Country music is always finding a new way to shake things up, and this time it's coming from none other than two queens of the genre.
Carrie Underwood is currently on her Denim and Rhinestones tour, where she's promoting her latest album of the same name. But during a recent concert in Austin, Texas, the crowd was stunned when Kelsea Ballerini surprised the former American Idol winner with a big announcement. As she handed Carrie a belt buckle decked out in denim and rhinestones, Kelsea shared she would not only be hosting the CMT Awards on April 2, 2023, but it was going to be held in the Moody Center, which happened to be where Carrie was performing at the time.
But wait — there's more! In addition to Kelsea's hosting news, she revealed who would be the first performer of the awards show. That's right — she disclosed that Carrie would be taking the stage that night as well. "Surprise! @CMT Music Awards is coming to Austin, TX, hosted by Kelsea and with a performance by Carrie!" the duo wrote on Instagram.
Fans simply couldn't handle the excitement after reading the epic news. "NO WAAAY!! This is the best news EVER!!!!," one person gushed in the Instagram comments section. "Omg 😱 queens are together 🥰," another fan exclaimed. "Two of my absolute favorites on one stage 💖💖," a different follower added as well.
Some folks may not know this, but Carrie's CMT Awards performance will be pretty significant. As Kelsea pointed out in the clip, the "Before He Cheats" singer currently holds the record for the most accolades won at the awards show, with a total of 25. Kelsea's hosting gig is also a big deal, as this would be her third time doing so.
All we can say is, the CMT Awards are bound to be on fire with these two in the building.
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
