The CMT Artists of the Year celebration takes place next week in Nashville but following the shooting at the Route 91 Festival in Las Vegas, as well as the recent slew of natural disasters, producers have decided to change the focus of the show.
The event is now being billed as a night of hope and healing, and instead of giving acceptance speeches, this year’s honorees, which include Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban, will pay tribute to their fans.
CMT General Manger Frank Tanki says they feel it’s important to “address all of the tragedies not in one somber and solemn moment or segment, but rather devote the entire evening to uplifting the fans through high-spirited music. He adds, “now more than ever, we want to showcase the power of unity and resilience through music.”
CMT’s Artists of the Year celebration airs October 18th at 8 pm ET, live from Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony.
Source: CMT