Kane Brown Leads 2022 CMT Music Awards Nominations: Full List

UPDATE: On Monday (April 4), CMT announced the six finalists for video of the year – Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood’s “If I Didn’t Love You,” Kane Brown’s “One Mississippi,” Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kenny Chesney’s “half of my hometown,” Luke Combs’ “Forever After All,” Cody Johnson’s “Til You Can’t” and Cole Swindell & Lainey Wilson’s “Never Say Never.”

CMT also announced three additions to its performers lineup. Mickey Guyton and Black Pumas will team up for a “world premiere collaboration”; Old Dominion will perform, and Underwood will take the stage from Resorts World Theatre, home of her ongoing show REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency.

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Kane Brown is the top contender for the 2022 CMT Music Awards, which are set to air April 11 on CBS. Brown, who co-hosted the show in 2020 and 2021, has four nominations. Kelsea Ballerini, who is co-hosting this year for the second year in row, has three nods, as do Mickey Guyton and a pair of first-time nominees, Breland and Cody Johnson.

The CMT Music Awards bills itself as “country music’s only entirely fan-voted awards show.” This year’s three-hour show will be held at Nashville Municipal Auditorium and in various locations around Music City.

Carrie Underwood, who has amassed 23 CMT Music Awards, more than any other artist, is nominated in two categories: video of the year and collaborative video of the year, both for “If I Didn’t Love You,” a collab with Jason Aldean. The teaming won single of the year at the ACM Awards on March 7. Underwood has won the top CMT award, video of the year, an astonishing nine times.

Taylor Swift, who won video of the year here three times between 2008 and 2011, is nominated in that category for “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault),” a duet with Chris Stapleton.

Oddly, while that collab is nominated for the top award, it isn’t nominated for collaborative video of the year. Neither is Cole Swindell & Lainey Wilson’s “Never Say Never,” which is also vying for the top award.

Brandi Carlile’s “Right on Time,” which is nominated for record and song of the year at the Grammys on April 3, is nominated here for video of the year.

Twelve videos are nominated for video of the year, but that total will be whittled down. Eight semi-finalists will be announced on April 4. Four finalists will be announced on the day of the show. The winner will be determined via social media and announced at the conclusion of the live telecast.

Gabby Barrett, who won female video of the year last year for “The Good Ones,” is back to defend her title with “Footprints on the Moon.” Her competition includes Miranda Lambert, a five-time winner in the category, nominated this year for “If I Was a Cowboy.”

Brown, who won male video of the year last year for “Worship You” (and also won three years ago for “Lose It”), is defending his title with “One Mississippi.” His competition includes Luke Bryan, a three-time winner in the category, nominated this year for “Waves,” and Thomas Rhett, who won six years ago for “Die a Happy Man,” and is nominated this time for “Country Again.”

With the multiple nominations for Brown, Guyton and Breland, three of this year’s top five nominees are Black or biracial. This reflects country music’s increasing focus on expanding opportunities for artists of color and broadening the country music audience.

Old Dominion and Zac Brown Band, past winners for duo/group video of the year, are nominated in that category with “I Was on a Boat That Day” and “Same Boat,” respectively.

Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde’s “Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” which won music event of the year at the ACM Awards, is vying for collaborative video of the year here. It would be the second all-female collaboration to win in this category, following Miranda Lambert and Underwood’s “Somethin’ Bad” seven years ago.

Pearce was set to announce the nominees in four categories (female video of the year, male video of the year, group/duo video of the year and breakthrough video of the year) live on CBS Mornings on Wednesday (March 16) in the 8 a.m. ET hour, before the full list of nominations was released wide.

Parker McCollum, who won new male artist of the year at the ACMs, is up for breakthrough video of the year here.

Underwood and Brad Paisley, who have each won collaborative video of the year three times, more than anyone else, are each nominated in the category again this year. Underwood is nominated with her aforementioned collaboration with Aldean; Paisley with “Freedom Was a Highway,” a collab with Jimmie Allen.

Several non-country artists are nominated. Nelly has two nominations. H.E.R., Gladys Knight and Paul Klein of the pop/rock band LANY each have one.

The CMT Music Awards added a new category this year, CMT digital first, which is awarded to the best musical performance from a production, series or livestream created for CMT digital/social channels. It is distinct from CMT performance of the year, a returning category, which honors the best musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT.

Ballerini is set to co-host this year’s show with actor Anthony Mackie. This is Mackie’s first time as host or co-host, though he presented Underwood and John Legend with the video of the year award for “Hallelujah” at last year’s show.

