(L-R) Cody Johnson, Billy Gibbons, LeAnn Rimes, and Wynonna Judd perform onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT) (Jeff Kravitz, 2023 Jeff Kravitz)
AUSTIN – Downtown Austin was filled with celebrities on Sunday night as they gathered for the CMT Music Awards.
Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini hosted the show from the Moody Center and were joined by a long list of music superstars like Shania Twain, Slash, Wynonna Judd, Carrie Underwood, Lainey Wilson, Megan Thee Stallion, Gwen Stefani, Midland and Blake Shelton.
The big winner, though, was “Son of a Sinner” singer Jelly Roll.
The rapper-turned-country singer won male video of the year, breakthrough male video of the year, and CMT digital-first performance of the year.
“You can be whatever you want to be. I promise you that. I told them that I wanted to be a country singer and I am standing here at the CMT Awards with the male video of the year, baby,” he said, also getting emotional as he thanked the country music industry for its support.
Ballerini started off the show by paying tribute to victims of gun violence and the six people killed at The Covenant School in Nashville. She noted that she witnessed a friend being gunned down in a high school cafeteria in 2008 and prayed for “real action.”
See her tribute below:
The rest of the night was filled with tributes and performances that mixed rock, blues and country.
Twain was given the Equal Play Award, recognizing her for being an advocate for diversity, and Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd were honored with a tribute performance.
Here are some highlights from the CMT Music Awards:
(L-R) Carly Pearce and Gwen Stefani perform onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Kevin Mazur)(L-R) Slash, Billy Gibbons, LeAnn Rimes, Paul Rodgers, Wynonna Judd, Warren Haynes, Cody Johnson and Chuck Leavell attend the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Kevin Mazur)(L-R) Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll attend the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 John Shearer)(L-R) Kane Brown and Katelyn Jae Brown, winners of Video of the Year award for “Thank God,” pose in the Winner's Circle during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Getty Images)Blake Shelton performs onstage at the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Kevin Mazur)(L-R) Jess Carson and Cameron Duddy of Midland, Travis Kelce and Mark Wystrach of Midland attend the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 John Shearer)Shania Twain speaks onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Jeff Kravitz)Kelsea Ballerini performs onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Kevin Mazur)(L-R) Charles Esten and Cody Johnson attend the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Jeff Kravitz)Chelsea Cai Dowlearn and Randy Rogers attend the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Getty Images)Slash performs onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Jeff Kravitz)(L-R) Jon Pardi and Parker McCollum attend the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Jeff Kravitz)Carrie Underwood speaks onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Jeff Kravitz)(L-R) Morgan Wade, Alanis Morissette, and Ingrid Andress perform onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Jeff Kravitz)Megan Thee Stallion and Megan Moroney attend the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Jeff Kravitz)Ashley McBryde (c) attends the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Jeff Kravitz)Gary Clark Jr. performs onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Jeff Kravitz)In this image released April 02, (L-R) Trea Swindle, Danica Hart, and Devynn Hart of Chapel Hart perform on the RAM Stage at the CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 01, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Catherine Powell/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Getty Images)(L-R) Ian Bohen, Jen Landon and HARDY speak onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Getty Images)Warren Haynes performs onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Getty Images)(L-R) Noah Schnapp, Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo attends the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Jeff Kravitz)Nytere Boykin, Kylan Boykin, Alona Boykin, and Anale Boykin of The Boykinz attend the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Getty Images)(L-R) Kane Brown and Katelyn Jae Brown, winners of Video of the Year award for “Thank God,” pose in the Winner's Circle during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Getty Images)Darius Rucker speaks onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Getty Images)(L-R) Paul Rodgers, Slash, Cody Johnson, Billy Gibbons, LeAnn Rimes, and Wynonna Judd perform onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Kevin Mazur)(L-R) Cody Johnson, Billy Gibbons, LeAnn Rimes, and Wynonna Judd perform onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT) (2023 Jeff Kravitz)Jelly Roll performs "Need A Favor" at the CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Invision)Slash, left, and Billy Gibbons perform during a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute at the CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Invision)Kane Brown, left, and Katelyn Brown accept the award for video of the year for "Thank God" at the CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Invision)Lainey Wilson, from left, Morgan Wade, Alanis Morissette, Ingrid Andress and Madeline Edwards perform at the CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Invision)Shania Twain, left, accepts the equal play award at the CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Megan Thee Stallion cheers from right. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Invision)Kelsea Ballerini, center, performs "If You Go Down (I'm Going Down Too) accompanied by drag queens Manila Luzon, from left, Jan Sport, Olivia Lux and Kennedy Davenport at the CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Invision)Lainey Wilson accepts the award for female video of the year for "Heart Like a Truck" at the CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Invision)Hosts Kelsea Ballerini, left, and Kane Brown speak at the CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Invision)Kennedy Davenport, from left, Jan Sport, Manila Luzon and Olivia Lux arrive at the CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Invision)Shania Twain arrives at the CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Invision)Ashley McBryde arrives wearing a black ribbon in honor of the victims of the shooting at Covenant school in Nashville, Tenn. at the CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Invision)FILE - A general view of the stage is pictured at the CMT Music Awards on Wednesday, June 5, 2019, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. This year's CMT Music Awards will be a merging of country, rock and blues straight from the heart of Texas. The show will be hosted by Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini and fan-favorite Lainey Wilson is the leading nominee with four nominations. The CMT Music Awards airs live Sunday on CBS beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Rebecca Salinas is the Digital Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.
