Twain to receive the 2023 CMT Equal Play Award
CMT has added a slew of female powerhouses to its increasingly star-packed lineup for the 2023 CMT Music Awards, airing live from Austin, Texas’ Moody Center on Sunday, April 2nd from 8-11 pm ET/PT on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+ with Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown returning as hosts.
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of its storied CMT Next Women of Country (NWOC) franchise, 7x Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette will make her CMT Music Awards debut alongside NWOC alum Ingrid Andress, Lainey Wilson, Madeline Edwards and Morgan Wade, plus Austin native Jackie Venson on guitar, for a can’t-miss, world premiere performance of ultimate female-empowerment anthem “You Oughta Know.”
Grammy Award winning global icon Gwen Stefani will make her CMT debut with a special one-of-a-kind performance alongside 2x nominee Carly Pearce for the duo’s first-ever on-stage collaboration. Stefani last appeared on the show in 2020 with husband Blake Shelton to accept their win for “Collaborative Video of the Year” for their duet “Nobody But You.”
Five-time Grammy Award-winning icon and the best-selling female artist of all time Shania Twain will be recognized with the third-ever “CMT Equal Play Award,” which recognizes an artist who is a visible and vocal advocate for elevating diverse and underrepresented voices in country music. Previous winners of the “CMT Equal Play Award” include Jennifer Nettles and Linda Martell.
These all-new can’t miss moments join previously announced performances by Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Kane Brown + Katelyn Brown, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, The Black Crowes + Darius Rucker, Tyler Hubbard and Wynonna + Ashley McBryde; rising stars Avery Anna, Chapel Hart, Jackson Dean, Lily Rose, Megan Moroney and Nate Smith will perform from the Ram Trucks Side Stage.
Additional performers, presenters and details about the 2023 CMT Music Awards on CBS will be announced soon.
CMT will additionally air CMT Music Awards Extended Cut with an added 30 minutes of new performances and extra bonus content on Thursday, April 6th from 8-11:30 pm ET/PT, in addition to all new programming as part of CMT Music Awards Week.