Carrie Underwood shared some exciting news with fans after she was surprised on stage by Kelsea Ballerini during her Denim & Rhinestones tour in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday.
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The country music singer temporarily paused her show when Kelsea sneaked on stage to announce that the CMT Music Awards will be relocating from Nashville to Austin for the first time ever when the ceremony returns next year. The fan-voted awards – which will again be co-hosted by Kelsea – will air Sunday, April 2, 2023, live from Austin's Moody Center.
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But what really worked the crowd into a frenzy was the news that Carrie will perform at the ceremony!
Carrie holds the title for winning the most CMT Awards in the show's history, with an impressive 25 wins to her name. She was presented with a boxing-championship-style belt of denim and rhinestones with '25' engraved on the front to mark her achievement.
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Carrie shared a clip on Instagram of the moment Kelsea surprised her on stage, and fans were quick to share their excitement over the news.
"Omg!! Your surprise announcement here at the concert was awesome!!" said one follower. A second added: "So excited that Carrie will be performing."
Carrie was revealed as the first performer at next year's CMT Music Awards
"Both Austin and Nashville are two of the world's greatest music cities and we couldn't be more excited to announce the return of the CMT Music Awards on CBS than with co-host, Kelsea Ballerini, surprising Carrie Underwood, our most awarded artist, in the middle of her incredible live performance at Moody Center – the exact venue where we'll all be back exactly five months from today!" Margaret Comeaux, John Hamlin, Leslie Fram and Jason Owen, executive producers for the CMT Awards said in a press release.
The statement continued, "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."
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