There will be no CMT Music Awards ceremony this spring.
The long-running country music awards show is officially on pause and facing a very murky future as Paramount continues a merger with Skydance Media.
Several other international awards shows have also been put on pause.
- The first CMT Awards were called the CMT Flameworthy Video Music Awards, in 2002.
- The show has long separated itself from other country awards shows by focusing on music videos and allowing fans to vote on the winners.
- Carrie Underwood is the all-time leader in Video of the Year wins with 10.
Related: The 25 Best Country Songs of the Last 25 Years
The Hollywood Reporter cites an internal memo written by the president of Paramount. Officially, the show is being paused as the company looks to “reimagine and optimize our events slate going forward.”
The MTV Europe Music Awards, MTV Millennial Awards and Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards Mexico are also affected. The entertainment news and trade outlet details other cuts Paramount has made since 2024.
Last year’s CMT Music Awards took place in Austin, Texas in April. Kelsea Ballerini hosted, but noted at the end of the show it would be her last year doing so.
Jelly Roll‘s “Need a Favor” video won Video of the Year, one of three awards he’d win that night. Viewership was estimated at 5.4 million viewers on CBS, comparable to last fall’s CMA Awards on ABC, which drew six million.
That was the third year the CMTs aired on CBS, and while the show changed little between networks, the increased audience — comparable to other country awards shows — was encouraging.
With the loss, there remain just two major awards shows, the CMA Awards in the fall and the ACM Awards in the spring.
This year’s ACM Awards are set for May 8 and will once again be broadcast on Amazon Prime.
The 25 Best Country Songs of the Last 25 Years (2000-2024)
The best country songs of the last 25 years were felt and heard. Commercial impact was a factor, but emotional impact is what separates these songs from others released in the 2000s.
Technically the century began in 2001, but we reached back to 2000 to summarize this list of top songs. Alan Jackson is the only artist with two songs, but you’ll find 11 Entertainer of the Year winners scattered across a playlist the required several stunning exclusions.
Curious as to why your favorite song missed the cut? Well, there are only 25 spots for the best of 25,000 country song releases. Hard decisions needed to be made!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
Leave a Comment