CMT ANNOUNCES NEW CATEGORY FOR THE “2016 CMT MUSIC AWARDS” AND REVEALS NOMINEES FOR FIRST-EVER #SOCIALSUPERSTAR AWARD
06/01/16
BLAKE SHELTON AND THOMAS RHETT NOW TIED WITH CARRIE UNDERWOOD, CAM AND CHRIS STAPLETON FOR MOST NOMINATIONS
VOTING UNDERWAY NOW
NASHVILLE – June 1, 2016 – In recognition of country artists continuous and innovative creativity in engaging fans through social media, CMT today announced a brand new category and nominations for the “2016 CMT Music Awards,” the #SocialSuperstar category. The award honors artists who are pioneering social media as a tool to regularly interact with fans through a multitude of platforms and apps.
The nominees for the inaugural award are Brett Eldredge, Blake Shelton, Jake Owen, Kelsea Ballerini, Lindsay Ell and Thomas Rhett. Nominees Blake Shelton and Thomas Rhett are now tied for the most nominations with Carrie Underwood, Cam and Chris Stapleton, with three each. Winners will be revealed in the live show premiering Wednesday, June 8 at 8pm ET/PT from Nashville.
Fans can vote via Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #CMTawards and an artist specific tag. Voting will continue to be open during the live show on June 8th. Fans are encouraged to post with #CMTawards plus the hashtag for their favorite artists: #VoteBlake, #VoteBrett, #VoteJake, #VoteKelsea, #VoteLindsay and #VoteThomas.
Co-hosted for the second year by Erin Andrews and joined by football superstar J.J. Watt, country’s biggest stars are slated to perform including Blake Shelton, Cam, Brett Eldredge, Cam, Chris Stapleton, Fifth Harmony, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett and more to be announced.
Follow @CMT on Twitter and Instagram, use hashtag #CMTawards and like the CMT Music Awards on Facebook.
To request press credentials for the 2016 CMT Music Awards, please visit cmtmusicawardspress.com.
Last year’s “CMT Music Awards” once again earned its title as the loudest in country music garnering nearly 17 million cumulative viewers for the premiere and subsequent airings, according to Nielsen. #CMTawards trended worldwide on Twitter from the start of the live telecast and throughout, and the show ranked as the #1 most social telecast of the day with over 18 million impressions according to Nielsen Twitter TV ratings. The awards ranked as the #2 most social non-sports telecast of the week and CMT.com saw double-digit gains for “CMT Music Awards” content, with unique visitors up +33% from the prior year.
About CMT
CMT, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 92 million homes in the U.S. CMT, CMT.com and CMT Radio offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and are the top resource for country music on demand. The network’s digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.
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Cindy Finke
CMT
615-335-8404
Cindy.finke@cmt.com
Tiffany Shipp/Izabel Tassy/Jamie Bezozo/Lauren Kelcher Stevenson
Sunshine Sachs
CMT@SunshineSachs.com
212.691.2800
