kane Brown & Other Artists Lead 2023 CMT Music Award Noms

Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Kane Brown, Carrie Underwood and other powerhouse country artists are nominated in some of the most highly-anticipated categories at the 2023 CMT Music Awards.

Wilson leads with four nominations, followed by Johnson, Jelly Roll (a first-time nominee) and Brown, who were each nominated in three categories. Underwood is nominated again in the Video of the Year category, which lists the most-ever nominees. The “Ghost Story” superstar is the reigning artist to earn the highest number of awards in CMT history, with 25 wins. Twenty-one artists received first-time nods at the upcoming awards show. The list of nominees “spotlights rising stars, country icons and out-of-genre superstars,” CMT notes in a press release Wednesday morning (March 8).

The Video of the Year category lists 16 nominees, including Underwood. Others include Ashley McBryde (with Caylee Hammack, Brandy Clark and Pillbox Patti), Blake Shelton, Gabby Barrett, Jimmie Allen, Keith Urban, Little Big Town and others. CMT seeks to spotlight rising artists with its expanded Breakthrough Video of the Year category, breaking out male and female nominees for the first time, per CMT’s announcement on Wednesday. Nominees include Kylie Morgan, Megan Moroney, Morgan Wade, Bailey Zimmerman, Jackson Dean, Nate Smith and more.

The 21 first-time CMT Music Awards nominees include: 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. Judd is nominated twice, including once with her late mother, Naomi Judd, for the beloved mother-daughter duo’s final performance together at the 2022 CM Music Awards show. The Judds delivered a powerful rendition of “Love Can Build A Bridge.”

Other first-time nominees and out-of-genre artists include Black Pumas, Emmy Russell and Jake Scott. Pop titan Katy Perry also received a nod, marking her first in nearly a decade.

Brown is set to co-host the fan-voted awards show with Kelsea Ballerini. The 2023 CMT Music Awards will air live from Moody Center in Austin, Texas, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, per CMT. The show is set for April 2 on CBS.

See the full list of 2023 CMT Music Awards nominees here:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• 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

• 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

• 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 

• 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”

BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• 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”

BREAKTHROUGH MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• 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

• 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 

• 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

• 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)