CMT One Country to donate to music award winners' charities

For the second year, CMT ONE COUNTRY will reward winners of the 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS by making donations on their behalf to their selected charities. In addition to honoring winners, CMT ONE COUNTRY is partnering with Rhapsody® to make donations on behalf of all nominees. From now until Sunday, June 21, the proceeds from the purchase of any 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS nominated song from Rhapsody.com will go to benefit the artist’s specified charity. The 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS premiere LIVE on Tuesday, June 16 at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT on CMT and CMT.com.

“CMT ONE COUNTRY is honored to once again reward the charities of the winners for the 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS,” said Lucia Folk, director of public affairs, CMT, “And we are privileged to partner with Rhapsody to reward not only winners, but also nominees’ charities at a time when non-profits need the community's support more than ever.”

”Rhapsody is proud to be involved with the CMT ONE COUNTRY initiative and help music fans to support the charities of their favorite artists,” said Tim Quirk, vice president of programming for Rhapsody America.

CMT ONE COUNTRY, CMT’s pro-social initiative, was launched in the fall of 2005 to inspire CMT viewers to take action and bring about important change in their communities. After the 2008 CMT MUSIC AWARDS, CMT ONE COUNTRY donated $70,000 on behalf of winners to their selected charities. Visit CMTONECOUNTRY.com to learn more information about the nominated artists’ charities and this initiative.

A complete list of the 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS nominated artists and the charities who would receive their donation are below (in alphabetical order):

Trace Adkins: The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network

Dierks Bentley: Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt

Brooks & Dunn: Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt

Kenny Chesney: PLAN!T NOW

Def Leppard: Create Now

Trey Fanjoy (Director): MusiCares

Deaton Flanigen (Directors): Victory Junction Gang Camp

Chris Hicky (Director): Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation

Julianne Hough: Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Alan Jackson: CMT ONE COUNTRY non-profit partners

Jamey Johnson: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Toby Keith: Ally's House

Kid Rock: CMT ONE COUNTRY non-profit partners

Alison Krauss: Thistle Farms

Lady Antebellum: Mocha Club

Miranda Lambert: Humane Society of East Texas

Little Big Town: T.J. Martell Foundation

Martina McBride: Childhelp

Reba McEntire: The Smile Train

Montgomery Gentry: T.J. Martell Foundation

Jake Owen: Mardy Fish Foundation

Brad Paisley: The Shjon Podein Children’s Foundation

Kellie Pickler: Wounded Warrior Project

Robert Plant: TurtleWill

Rascal Flatts: Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt

Rehab: Elton John Aids Foundation

Michael Salomon (Director): American Cancer Society

Jim Shea (Director): The Shjon Podein Children’s Foundation

Shaun Silva (Director): Thistle Farms

George Strait: Jenifer Strait Memorial Fund

Sugarland: MusiCares

Taylor Swift: The Red Cross

Peter Tilden (Director): The Shjon Podein Children’s Foundation

Carrie Underwood: The Humane Society of the United States

Keith Urban: Meals on Wheels, Nashville Chapter (and the City Commission)

The Wailers: I Went Hungry (Friends of the World Food Program)

Roman White: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Hank Williams, Jr.: CMT ONE COUNTRY non-profit partners

Zac Brown Band: Institute for Children's Autism Research and Education

Peter Zavadil (Director): St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Country music’s only fan-voted awards show, the 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS, will premiere LIVE on Tuesday, June 16 at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT on CMT and CMT.com, and includes performances by Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and British rockers Def Leppard.

Fans can now vote online at CMT.com through Sunday, June 14 to determine the night’s winners. The final nominees for VIDEO OF THE YEAR will be announced at the beginning of the live show and fans can vote at CMT.com and via text on their Verizon Wireless phones throughout the live broadcast (ET/CT only) to determine the night’s big winner.