2022 CMT Music Awards Take Over Nashville With Stunning Performances, Collaborations

Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood. Photo: Courtesy of CMT

The 2022 CMT Music Awards took over Music City on Monday night (April 11), showcasing performances from some of country music’s biggest and fastest-rising stars and honoring the best country music videos from the last year.

Pictured: Kacey Musgraves introducing The Judds. Photo: Courtesy of CMT

Among the evening’s performance highlights were legendary mother-daughter duo The Judds reuniting for their first televised performance in over 20 years as the pair sang “Love Can Build A Bridge.” Introduced by country superstar Kacey Musgraves, The Judds delivered the powerful tune in front of Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, backed by a full choir.

Other notable moments were Keith Urban kicking off the high-energy show with his infectious “Wild Hearts,” Cody Johnson‘s jaw-dropping rendition of “‘Til You Can’t” from the Broadway stage in the middle of downtown, last-minute co-host Kane Brown delivering his No. 1 hit “One Mississippi,” co-host Kelsea Ballerini premiering her brand-new single “Heartfirst” from her backyard in quarantine, Carrie Underwood‘s high-flying version of “Ghost Story” from her “Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency,” and Kenny Chesney giving a sneak peek of his upcoming summer stadium tour as he closed the show with “Beers In Mexico.”

Pictured (L-R): Little Big Town’s Jimi Westbrook and Kimberly Schlapman, Jimmie Allen, Monica, and Little Big Towns Karen Fairchild and Phillip Sweet. Photo: Courtesy of CMT

This year’s CMT Music Awards also featured an impressive mix of never-before-seen collaborations, including Mickey Guyton and Black Pumas teaming up for a world-premiere performance of “Colors;” Jason Aldean and Bryan Adams joining forces for a duet of Adams’ classic hit “Heaven;” and Jimmie Allen, Monica, and Little Big Town sharing the stage for a touching, premiere performance of their song “Pray.”

The big winners of the night were Aldean, Underwood, and Johnson, who each took home two of the prized CMT buckles. Aldean and Underwood’s hit duet “If I Didn’t Love You” was honored with the coveted Video of the Year and Collaborative Video of the Year award, while Johnson earned the Male Video of the Year (“‘Til You Can’t”) and CMT Digital-First Performance of the Year (“Dear Rodeo (from CMT Campire Sessions)”). This year’s awards marked Aldean’s first Video of the Year win, and further extended Underwood’s record as the most awarded artist in CMT history with 25 wins.

Miranda Lambert. Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images for CMT)

Miranda Lambert walked away with the CMT buckle for Female Video of the Year for her hit “If I Was A Cowboy.” The reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year also took the stage with the debut television performance of the tune, complete with fireworks for the packed crowd.

Other winners included Maddie & Tae (Duo/Group Video of the Year, “Woman You Got”), Parker McCollum (Breakthrough Video of the Year, “To Be Loved By You”), George Strait (CMT Performance of the Year, “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone (from CMT Giants: Charley Pride)”), and Taylor Swift (CMT Social-Trending Comeback Song of the Year, “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)”).