2016 CMT Awards announces #SocialSuperstar category

In recognition of country artists continuous and innovative creativity in engaging fans through social media, CMT has 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 8th at 8 pm 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.

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.

2016 CMT Music Awards air June 8th at 8 pm ET/PT on CMT

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com