By Wonderwall.com Editors
5:00pm PDT, Apr 29, 2024
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The CMT Music Awards celebrates the best in country music, from veteran performers fans know and admire to talented new singer-songwriters ready to make an impression.
But not every artist who took the stage during the 2024 telecast — which aired from Austin, Texas, on April 7 on CBS — delivered a stellar set.
We're revisiting every performance at this year's CMT Music Awards — from worst to best.
Keep reading to see where Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Trisha Yearwood (pictured) and many more landed, plus see who we think deserves the top spot…
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No. 18: Sam Hunt, "Locked Up"
Sam Hunt's Folsom State Prison-themed performance of "Locked Up" — complete with an audience of men in blue uniform-style shirts — was supposed to channel Johnny Cash. Instead, it fell flat thanks to some seriously off-key vocals throughout the whole set.
Keep reading for a view of the prison set-up on the stage and in the audience…
MORE: The biggest country music scandals
No. 17: Jason Aldean, "Let Your Boys Be Country"
Despite the network banning his controversial video for "Try That in a Small Town" last year amid controversy, Jason Aldean still took the stage at the CMT Music Awards on April 7, singing "Let Your Boys Be Country" from an outdoor stage at the University of Texas Tower in Austin. The only controversy with this live performance were guitars that overpowered Jason's vocals, making for a lackluster set.
Keep reading for another shot of Jason on the outdoor stage…
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Jason Aldean performed "Let Your Boys Be Country" on the 2024 CMT Music Awards, which aired on April 7, 2024, in a set filmed at the University of Texas Tower in Austin, Texas, on April 3, 2024.
No. 16: Keith Urban, "Straight Line"
Keith Urban took to the CMT Music Awards stage to perform "Straight Line" — the first song off his upcoming 12th studio album (and first in nearly four years). As much as we love Keith, who ripped a great guitar solo in his trademark tight jeans and T-shirt, this song — with its dance beat and heavy pop influences — was a straight miss, especially with the vocals buried in this live version. Even an on-stage assist from singer-songwriters Anna Vaus and Maggie Baugh couldn't save this one.
Keep reading to see the ladies on stage with Keith…
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Maggie Baugh and Anna Vaus joined Keith Urban on stage at the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024, to perform "Straight Line," his first new song in nearly four years.
No. 15: Kelsea Ballerini, "Love Me Like You Mean It"
CMT Music Awards host Kelsea Ballerini looked incredible in a gold metallic bodysuit and black tights as she celebrated the 10th anniversary of her debut single "Love Me Like You Mean It" by singing a reimagined version of the hit on the outdoor stage at the University of Texas Tower in Austin. We hate to say it, but she just didn't sound as stunning as she looked for this one.
Keep reading for another look at Kelsea…
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The night's host, Kelsea Ballerini, performed a reimagined version of her debut single, "Love Me Like You Mean It" — which came out a decade earlier — on the 2024 CMT Music Awards, which aired on April 7, 2024. Her song was filmed at the University of Texas Tower in Austin, Texas, a few days earlier on April 3, 2024.
No. 14: Dasha, "Austin"
Country-pop singer Dasha delivered her debut CMT Music Awards performance at the April 7 show, singing her viral hit "Austin" — with its perfect line-dance cadence — during the show, which was, appropriately enough, held in Austin. Despite the track's popularity online, Dasha's delivery wasn't all it might have been, but perhaps more surprising was what she told the crowd as she ended the song. "Thank you to the CMTs for believing in me!" she said, admitting, "It's my first time in Austin!"
Get a closer look at her double denim look next…
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Here's another look at country-pop singer Dasha performing her line dance hit "Austin" in double denim during the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
No. 13: Brooks & Dunn, "Should've Been a Cowboy" — part of the Toby Keith tribute
Brooks & Dunn kicked off the CMT Music Awards' tribute to the late, great Toby Keith — who died in February at 62 after a lengthy cancer battle — with Toby's breakthrough 1993 single "Should've Been a Cowboy" and had no trouble getting the star-studded audience to sing along. Yet despite the nostalgia, it left us wanting more.
Keith's longtime backing band performed with Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn as well as the other two singers who honored Toby — see them next after one more shot of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn…
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Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn posed backstage with their red Solo cups after performing "Should've Been a Cowboy" during a tribute to the late Toby Keith at the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
No. 12: Sammy Hagar, "I Love This Bar" — part of the Toby Keith tribute
Rock 'n' roll singer Sammy Hagar was the next artist to come on stage to pay tribute to the late Toby Keith. After sharing a story about spending a lot of time with his old pal in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, over the years — and getting kicked out of their own bars — he launched into Keith's 2003 hit "I Love This Bar" that maybe didn't sound that great but still had the crowd humming.
