Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris top 2021 CMT Music Awards nominations
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CMT Music Awards return to Nashville this summer with a pair of hitmaking women in country music topping nominations.
Maren Morris and Miranda Lambert lead the field with four nominations apiece, including two each in top prize video of the year. Mickey Guyton, Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown and Little Big Town follow with three nominations each.
CMT Music Awards air June 9 at 7 p.m. CST on CMT, MTV, MTV2, Logo and Paramount Network. Brown returns to host for a second year, joined by Ballerini, a first-time co-host.
Ballots for the fan-voted show open Thursday at vote.cmt.com. Video of the Year ballots shrink from 14 candidates to five on June 1. CMT announces three finalists for the category on June 8.
Morris earned two slots in video of the year â for protest release "Better Than We Found It" and husband-wife duet with Ryan Hurd, "Chasing After You â as well as nods in female video of the year ("To Hell & Back") and collaborative video of the year ("Better Than We Found It").
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Lambert returns to compete for video of the year with "Settling Down," a reflective song off her 2019 record "Wildcard," and "Drunk (And I Don't Want To Go Home)," a pop-country collaboration with Elle King that features tastes of 1980s nostalgia.
More:Alan Jackson writes a new chapter in his love story for country music
Carrie Underwood, the winningest artist in the CMT Music Awards history, earns her latest video of the year nod for "Hallelujah," a John Legend collaboration. The project also earned a collaborative video of the year nod.
Underwood defended her video of the year title last year with "Drinking Alone," marking her 22nd CMT Music Awards win. She's won the night's marquee prize eight times in her career, including seven victories since 2010.
The show returns to an early summer broadcast after being delayed to October last year due to COVID-19 precautions.
More:Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan set for residencies at Resorts World Las Vegas
CMT Music Awards 2021 nominees
Video of the Year
- Carrie Underwood with John Legend - âHallelujahâ
- Dierks Bentley - âGoneâ
- Elle King and Miranda Lambert - âDrunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)â
- Ingrid Andress - âLady Likeâ
- Kane Brown - âWorldwide Beautifulâ
- Keith Urban with P!nk - âOne Too Manyâ
- Kelsea Ballerini - âhole in the bottleâ
- Kenny Chesney - âKnowing Youâ
- Maren Morris - âBetter Than We Found Itâ
- Mickey Guyton - âHeaven Down Hereâ
- Miranda Lambert - âSettling Downâ
- Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris - âChasing After Youâ
- Sam Hunt - âBreaking Up Was Easy In The 90'sâ
- Willie Jones - âAmerican Dreamâ
Female Video of the Year
- Carly Pearce - âNext Girlâ
- Gabby Barrett - âThe Good Onesâ
- Kelsea Ballerini - âhole in the bottleâ
- Maren Morris - âTo Hell & Backâ
- Mickey Guyton - âHeaven Down Hereâ
- Miranda Lambert - âSettling Downâ
Male Video of the Year
- Chris Stapleton - âStarting Overâ
- Darius Rucker - âBeers and Sunshineâ
- Kane Brown - âWorship Youâ
- Luke Bryan - âDown To Oneâ
- Luke Combs - âLovin' On Youâ
- Thomas Rhett - âWhat's Your Country Songâ
Duo/Group Video of the Year
- Brothers Osborne - âAll Nightâ
- Lady A - âLike A Ladyâ
- Little Big Town - âWine, Beer, Whiskeyâ
- Old Dominion - âNever Be Sorryâ
- Parmalee and Blanco Brown - âJust The Wayâ
- Runaway June - âWe Were Richâ
Breakthrough Video of the Year
- Dylan Scott - âNobodyâ
- Hailey Whitters feat. Little Big Town - âFillin' My Cupâ
- HARDY - âGive Heaven Some Hellâ
- Lainey Wilson - âThings a Man Oughta Knowâ
- Mickey Guyton - âBlack Like Me"
- Niko Moon - âGOOD TIME (Ride Along Video)â
Collaborative Video of the Year
- Carrie Underwood with John Legend - âHallelujahâ
- Chris Young and Kane Brown - âFamous Friendsâ
- Elle King and Miranda Lambert - âDrunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)â
- Keith Urban with P!nk - âOne Too Manyâ
- Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris - âChasing After Youâ
- Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard - âUndividedâ
CMT Performance of the Year
- From the 2020 CMT Music Awards - Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs â1, 2 Manyâ
- From the 2020 CMT Music Awards - Dan + Shay âI Should Probably Go To Bedâ
- From the 2020 CMT Music Awards - Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus âThis Is Usâ
- From the 2020 CMT Music Awards - Kelsea Ballerini and Halsey âThe Other Girlâ
- From the 2020 CMT Music Awards - Little Big Town âWine, Beer, Whiskeyâ
- From CMT Crossroads - Nathaniel Rateliff and Margo Price âTwinkle Twinkleâ