.lukecombs, kanebrown and carlypearce are among 2022 CMT Artist of the Year nominees.
The 90-minute special will also welcome a cavalcade of artists — who have yet to be announced — to celebrate this year’s five honorees with special performances and collaborations. First-time honorees Hayes, Johnson and Pearce join CMT Artists of the Year veterans Brown and Combs, who have each previously been honored with the accolade twice, both in 2019 and 2021.
Over the past year, Pearce notched her third No. 1 Country Airplay single, with the Ashley McBryde collaboration “Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” which was included on Pearce’s critically-acclaimed album. The success of “Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” which Pearce and McBryde wrote with Shane McAnally, marked the third duet between two solo female artists to top the Country Airplay chart since the chart’s inception in January 1990.