AUSTIN, Texas — The CMT Music Awards are coming to Austin and will be held at the Moody Center in 2023.
Country star Kelsea Ballerini will return to the stage as the award show's co-host for a third year. The surprise announcement was made at the Moody Center on Wednesday night during Carrie Underwood's "Denim & Rhinestones" tour stop in town.
Ballerini joined Underwood on stage and presented Underwood with a boxing-championship style belt covered in denim and rhinestones, according to a report by KVUE's news partners at the Austin American-Statesman.
The belt was to commemorate the 25 CMT Awards Underwood has earned, which is more than any other artist.
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“Our fans are in for an unforgettable night of music with plenty of surprises, as the Live Music Capital meets Music City for the first time ever on a national stage in what will be a true country music extravaganza," executive producers of the event shared in a news release.
Michael Owens, vice president of programming for the Moody Center, said the move to Austin after 21 years in Nashville is the result of cultivating a relationship with CMT, CBS and Paramount.
“The programming team at Oak View Group and Moody Center has spent the past two years cultivating this relationship and working to endear CMT, CBS and Paramount to Austin and our new, world-class arena. CMT’s commitment to Austin reflects those efforts and we couldn’t be more grateful and excited to host them next year,” Owens said in the release.
Details on the awards show, such as ticket prices and lineup details have not yet been announced.
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