Keep reading for another shot of the former Van Halen frontman and to see who else honored Toby with the best of the three tribute songs…
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Here's another look at Sammy Hagar performing "I Love This Bar" during a tribute to the late Toby Keith on stage at the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
No. 11: Lainey Wilson, "How Do You Like Me Now?!" — part of the Toby Keith tribute
The third performer to celebrate Toby Keith was Lainey Wilson, whom he mentored before his death. She closed out the three tribute performances honoring the late country icon with "How Do You Like Me Now?!" — the title track to his 1999 album.
She did a beautiful job during what was her second time on stage that night, but someone else who didn't sing really captured our hearts when it came to honoring Toby — keep reading to see who it was… (after seeing one more pic of Lainey!)
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Lainey Wilson performed "How Do You Like Me Now?" during a tribute to the late Toby Keith on stage at the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
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Retired baseball star Roger Clemens' appearance during the Toby Keith tribute at the 2024 CMT Music Awards really resonated with us. Though he didn't sing, he still packed an emotional punch with the audience during his time on stage, choking up as he shared loving words for his late buddy, whom he called "a true friend and patriot" who "kept his sense of humor and his wit" even as he was "battling that damn C-word."
The MLB star led the crowd in a toast — with red Solo cups, of course, in a nod to another of Toby's hits — at the end of the musical tributes.
You can see Roger here with Ronnie Dunn, Sammy Hagar, Kix Brooks, Lainey Wilson and Lukas Nelson. Keep reading for another pic from the tribute finale…
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Cheers!
Here's a closer look at country music singers Kix Brooks and Lainey Wilson as they joined baseball great Roger Clemens on stage for a red Solo cup toast as they wrapped up a tribute to the late Toby Keith during the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
No. 10: Jelly Roll, "Halfway to Hell"
Jelly Roll closed the whole show with a fiery performance of "Halfway to Hell" complete with pyrotechnics. The crowd was amped for it but we think he impressed far more with what he accomplished earlier in the evening: A year after breaking on the scene and winning three CMT Music Awards in 2023, he did it again in 2024, scoring three trophies again, all for "Need a Favor" — video of the year, male video of the year and CMT performance of the year.
Keep reading for a closer look…
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Here's a closer look at Jelly Roll, one of the night's big winners, performing "Halfway to Hell" to close out the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
No. 9: Cody Johnson, "That's Texas"
Cody Johnson opened the 2024 CMT Music Awards with a rousing rendition of his 2023 hit "That's Texas" — the perfect choice considering the show took place in Austin. The high-energy song laced with guitars and a fiddle set the tone for a fun night.
Kelsea Ballerini — hosting the CMT Music Awards for the fourth year in a row (and her final year, she later told the audience) — nailed it while describing Cody's performance when she took the stage to begin emceeing the night: "That is the way to kick it off in Texas!"
Keep reading for another look at Cody…
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Cody Johnson performed a rousing rendition of his hit song "That's Texas" to open the show at the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
No. 8: Bailey Zimmerman, "Where It Ends"
Bailey Zimmerman's performance of the rock-heavy radio burner "Where It Ends" was accompanied by fireworks, flames and an ear-splitting guitar solo on the outdoor stage at the University of Texas Tower in Austin. The crowd was invested — and we were too.
Keep reading to see another pic of Bailey on stage at the CMT Music Awards…
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Bailey Zimmerman performed "Where It Ends" on the 2024 CMT Music Awards, which aired on April 7, 2024. Along with the other performances that took place outdoors, his set was filmed at the University of Texas Tower in Austin, Texas, on April 3, 2024.
No. 7: Trisha Yearwood, "Put It in a Song"
After receiving the inaugural June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award at the 2024 CMT Music Awards early in the night, Trisha Yearwood returned to the stage later in the show to debut "Put It in a Song" — the first track from her upcoming new album (and her first single since 2020). She performed it stripped down, just her vocals accompanied by a couple acoustic guitars. The song might have been low-key, but her delivery was all emotion, reminding viewers why she's one of the greats.
