CMT Artists of the Year: See Red Carpet Looks From Carly Pearce, Walker Hayes, Kelsea Ballerini, Cody Johnson & More
Some of Nashville’s biggest stars and most talented newcomers stepped out on Wednesday evening for the 2022 CMT Artists of…

Carly Pearce, Walker Hayes, Laney Hayes, Kelsea Ballerini, Cody Johnson, Brandi
Some of Nashville’s biggest stars and most talented newcomers stepped out on Wednesday evening for the 2022 CMT Artists of the Year celebration at Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
Ahead of the show, which is set to air on CMT on Friday evening, the artists strutted down the red carpet where they posed for photos and spoke with members of the media before making their way into the elegant soirée.
Artists like Kelsea Ballerini, Laci Kaye Booth, and Jessie James Decker sported head-turning looks with pops of color, while others, like Chapel Hart, Jenna Paulette, and Sacha opted for classic white ensembles.
Artists such as Gary LeVox, Lily Rose, Julia Cole, Katelyn Brown, and Shay Mooney sported a more traditional black red carpet look for the occasion.
The event also served as a date night for quite a few artists, with Walker Hayes attending with his wife, Laney, by his side, Cody Johnson walking hand-in-hand with his wife, Brandi, and Jessie James Decker posing alongside her husband, Eric.
It was a special celebration for Kane Brown and Katelyn as it was their fourth wedding anniversary.
“We’re having so much fun! This is like our date night tonight for our anniversary,” Katelyn told Entertainment Tonight’s Cassie DiLaura prior to the show.
See below for photos of the CMT Artists of the Year red carpet.



















The 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year will celebrate the success Carly Pearce, Kane Brown, Cody Johnson, Luke Combs and Walker Hayes have seen throughout the past year.
Alan Jackson will be honored as the CMT Artist Of A Lifetime. The prestigious honor, presented by Ram Trucks, was previously awarded to Randy Travis (2021), Reba McEntire (2019), Loretta Lynn (2018), Shania Twain (2016), Kenny Rogers (2015) and Merle Haggard (2014).
Lainey Wilson will be named the 2022 CMT Breakout Artist Of The Year. Wilson is the fifth recipient of the award, following Mickey Guyton (2021), Ashley McBryde (2019), Kelsea Ballerini (2016), and Chris Stapleton (2015).
The 90-minute event will also feature performances from Jackson, Pearce, Johnson, Brown and Wilson. Hayes will join forces with Ciara for a never-before-seen performance of their “Y’all Life” remix. Riley Green will also take the stage to honor Luke Combs.
A heartwarming tribute to the late Loretta Lynn, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 90, will also take place during the star-studded event.
In addition to a star-studded list of performances, the show will also include presenters: Chris Stapleton, Dan + Shay, Dustin Lynch, Rascal Flatts’ frontman Gary LeVox, Kelsea Ballerini, Yellowstone’s Kelsey Asbille, and Shane McAnally.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will also appear remotely from his annual Dale Jr. Foundation charity event in North Carolina to present Combs with his 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year award.
The 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year ceremony will premiere on Friday, October 14 at 9/8c via CMT.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.