The race for the CMT Music Awards is heating up with artists Jelly Roll, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, and Cody Johnson vying for the grand prize with three nominations each. It's going to be a big night in Austin at the Moody Center, where Ballerini will not only grapple with the competition but also take on hosting duties for the evening's proceedings on April 7, as reported by Austin CultureMap.

With the nominees announced by CMT on Wednesday, the video of the year category is shaping up to be highly competitive boasting 16 total contenders, a list that excludes the featured artists. In a twist, Jason Aldean is in the running for "Let Your Boys Be Country," after last year's controversial pulling of his "Try That in a Small Town" video by CMT. Jelly Roll, last year's most adorned artist at the CMT Music Awards, scores his first nod in this prestigious category.

On the breakthrough scene, we're seeing a faceoff among fresh talents like Anne Wilson, Ashley Cooke, Brittney Spencer, and Tigirlily Gold in the breakout female video of the year. According to Austin CultureMap, Morgan Wallen, despite his album's towering success on the charts, has managed to snag only a singular nomination for male video of the year with his "Last Night (One Record at a Time Sessions)".

Adding a hint of diversity to this year's musical jamboree, the nominee list includes 14 first-timers from various genres, showcasing CMT's inclination towards genre-blending collaborations. These newcomers range from the likes of rock veteran Bret Michaels to international sensation Hozier, alongside burgeoning country stars such as Tyler Childers and Zach Bryan. Fans invested in seeing their favorites win can cast their votes at vote.cmt.com, with the "video of the year" award voting remaining open until the live show, as per Austin CultureMap. The event will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ for Showtime subscribers, and available on Paramount+ the following day for others.