Chapel Hart, Nate Smith Among Lineup for CMT Music Awards’ Ram Trucks Side Stage

A group of rising country artists will get a moment in the spotlight at the upcoming CMT Music Awards.

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Chapel Hart, Megan Moroney, Jackson Dean, Nate Smith, LilyRose, and Avery Anna will all perform on the Ram Trucks Side Stage during the live broadcast. Chapel Hart rose to fame with their viral audition on season 17 of America’s Got Talent with their original song, “You Can Have Him Jolene,” which they’ll perform on the awards show, while Moroney has been making waves with her single, “Tenessee Orange,” that’s in the top 20 on country radio.

Dean and Smith have both had No. 1 singles with “Don’t Come Lookin’” and “Whiskey on You,” respectively. Rose broke onto the country scene with her viral hit, “Villain,” in 2020, and will perform her new single, “Whatcha Know About That.” 2023 CMT Next Women of Country inductee Anna will also perform her new single, “Narcissist.” Anna, Chapel Hart and Rose are all making their CMT Music Awards debut performances.

Moroney and Anna are nominated in the Breakthrough Female Video of the Year category, with Moroney also scoring a nod for CMT Digital-First Performance of the Year. Dean and Smith are both up for Breakthrough Male Video of the Year.

Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini will co-host the show, which takes place on April 2 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, and Ballerini are among the previously announced performers. Brown will also take the stage with his wife, Katelyn Brown, in the television debut performance of their chart-topping duet, “Thank God.”

Wilson is the most nominated act at the show with four nods, while Brown, Johnson and first-time nominee Jelly Roll have three apiece. Underwood is the most-winning artist in the show’s history and is up for the night’s top prize, Video of the Year, along with Female Video of the Year.

The CMT Music Awards will air live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

Photo by Bailey Lamar