Juliet Schroder
CMT’s iconic Artists of the Year special is going to be a little different this year.
The Country TV network announced CMT Celebrates Our Heroes: An Artists of the Year Special for this June, which they say will be “an uplifting celebration and virtual tribute to recognize the most vital and inspirational Americans on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
For the first time ever, CMT Celebrates Our Heroes will feature one-of-a-kind tributes, callouts and performances from country music’s biggest stars in their own homes including Brothers Osborne, Florida Georgia Line, Kelsea Ballerini, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett and more to be announced.
“The ‘CMT Artists of the Year’ franchise has always been reflective of the important issues of our time, and this year, we all felt it necessary to shift our focus to honoring the real heroes during these unprecedented times,” shared Leslie Fram, Senior Vice President of Music & Talent, CMT. “From the first responders and healthcare workers to members of the military, our educators, food industry workers and so many more, the country music community will come together to honor these heroic men and women. The evening of unity will feature incredible performances, uplifting tributes and a salute to those risking their lives on the frontlines of this crisis.”
In previous years, “CMT Artists of the Year” has been an advocate for important causes, raising both awareness and contributions for those impacted by such natural disasters as Hurricane Harvey, the tragic events at Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, and an all-female ceremony dedicated to the women of country music in 2018.
Last year, the special celebrated its 10th anniversary and honored Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, Kane Brown, Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett as the top artists of the year, with Reba McEntire and Ashley McBryde receiving the “Artist of a Lifetime” and “Breakout Artist of the Year” awards, respectively. This year, the artists will recognize the following categories of COVID-19 heroes, including but not limited to healthcare workers, food industry, American ingenuity, infrastructure, U.S. Military and first responders.
Let us know if you’ll be tuning in the CMT Celebrates Our Heroes: An Artists of the Year Special on Wednesday, June 3rd @ 8PM ET on CMT by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @CS_Country.
