Carrie Underwood Claims Two Buckles Including Video Of The Year at The '2012 CMT MUSIC AWARDS'

NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Carrie Underwood added two more CMT MUSIC AWARD buckles to her collection this evening winning the coveted VIDEO OF THE YEAR award for "Good Girl" and COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR with Brad Paisley for "Remind Me" at the 2012 CMT MUSIC AWARDS.  Luke Bryan took home MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR ("I Don't Want This Night to End") , a first time win for him in this category.  Multi-platinum group Lady Antebellum won GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR ("We Owned The Night") for the third straight year, and Miranda Lambert scored her third consecutive trophy in the FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR category, this year for the touching song, "Over You."

Scott McCreery claimed the USA WEEKEND BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR ("The Trouble with Girls"); Jason Aldean took home his first CMT award for CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR ("Tattoos on This Town") from his 2011 CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR performance; and Thompson Square walked away with their first-ever buckle for DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR ("I Got You").

The show's opening performance, a stellar mash-up with Lady Antebellum's "We Owned the Night" and Hot Chelle Rae's mega-hit "Tonight Tonight," was followed by  a surprising, star-filled opening segment that CMT fans have come to expect each year.  Featuring political rivals, incumbent President Barack Obama and Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney chiming in on a satirical campaign between hosts Toby Keith and Kristen Bell, the show open also featured NBC's Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford, Matthew McConaughey, Jon Bon Jovi, Steve Kroft ("60 Minutes"), Maria Menunos and Mario Lopez ("Extra,") and Robin Meade ("HLN").  After making their grand entrance in a life-sized red solo cup, a nod to the Toby Keith hit, the twosome kicked-off the party. 

The night was filled with performances including Luke Bryan's "Drunk On You," Zac Brown Band who performed their new single, "The Wind" and Pistol Annies "Takin' Pills."  Family trio The Band Perry sang their latest single, "Postcard From Paris" and Little Big Town rocked the boat with the summer anthem "Pontoon."  The legendary Willie Nelson made a rare appearance to perform "Roll Me Up" with Toby Keith, Jamey Johnson, Zac Brown Band and Darius Rucker and Kenny Chesney introduced his new single "Come Over" to fans.  Host Toby Keith premiered his rollicking number "Beers Ago" and Carrie Underwood wowed with "Good Girl."  Rascal Flatts closed the show with "Banjo," featuring a surprise appearance by rock band Journey with whom the trio sang the classic hit "Don't Stop Believin'." 

For the first time ever, the show included two live outdoor performances, which allowed fans to pack the streets of downtown Nashville.  Hank Williams, Jr. got rowdy with Brad Paisley singing "I'm Going To Get Drunk And Play Hank Williams All Night Long" and Eric Church raised a glass to fans with "Drink In My Hand."   

Hosts Toby Keith and Kristen Bell proved they were a dynamic duo on-stage, being joined by presenters Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, CMT's MY BIG REDNECK VACATION host Tom Arnold, REDNECK ISLAND host Steve Austin, Big & Rich, Luke Bryan,  "American Idol" finalists Colton Dixon and Skylar Laine, Ronnie Dunn, CMT ONE COUNTRY spokesperson Sara Evans, 2012 Indianapolis 500 Winner Dario Franchitti, "Twilight" star Ashley Greene, pro skateboarder Tony Hawk, Alan Jackson, Jake Owen, Hayden Panettiere, Kellie Pickler, actress Denise Richards, television and movie star Dax Shepard, Jordin Sparks and The Band Perry and Carrie Underwood.  

For the fifth year in a row, the CMT MUSIC AWARDS featured a second concert stage sponsored by Nationwide Insurance that included performances by Lauren Alaina, Casey James, Jana Kramer, Scotty McCreery, Kip Moore and The Farm.

CMT.com simulcast the live 2012 CMT MUSIC AWARDS online, and interacted with fans throughout the telecast with live Twitter (@CMT) and Facebook updates from the red carpet and backstage, driving #CMTawards to become a top trending topic throughout the live show.  Viewers were kept in the loop as Lauren Alaina hosted "Twitter Tracker" presented by Verizon, spotlighting the hottest trending topics throughout the show.  CMT.com also served as an online hub for all fan interaction surrounding the show with live streams of the red carpet and more. Exclusive content can be found on CMT.com and CMT Mobile, and CMT will later bow the awards on its digital all-music channel, CMT Pure Country, and the HD network, Palladia.

The 2012 CMT MUSIC AWARDS will re-air on the following days/times: Thursday, June 7 at 4:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.; Friday, June 8 at 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, June 10 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m

The evening's winners are as follows:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director. Final nominees announced during live telecast, with final voting held online at CMT.com during the show.

• Carrie Underwood – "Good Girl"

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

• Luke Bryan – "I Don't Want This Night to End"
  

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

• Miranda Lambert – "Over You"
  

GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a group; awarded to the artists

• Lady Antebellum – "We Owned The Night"
  

DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo; awarded to the artists

• Thompson Square – "I Got You"
  

USA WEEKEND BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from an artist's major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female, or group/duo)

• Scott McCreery – "The Trouble With Girls"
  

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video that featured a special collaborative appearance by artists; awarded to the artists (individual, group or duo)

• Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood – "Remind Me"
  

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

• Jason Aldean – "Tattoos On This Town" from 2011 CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR

Michael Dempsey executive produced the 2012 CMT MUSIC AWARDS alongside director Joe DeMaio.  John Hamlin and Margaret Comeaux served as executive producers for CMT.

www.cmtmusicawardspress.com – Follow @CMTPress on Twitter

CMT, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 92 million homes in the U.S. CMT and its website, CMT.com, offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and is the top resource for country music on demand. The network's digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.

SOURCE CMT