The show will air live on April 11 from 8-11 p.m. ET, and will air on a delayed basis on the West Coast. This will be the show’s first airing on CBS, where it is effectively replacing the ACM Awards, which moved to Prime Video. The ACM Awards aired on CBS from 1998 to 2021.

The 2022 CMT Music Awards is executive produced by Margaret Comeaux (CMT), John Hamlin (Switched On Entertainment), Leslie Fram (CMT) and Jason Owen (Sandbox Entertainment). Patrizia DiMaria (Ladypants Productions) is co-executive producer. Jackie Barba and Heather D. Graffagnino are executives in charge of production. Shanna Strassberg and Taryn Hurd are talent producers.

In addition to airing on CBS, the show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Voting is now open at vote.cmt.com and will remain open through April 4. As noted above, voting for video of the year will continue throughout the live telecast on April 11.

Here’s the complete list of nominees:

Video of the year
Brandi Carlile – “Right on Time”
Cody Johnson – “‘Til You Can’t”
Cole Swindell & Lainey Wilson – “Never Say Never”
Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood – “If I Didn’t Love You”
Kacey Musgraves – “justified”
Kane Brown – “One Mississippi”
Kelsea Ballerini feat. Kenny Chesney – “half of my hometown”
Luke Combs – “Forever After All”
Maren Morris – “Circles Around This Town”
Mickey Guyton – “Remember Her Name”
Miranda Lambert – “If I Was a Cowboy”
Taylor Swift feat. Chris Stapleton – “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”

Female video of the year
Brandi Carlile – “Right on Time”
Gabby Barrett – “Footprints on The Moon”
Kacey Musgraves – “justified”
Maren Morris – “Circles Around This Town”
Mickey Guyton – “Remember Her Name”
Miranda Lambert – “If I Was a Cowboy”
Tenille Arts – “Back Then, Right Now”

Male video of the year
Cody Johnson – “’Til You Can’t”
Eric Church – “Heart on Fire”
Kane Brown – “One Mississippi”
Luke Bryan – “Waves”
Luke Combs – “Forever After All”
Thomas Rhett – “Country Again”
Walker Hayes – “Fancy Like”

Duo/group video of the year
Brothers Osborne – “I’m Not for Everyone”
Dan + Shay – “Steal My Love”
Maddie & Tae – “Woman You Got”
Old Dominion – “I Was on a Boat That Day”
Parmalee – “Take My Name”
Zac Brown Band – “Same Boat”

Breakthrough video of the year
Breland – “Cross Country”
Caitlyn Smith feat. Old Dominion – “I Can’t”
Elvie Shane – “My Boy”
Parker McCollum – “To Be Loved by You”
Priscilla Block – “Just About Over You”
Tenille Arts – “Back Then, Right Now”

Collaborative video of the year
Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde – “Never Wanted to Be That Girl”
Dustin Lynch feat. MacKenzie Porter – “Thinking ‘Bout You”
Nelly & Florida Georgia Line – “Lil Bit”
Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood – “If I Didn’t Love You”
Jimmie Allen & Brad Paisley – “Freedom Was a Highway”
Jordan Davis feat. Luke Bryan – “Buy Dirt”
Kelsea Ballerini feat. Kenny Chesney – “half of my hometown”

CMT performance of the year
Brothers Osborne – “Muskrat Greene/Dead Man’s Curve Medley (from CMT Campfire Sessions)”
George Strait – “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone (from CMT Giants: Charley Pride)”
H.E.R. feat. Chris Stapleton – “Hold On (from 2021 CMT Music Awards)”
Kane Brown – “Three Wooden Crosses (from 2021 CMT Artists of the Year)”
Kelsea Ballerini feat. Paul Klein of LANY – “I Quit Drinking (from 2021 CMT Music Awards)”
Mickey Guyton feat. Gladys Knight & Breland – “Friendship Train (from 2021 CMT Music Awards)”
Nelly feat. Kane Brown, Blanco Brown & Breland –“Ride Wit Me (from CMT Crossroads: Nelly & Friends)”

CMT digital first
Brittney Spencer (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
Carly Pearce (from CMT :60 Songs)
Cody Johnson (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
Jon Pardi Honors Randy Travis (from 2021 CMT Artists of the Year)
Josh Turner (from CMT KickBack)
Lainey Wilson “Things A Man Oughta Know” performance (from the CMT Studio)

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