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Backstage Country

Gwen Stefani Will Make Her CMT Awards Performance Debut

Gwen Stefani will make her CMT debut with a performance with Carly Pearce. Stefani last appeared on the show in 2020 with Blake Shelton. They were there to accept their…

Gwen Stefani Will Make Her CMT Awards Performance Debut
Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Gwen Stefani will make her CMT debut with a performance with Carly Pearce. Stefani last appeared on the show in 2020 with Blake Shelton. They were there to accept their win for "Collaborative Video of the Year" for their duet "Nobody But You."

In addition, Shania Twain will be recognized with the third-ever "CMT Equal Play Award." The award recognizes artists who advocate for diverse and underrepresented voices in country music. Previous winners of the "CMT Equal Play Award" include Jennifer Nettles and Linda Martell.

Gwen Stefani won't be the only '90s rock icon to hit the stage. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of its "CMT Next Women of Country " franchise, 7x GRAMMY-winning Alanis Morissette will make her CMT Music Awards debut. She will perform alongside Ingrid Andress, Lainey Wilson, Madeline Edwards, and Morgan Wade. Austin native Jackie Venson will join them on guitar. They will perform Morissette's classic "You Oughta Know."

The 2023 CMT Music Awards on CBS will air live from Austin, Texas' Moody Center on Sunday, April 2nd (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).

CMT recently revealed the top 6 finalists vying for the "Video of the Year" award at the 2023 CMT Music Awards, with fan voting now open at vote.cmt.com.

The final six "Video of the Year" nominees are:

  • Blake Shelton - "No Body"
  • Carrie Underwood - "Hate My Heart"
  • Cody Johnson - "Human"
  • HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson - "wait in the truck"
  • Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown - "Thank God"
  • Morgan Wallen - "You Proof"

Over the past several weeks, fans have cast their votes across all categories. The categories include "Video of the Year," narrowing down to the top six finalists from the original list of 16 nominees. On the morning of Sunday, April 2nd, these six will be narrowed down to the top three, with voting continuing through the live show, leading up to the big reveal at the end of the night.

Country stars walked the red carpet in Nashville last night (10/12) for the 2022 CMT Artists of the Year event, which will air on CMT on Friday (10/14).

Five country stars were honored with the Artist of the Year title: Luke Combs, Kane Brown, Walker Hayes, Carly Pearce, and Cody Johnson and all the stars were on the carpet except for Luke Combs, whose wife Nicole said on her Insta stories yesterday that she hadn't been online at all because "Tex (their baby) is going through something." She didn't share any further information.

Kane Brown and his wife, Katelyn, celebrated their 4th wedding anniversary on the red carpet. Katelyn shared a fun getting ready video clip on her Insta stories yesterday as several people helped the couple her "Glammed up" for the event.

Here's a look at country stars on the latest CMT red carpet.

2022 CMT Artists Of The Year - Red Carpet

GettyImages-1432993493.jpgJason Kempin/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 12: Kane Brown and Katelyn Jae Brown attend the 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT)


2022 CMT Artists Of The Year - Red Carpet

GettyImages-1432987995.jpgJason Kempin/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 12: Carly Pearce attends the 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT)


2022 CMT Artists Of The Year - Red Carpet

GettyImages-1432991885.jpgJason Kempin/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 12: Kelsea Ballerini attends the 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT)


2022 CMT Artists Of The Year - Arrivals

GettyImages-1433001274.jpgTerry Wyatt/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 12: Laney Beville Hayes and Walker Hayes attend the 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)


2022 CMT Artists Of The Year - Arrivals

GettyImages-1432989695.jpgTerry Wyatt/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 12: Walker Hayes and Ciara attend the 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)


2022 CMT Artists Of The Year - Red Carpet

GettyImages-1432983850.jpgBrett Carlsen/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 12: Lainey Wilson attends the 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for CMT)


2022 CMT Artists Of The Year - Arrivals

GettyImages-1432990537.jpgTerry Wyatt/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 12: Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay and Cody Johnson (C) attend the 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)


2022 CMT Artists Of The Year - Arrivals

GettyImages-1432990498.jpgTerry Wyatt/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 12: Dustin Lynch attends the 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)


2022 CMT Artists Of The Year - Arrivals

GettyImages-1432990347.jpgTerry Wyatt/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 12: Riley Green attends the 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)


2022 CMT Artists Of The Year - Red Carpet

GettyImages-1432985889.jpgJason Kempin/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 12: (L-R) Trea Swindle, Danica Hart and Devynn Hart of Chapel Hart attend the 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT)


2022 CMT Artists Of The Year - Arrivals

GettyImages-1432989742.jpgTerry Wyatt/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 12: Kane Brown attends the 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)

Nancy Brooks has been working in the country music industry for almost 30 years. She has interviewed pretty much any country star you can think of. In the late 1990s, she started working with Dolly Parton. And yes, Nancy reports that Parton is as sweet as you would think. She loves her life in country music and has been backstage at every CMA Awards show since the late 1990s. Many of her stories are from her one-on-one interviews. She was there at the beginning of the incredible careers of many music superstars today, including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, and Blake Shelton, and has interviewed them multiple times throughout the years.