Kelsea Ballerini to Host, Perform at CMT Music Awards: 'It's Full-Circle'

When the CMT Music Awards return to the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, for a second run at the venue on Sunday (April 7), five-time Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper Kelsea Ballerini will host the evening, leading viewers through the show. -full, prize-filled event. The awards show will air live on CBS and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

“I think last year, being the first year there, the fans were so excited and you could really feel that in the room,” says Ballerini. Advertising sign via Zoom ahead of Sunday's awards ceremony. “I felt like that really translated to people at home watching. To be here again, I feel like we've worked out any kinks that might have happened and now we're comfortable and we're ready.”

This year, Ballerini is hosting the CMT Music Awards solo, after co-hosting the show for the past three years. In 2021 and 2023, Ballerini co-hosted the CMT Music Awards with Kane Brown, while in 2022 she co-hosted remotely.

“I was just kidding that I'm not as worried about messing up the prompter,” Ballerini says of this year's solo host duties. “I'm a bit more concerned that there are a lot of stairs and a stage to navigate without a hand to lean on. But I think Kane taught me well, so I'm excited. The script is really funny, in my opinion. It's light and festive.”

Ballerini will be doing double duty at the CMT Music Awards night not only as host, but as a performer. Last year, she poured out her journey of pain and healing after divorce in her acclaimed and Grammy-nominated work Rolling Up the Welcome Mat. But on Sunday, she will celebrate a decade in the music spotlight when she sings a reworked version of her debut single 'Love Me Like You Mean It'. Ballerini co-wrote the song with Lance Carpenter, Josh Kerr and Forrest Glen Whitehead, and after Ballerini released it as her debut single in 2014, the song became her first Country Airplay hit.

“I wanted to bookmark it and I wanted to find a way to honor it and also challenge myself to remake it as a 30-year-old,” says Ballerini. “Its message is still something I believe in, which is that you accept the love you think you deserve, and we all deserve good, loyal love. But how I would sing it now sounds different than how I recorded it when I was 19. First of all, my voice has changed so much. When I listen to the original, my voice sounds much higher, so I wanted to play on this lower record that I got as I got older. I wanted to keep the integrity of the melodies that made it sound, so you hear that in the chorus and you hear it in a mandolin or something like a synth in the background. It maintains the integrity of the original, but advances it.”

Her role as host of the CMT Music Awards also marks a full-circle moment for Ballerina, who first attended the CMT Music Awards as a fan.

“My first memory of the CMT Music Awards was when I was in high school. I had just moved to Nashville and a friend and I were waiting outside the barricade at the CMT Music Awards when they were still in Nashville. We just waited for artists to come because we wanted to meet them and take pictures with them. I remember Keith Urban came and I have a picture with him. As a fan, it was one of the craziest moments of my life, so it feels very full circle to go from the kid outside the barricade to the host of the show. That's not lost on me and I'm very excited to be here.”

Looking back on her previous performances and performances at the CMT Music Awards, she says last year's performance of “If You Go Down (I'm Going Down Too)” stood out, when Ballerini was flanked by top drag queen artists including Manila Luzon, Kennedy. Davenport, Jan Sport and Olivia Lux.

“I think when I ride off into the sunset one day, this will be something I'll hang my hat on forever. I'm proud of that,” says Ballerini.

For Ballerina, one of the most anticipated moments during this year's show will be the collaboration between Little Big Town and Sugarland. “I feel like this is a win for the country music team,” he says. “I remember seeing them when they toured together when I was still in there [Ballerini’s hometown of] Knoxville, Tennessee and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. Then they did “Life in a Northern Town” [with Jake Owen] at the CMT Music Awards and it was iconic, so for them to work together again, I'm excited to see what they do. I know what they will do, why [Little Big Town’s] Karen [Fairchild] he's one of my good friends, but I'm excited for everyone else to see what they're doing.”

If given the chance to add an artist to the CMT Music Awards bill, Ballerini says one performer immediately comes to mind: Beyoncé.

Ballerina says about Beyoncé Cowboy Carter album, “I think it's incredible, I really do. I think having one of the biggest superstars in music history make a country record is a team win for country. The record is so beautiful. This will definitely be the soundtrack I prepare on Sunday.”