First performers announced for CMT Music Awards

Country music’s biggest stars, including Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, will take the stage on Wednesday, June 9 at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT for the 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS, it was announced today by CMT. These artists will rock Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at country music’s only fan-voted award show, with more performances to be announced.

The first round of voting for the 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS has already begun and runs through Monday, May 3, only at CMT.com, where fans will select from the top nominees in each category to ensure their favorite stars become finalists. On Tuesday, May 11, CMT will announce the four finalists in each category, except VIDEO OF THE YEAR. Fans can then vote online at CMT.com through June 8 to determine the winners of the 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS. The final nominees for VIDEO OF THE YEAR will be announced at the beginning of the live show and fans can then vote at CMT.com and via text message throughout the live broadcast (ET/CT only) to determine the night’s big winner.

Fans can get more information as it becomes available on Twitter (@FollowCMT) or become a fan of the CMT MUSIC AWARDS on Facebook. Also, fans can join the discussion now at CMT.com's community and talk about who they want to see on the show, discuss travel plans and more. CMT also offers fans instant updates on their mobile phones via CMT Mobile by texting AWARDS to 32709 (standard rates apply). Tickets to the ninth annual awards show are sold out, but CMT will be offering opportunities to win tickets through artist fan clubs and partnerships, including the current sweepstakes promotion with the CMA Music Festival, for more information visit CMT.com.

The 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS is the start of CMT’s “Summer of Music” celebration which kicks off this June in Nashville, coinciding with two of the summer's most anticipated events for country music fans. The 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS show is live on June 9, and the CMA Music Festival rocks downtown Nashville and LP Field June 10-13, with more than 100 hours of live music, 30 hours of autograph signings, hundreds of artists and celebrities, and thousands of ardent country music fans from around the globe.