See Photos From the CMT Artists of the Year Red Carpet

CMT celebrated its 2019 Artists of the Year with a star-studded event on Wednesday (Oct. 16). Airing live on CMT,…

Lauren Jo Black

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October 16, 2019

Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins; Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT/Viacom

CMT celebrated its 2019 Artists of the Year with a star-studded event on Wednesday (Oct. 16). Airing live on CMT, the 90-minute special honored Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, Kane Brown, Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett as the Artists of the Year, as well as Reba McEntire as the Artist of a Lifetime and Ashley McBryde as the Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

Prior to the event, several of the night’s honorees, as well as several special guest presenters and performers, walked the red carpet to chat with media and pose for photos.

It was date night for many of the artists. Thomas Rhett had his pregnant wife, Lauren Akins, by his side on the red carpet, while and Dan + Shay’s Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney brought their brides as well.

The CMT Artists of the Year event took place at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Check out photos from the red carpet below.

Dan Smyers with wife, Abby/ Shay Mooney with wife, Hannah

Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay with Abby Law and Hannah Billingsley; Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT/Viacom

Thomas Rhett and wife, Lauren

Ashley McBryde

Reba McEntire

Bobby Bones

Lady Antebellum

Lindsay Ell

Chrissy Metz

Tenille Townes

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Lauren Jo Black

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.