Chris Willman Music WriterIn the formerly cable-only show’s first year premiering as a prime-time broadcast TV tentpole, the CMT Music Awards will have country star Kelsea Ballerini returning as co-host, joined this year by actor Anthony Mackie, CBS announced Thursday.Ballerini is taking on hosting duties for a second straight year.
In 2021, she co-hosted with fellow country star Kane Brown, who was then in his second year in the role.Mackie, best known for his roles in Marvel’s “Avengers” franchise, most recently as the co-lead in the Disney Plus limited series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” is a surprise choice to host a country awards show, although he did present an award on last year’s telecast.
The CMT Awards have primarily been hosted by country music figures in recent years, but the show does have a long history of bringing in actors to share the duties.
Sarah Hyland co-hosted with Brown and Ashley McBryde in 2020; prior to that, Brittany Snow, Kristen Bell, Pamela Anderson and Kathy Najimy had been drafted at various points.The networks additionally said that nominations will be revealed March 16, a little less than a month prior to the show’s air date.
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