CMT Artist Of Year Premieres Tonight

Photo: Rick Diamond/WireImage

CMT’s first Artists of the Year presentation will feature Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift and the Zac Brown Band. Hosted by Kevin Costner the show will premiere Dec. 3. Taped in Franklin, TN at The Factory, the 90-minute special also features presenters such as Celebrity Chef Cat Cora, Hayley Williams of Paramore, Boston Red Sox’s Josh Beckett, Kid Rock, Kix Brooks, Luke Bryan, Martina McBride, Alabama’s Randy Owen, Randy Travis and Smokey Robinson.

Over the past 12 months, Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift and Zac Brown Band have collectively received over 2.5 million plays of their current songs; sold over 8.5 million copies of their current albums; sold over 21 million individual downloads of their current singles; and topped both the touring and CMT.com charts, proving themselves to be the top country artists for 2010.

CMT Artists Of The Year is produced by Audrey Morrissey and Chad Hines. John Hamlin and Margaret Comeaux serve as executive producers for CMT.