Kelsea Ballerini will return to co-host the 2023 CMT Music Awards.
The country music awards will take place on April 2, 2023, airing live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, for the very first time.
What’s more, Carrie Underwood was confirmed as a performer during her concert at the venue on Wednesday (02.11.22).
Margaret Comeaux, John Hamlin, Leslie Fram and Jason Owen, executive producers of the awards, said in a statement: “Both Austin and Nashville are two of the world’s greatest music cities and we couldn’t be more excited to announce the return of the CMT Music Awards on CBS than with co-host Kelsea Ballerini surprising Carrie Underwood, our most awarded artist, in the middle of her incredible live performance at Moody Center – the exact venue where we’ll all be back exactly five months from today!
“Our fans are in for an unforgettable night of music with plenty of surprises, as the Live Music Capital meets Music City for the first time ever on a national stage in what will be a true country music extravaganza.”
Tom Noonan, president and CEO, Austin CVB, added: “We are beyond thrilled to welcome the CMT Music Awards to Moody Center in 2023! This event will have not only a huge financial impact on Austin and its tourism industry, but it will also showcase two of the top music brands globally, Austin as The Live Music Capital of the World and Country Music Television.”
Due to a positive COVID-19 test, Kelsea was forced to co-host from home at this year’s ceremony, with Kane Brown and Anthony Mackie on the ground.
She said at the time: “The incredible CMT team and my team have bought part of the CMT set to my house, to my little bubble, and set it up to where I can still host and perform.
“It is certainly not what we had expected or planned for, but we are doing our damn best. … Let’s make some lemonade together out of these very bitter lemons.”