The country music network will celebrate the women of country music for the first time since the annual event began in 2012.
- September 12, 2018
AceShowbiz - Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert are to be honoured in CMT's first all-female Artists of the Year special.
Executives at the Country Music Television network announced on Tuesday, September 11 that they would be hosting an Artists of the Year celebration dedicated solely to female country stars for the first time since the annual event began in 2012.
Alongside Carrie and Miranda, honorees will also include Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman from Little Big Town and Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott.
Kelsea shared the news on Twitter and added, "Goodness I love you @CMT."
Goodness I love you @CMThttps://t.co/D0BKTTNpzS
— Kelsea Ballerini (@KelseaBallerini) September 11, 2018
The honorees will be joined by performers, who are yet to be announced, for the Artists of the Year show in Nashville, Tennessee which will air on October 17.
"In this monumental year for women, dedicating one of the biggest nights in the genre to applaud female country artists not only solidifies our commitment, but we hope will spark a much-needed change in the industry," said Leslie Fram, Senior Vice President of Music & Talent at CMT, about their shift to an all-female Artists of the Year roster. "This year, we're evolving the special to reflect what's happening right now in culture and in the lives of our fans."
The decision comes as female stars have spoken out about how the country music industry, and its awards shows, are dominated by men, with the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year category being filled with male stars for two years in a row.
The previous year's CMT Artists of the Year show was also all-male, with Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban being honoured.
