Kane Brown is set to co-host the 2020 CMT Music Awards, the latest indication that times are changing in country music. The multiracial Brown — he has a white mother and an African American father, who is also part Cherokee — is the first person of color to host or co-host the CMT Music Awards.
The CMT Music Awards isn’t the only country award show that is thinking in terms of more diverse hosts than has been the norm in this genre. On Monday (Oct. 5), the Country Music Association announced that Darius Rucker and Reba McEntire will co-host this year’s show, set for Nov. 11 at Music City Center in Nashville. Rucker is the only the second Black artist chosen to host or co-host the CMAs — and the first in 45 years. Charley Pride co-hosted the 1975 show, held at the Grand Ole Opry House, with Glen Campbell.
Pride is also the only Black artist ever to host or co-host the rival Academy of Country Music Awards. Pride co-hosted that show twice. He co-hosted the 1980 telecast with fellow country legend Loretta Lynn and actor Claude Akins, best known for playing Sheriff Lobo on B.J. and the Bear, and the 1984 show with Mac Davis and Crystal Gayle.
Brown will co-host the 2020 CMT Music Awards with actress Sarah Hyland and two more hosts to be named later. Hyland is best known for playing Haley Dunphy in the long-running sitcom Modern Family.
The CMT Music Awards, which bills itself as country music’s only entirely fan-voted award show, is set to air Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. ET on CMT, MTV, MTV2, Logo, Paramount Network, Pop and TV Land.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s show will consist of outdoor performances in and around Music City. The show was held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville the last two years, with Little Big Town hosting both years.
As previously announced, Brown, Ashley McBryde, Dan + Shay, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan and Maren Morris will perform at this year’s 2020 CMT Music Awards, alongside breakout artists Caylee Hammack, HARDY, Ingrid Andress, Mickey Guyton, Riley Green and Travis Denning. Additional performers and presenters will be announced at a later date.
Brown is a two-time CMT Music Awards winner. He won male video of the year last year for “Lose It” and collaboration video of the year in 2018 for “What Ifs,” a collab with Lauren Alaina.
In a statement, Brown said, “The CMT Music Awards have always been about bringing the fans and their favorite artists together to celebrate. I have so many great memories of the show — from watching as a fan at home to accepting my first industry award win on the CMT stage. I‘m excited to join this year as a first-time host.”
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“From our first conversations about this year’s show, we knew we wanted multiple hosts who reflected both our artists and our audience,” said Margaret Comeaux, one of the show’s three executive producers (and VP of production, music and events, CMT). “Kane and Sarah are young stars on momentous career rolls. …We’re thrilled to welcome them both to their first-time hosting duties at the CMT Music Awards.”
The 2020 CMT Music Awards is executive produced by CMT’s Comeaux, Switched On Entertainment’s John Hamlin and Amy Lin Johnson. Executives in charge of production are Jackie Barba and Heather D. Graffagnino.
Fan voting is now open at vote.cmt.com and continues until Oct. 12 at 12 p.m. ET.