The CMT Music Awards have a five-way tie for the most nominations going into the 2024 telecast, with Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Megan Moroney and the show’s host, Kelsea Ballerini, picking up three nods apiece.
The nominations arrived Wednesday, less than a month before the CMTs take place at Austin’s Moody Center on April 7.
As has been the custom with the CMT Awards of late, the lineup of nominees for the top prize, video of the year, is a particularly loaded one, with 16 candidates presented to fans for the initial round of voting, to be whittled down to six before the second round begins on April 1, finally knocked down to three top vote-getters as more voting ensues on show day.
Up for video of the year besides Jelly Roll, Wilson, Ballerini and Johnson are Ashley McBryde, Brandy Clark featuring Brandi Carlile, Brothers Osborne, Darius Rucker, Hardy, Jason Aldean, Jordan Davis, Kacey Musgraves, Mickey Guyton featuring Kane Brown, Parmalee, Tyler Childers and Zach Bryan.
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Among the triple-nominees, freshman artist Moroney is the only one not to have been nominated for video of the year, but her nods in other categories put her up there with the big boys and girls. Moroney, who won critical acclaim this past year as well as a rare debut No. 1 country single, is up for female video of the year with “I’m Not Pretty,” collaborative video of the year alongside Old Dominion for “Can’t Break Up Now,” and CMT digital-first performance of the year for a “Campfire Sessions” video of “I’m Not Pretty.”
Jelly Roll is triply nominated for his hit “Need a Favor,” for video of the year, male video of the year and CMT performance of the year (the latter for his rendering of the song on the 2023 CMT Awards).
Ballerini is up with “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” for video of the year, “Penthouse” for female video of the year and her live awards version “If You Go Down” for CMT performance of the year.
Wilson is represented by “Watermelon Moonshine” for video of the year and female video of the year. Her third nod comes for collaborative video of the year alongside Lukas Nelson + Promise of the Real for “More Than Friends.”
Johnson’s video of the year nod is for “The Painter,” which also affords him a male video nomination. He’s up for CMT performance of the year for an appearance on last year’s show singing “Human.”
CMT notes that 14 artists are first-time nominees: Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, Hozier, Warren Zeiders, Anne Wilson, Bret Michaels, Amber Riley, Ashley Cooke, Chayce Beckham, Koe Wetzel, Stephen Wilson Jr., Ella Langley, the Castellows and Tigirlily Gold.
If past performance is any indication, Jelly Roll enters this year’s ceremony with the wind at his back, as he won three awards in 2023.
The show will air on CMT live April 7 at 8 p.m. on the east coast and at the same hour, tape-delayed, on the west. It will also be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.
The telecast is being executive-produced by Margaret Comeaux, John Hamlin, Leslie Fram and Jason Owen. Jackie Barba and Heather D. Graffagnino are on board as executives in charge of production, with Donna Duncan and Taryn Hurd as talent producers.
A complete list of nominees:
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration). Top 6 nominees from the first round of voting, will be announced on April 1. The final 3 nominees, from the second round of voting, will be announced on show day, April 7. Final voting will be determined via social media and announced as the final category during the live show.
- Ashley McBryde – “Light On in the Kitchen”
- Brandy Clark feat. Brandi Carlile – “Dear Insecurity”
- Brothers Osborne – “Nobody’s Nobody”
- Cody Johnson – “The Painter”
- Darius Rucker – “Fires Don’t Start Themselves”
- Hardy – “Truck Bed”
- Jason Aldean – “Let Your Boys Be Country”
- Jelly Roll – “Need a Favor”
- Jordan Davis – “Next Thing You Know”
- Kacey Musgraves – “Deeper Well”
- Kelsea Ballerini – “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)”
- Lainey Wilson – “Watermelon Moonshine”
- Mickey Guyton feat. Kane Brown – “Nothing Compares to You”
- Parmalee – “Gonna Love You”
- Tyler Childers – “In Your Love”
- Zach Bryan – “Nine Ball”
FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist.
- Ashley McBryde – “Light On in the Kitchen”
- Gabby Barrett – “Glory Days”
- Kacey Musgraves – “Deeper Well”
- Kelsea Ballerini – “Penthouse”
- Lainey Wilson – “Watermelon Moonshine”
- Megan Moroney – “I’m Not Pretty”
- Reba McEntire – “Seven Minutes in Heaven”
MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist.
- Bailey Zimmerman – “Religiously”
- Cody Johnson – “The Painter”
- HARDY – “Truck Bed”
- Jelly Roll – “Need a Favor”
- Jordan Davis – “Next Thing You Know”
- Luke Combs – “Fast Car (Official Live Video)”
- Morgan Wallen “Last Night (One Record at a Time Sessions)”
DUO/GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo or group; awarded to the artists.
- Brothers Osborne – “Nobody’s Nobody”
- Dan + Shay – “Save Me the Trouble”
- Old Dominion – “Memory Lane”
- Parmalee – “Girl in Mine”
- The War And Treaty – “Have You a Heart”
- Tigirlily Gold – “Shoot Tequila”
COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists.
- Carly Pearce feat. Chris Stapleton – “We Don’t Fight Anymore”
- Ella Langley feat. Koe Wetzel – “That’s Why We Fight”
- Jon Pardi, Luke Bryan – “Cowboys And Plowboys”
- Justin Moore & Priscilla Block – “You, Me and Whiskey”
- Lukas Nelson + Promise of The Real feat. Lainey Wilson – “More Than Friends”
- Mickey Guyton feat. Kane Brown – “Nothing Compares to You”
- Old Dominion & Megan Moroney – “Can’t Break Up Now”
BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR, presented by Walt Disney World®
Best video from a female artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist.
- Anne Wilson – “Rain in the Rearview”
- Ashley Cooke – “Your Place”
- Brittney Spencer – “Bigger Than the Song”
- Tigirlily Gold – “Shoot Tequila”
BREAKTHROUGH MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR, presented by Walt Disney World®
Best video from a male artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist.
- Chayce Beckham – “23”
- Tyler Childers – “In Your Love”
- Warren Zeiders – “Pretty Little Poison”
- Zach Bryan – “Oklahoma Smokeshow”
CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo).
- Amber Riley – “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.” (from CMT Smashing Glass)
- Bret Michaels & Chris Janson – “Nothing But a Good Time” (from CMT Crossroads)
- Carrie Underwood – “Hate My Heart” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
- Cody Johnson – “Human” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
- Dierks Bentley – “Drunk on a Plane” (from CMT Storytellers)
- Dustin Lynch feat. MacKenzie Porter – “Thinking ‘Bout You” (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
- Hozier & Maren Morris – “Take Me to Church” (from CMT Crossroads)
- Jelly Roll – “Need a Favor” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
- Kelsea Ballerini – “If You Go Down (I’M GOIN’ DOWN TOO)” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
- The War And Treaty – “On My Own” (from CMT Smashing Glass)
CMT DIGITAL-FIRST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance from a production, series or livestream created for CMT digital / social channels; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo).
- Chase Rice – “Goodnight Nancy” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
- Dylan Scott – “Don’t Close Your Eyes (Keith Whitley Cover)” (from CMT Digital Campfire Sessions)
- Megan Moroney – “I’m Not Pretty” (from CMT Digital Campfire Sessions)
- Nate Smith – “Whiskey on You” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
- Scotty McCreery – “It Matters to Her” (from CMT Stages)
- Stephen Wilson Jr. – “Year to Be Young 1994” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
- The Castellows – “I Know It Will Never End” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