Keep reading to see another shot of Trisha performing…
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Trisha Yearwood performed her new song "Put It in a Song" on stage at the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
No. 6: Megan Moroney, "No Caller ID"
Decked out in in tall white cowboy boots and a baby blue minidress, self-proclaimed "professional emo cowgirl" Megan Moroney strummed and sang on the CMT Music Awards stage, delivering a solid live version of "No Caller ID," a ballad about an ex trying to creep back into the George native's life in the middle of the night just as she's started to heal. It wasn't her only performance of the night — more on that shortly…
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Here's another shot of Megan Moroney performing her hit "No Caller ID" during the CMT Music Awards in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
No. 5: NEEDTOBREATHE and Jordan Davis, "Brother" and "Next Thing You Know"
Jordan Davis and NEEDTOBREATHE teamed up for an impressive mashup late in the first hour of the show. The country stars seamlessly transitioned from NEEDTOBREATHE's "Brother" to Jordan's "Next Thing You Know" and back again, delivering what presenter Melissa Etheridge described as a preview of the next episode of "CMT Crossroads," which debuts later this spring.
Keep reading for a closer look at Jordan…
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Jordan Davis performed his song "Next Thing You Know" during an excellent mashup with NEEDTOBREATHE's "Brother" during the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
No. 4: Old Dominion and Megan Moroney, "Can't Break Up Now"
Megan Moroney took the stage for a second time later in the show, this time joining Old Dominion for their shared hit, "Can't Break Up Now," on the outdoor stage at the University of Texas Tower in Austin. She sounded better for this set, with her vocals blending beautifully with those of Old Dominion's Matthew Ramsey, making for some pitch-perfect harmonies.
Keep reading for a wider view of the beautifully lit outdoor stage…
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Matthew Ramsey, Geoff Sprung, Brad Tursi and Trevor Rosen of Old Dominion and singer Megan Moroney performed their joint hit "Can't Break Up Now" on the 2024 CMT Music Awards, which aired on April 7, 2024, in a set filmed at the University of Texas Tower in Austin, Texas, on April 4, 2024.
No. 3: Parker McCollum and Brittney Spencer, "Burn It Down"
Singer-songwriter Brittney Spencer joined Parker McCollum — and plenty of pyrotechnics — on stage to deliver "Burn It Down," which happened to be the No. 1 song on the Billboard Country chart the week the 2024 CMT Music Awards aired. Their more-rock-than-country performance of the track about destroying memories from a past relationship was hot, sexy and angry in all the best ways.
Keep reading for another look at Parker…
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Parker McCollum performed "Burn It Down" on stage at the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
Earlier in the night, Parker and his wife, Hallie Ray Light McCollum, hit the red carpet before the show to joyfully debut her new baby bump: The couple are expecting their first child together later in 2024.
No. 2: Lainey Wilson, "Country's Cool Again"
She makes it look easy: Lainey Wilson is one of those rare performers with a natural charisma that doesn't quit. She worked the room and the camera as she sang her hit "Country's Cool Again" with swagger, prancing and dancing across the stage and into the audience, whipping up energy with every swish of the fringe on her trademark bellbottoms and every twang in her confident, strong vocals. The song itself is hardly epic, but Lainey's rizz and delivery elevated her performance into one of the best of the night.
Keep reading for another great pic of Lainey in action…
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Lainey Wilson performed "Country's Cool Again" on stage at the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
She also won big at the show that night, taking home the best female video award for "Watermelon Moonshine."
No. 1: Little Big Town and Sugarland, "Take Me Home"
During the show, CMT Music Awards host Kelsea Ballerini broke the news that Sugarland and Little Big Town will be touring together in the fall.
She then introduced the bands, who debuted what Kelsea described as their "highly special take" on Genesis rocker Phil Collins' hit song "Take Me Home" — and she wasn't kidding!
Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook began the song before being joined by Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush — then all six voices combined for some truly powerful harmonies. This epic blending of talent marked a truly special moment and turned into the strongest performance of the night.
Keep reading for a closer look…
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Jimi Westbrook, Kimberly Schlapman, Jennifer Nettles, Karen Fairchild, Kristian Bush and Philip Sweet joined forces as Little Big Town and Sugarland performed Phil Collins' hit song "Take Me Home" together on stage during the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
Keep reading to see another shot from the epic team-up…
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The women of Little Big Town and Sugarland — Kimberly Schlapman, Jennifer Nettles and Karen Fairchild — belted out Phil Collins' hit song "Take Me Home" during the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2024.
