Country Music Television Awards 2024 nominations: Lainey Wilson, Kelsea Ballerini and Cody Johnson lead the list with Jelly Roll and Megan Moroney

The Country Music Television awards nominations were announced on Wednesday morning.

Lainey Wilson, Kelsea Ballerini, Megan Moroney and Cody Johnson lead the list along with Jelly Roll as each won three nods.

First-time nominees include Amber Riley, Ashley Cooke, Bret Michaels, Chayce Beckham, Hozier, Koe Wetzel, Stephen Wilson Jr., Tyler Childers, Warren Zeiders and Zach Bryan.

The fan-voted award show will air live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on April 7. 

Ballerini will host the CMT Music Awards for the fourth time. 

This will be the first time she’s done it without co-host Kane Brown.

The Penthouse and Mountain with a View singer, 30, opened up to People magazine about going into her fourth year as a solo host.

‘It’s definitely new grounds for me,’ Ballerini said. 

‘But it’s my fourth year hosting, so I feel like I’ve learned a lot. And the good thing about CMT is there’s such a light energy, so there’s not a pressure that I feel to be perfect. 

‘I just want to be fun, honor the night and help people have a good time.’

Ballerini has not been shy when it comes to using the show to make a statement. 

She performed with drag queens during the Tennessee drag ban, and last year brought up the topic of gun violence.

‘I think when you have a platform, especially as a host, especially on a show having such a big platform on CBS and CMT, you have a responsibility to address things that matter,’ the four-time Grammy nominee explained.

‘Both of those statements last year really mattered to me. I just think it’s really important to have moments in every program, whether it be CMT or any show, where people are expressing their wants, for everyone to feel seen and safe.’ 

The country singer is coming off the successful year she had in 2023 anchored by her hit EP ‘Rolling up the welcome mat’- which was number three for the year on the Rolling Stone list of 25 best country and Americana albums.

However, 2023 was also the year that a messy divorce between her and Morgan Evans, her husband of five years, was finally settled.

The three-hour CMT awards show will be broadcast live from Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7 at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS.