CMT Awards Adds New Artist Stage, Charity Donation

The most recent issue of "USA Weekend" had a cover story about Carrie Underwood and the CMT Music Awards. One of the awards on the Wednesday night show is the "USA Weekend" Breakthrough Video of the Year, where nominees include Easton Corbin, Laura Bell Bundy, Luke Bryan and Steel Magnolia.

Updated 6/8: Just announced presenters: Laura Bell Bundy, Gloriana, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Kellie Pickler, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Erin Andrews and Maks Chmerkovskiy, Sheryl Crow, Jada Pinkett-Smith and David Spade, and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino from MTV’s The Jersey Shore.

The CMT Music Awards are coming on Wednesday night, June 9, and here is some of the latest news about the show airing live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

Rising country stars, including Laura Bell Bundy, Easton Corbin, Justin Moore, Steel Magnolia, Trailer Choir and Chris Young, will perform on the Nationwide Insurance stage. Also as part of their sponsorship, the Nationwide Insurance On Your Side^® Award will be presented to a new artist based on fan voting at CMT.com. Award nominees include Ryan Bingham, Randy Houser, Justin Moore and Chris Young. Nationwide will also host a CMT Music Awards public viewing party on June 9 at 6:30 pm at Rippy’s Ribs & Barbecue.

CMT will be making a $40,000 donation to Feeding America in lieu of celebrity gift bags this year. The donation will provide 160,000 meals for over 400 school-aged children during the entire 2010-2011 school year through the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee’s BackPack Program, which will in turn help children whose families’ have been affected by the recent flood. Trisha Yearwood and star chef Paula Deen will make the donation at an event on Thursday, June 10.

And as part of the CMA Music Festival, CMT will honor Rascal Flatts for 10 years of “Unstoppable” music on Saturday, June 12 at 2:00-4:00 p.m. CDT. There will be a short acoustic set in the convention center hall, and Rascal Flatts will sign autographs in the CMT booth located in the Greased Lightning® Fan Fair® Hall.

Hosted by Kid Rock, the 2010 CMT Music Awards features performances from Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Zac Brown Band. Previously announced presenters include Paula Deen, Kara Dioguardi, Terrell Owens, Hayden Panettiere, Richard Petty and Kenan Thompson, Trisha Yearwood and Zac Brown Band. Red carpet arrivals will be hosted by The Singing Bee’s Melissa Peterman and CMT’s Evan Farmer beginning at 7:00 p.m., ET/PT.