Kenny Chesney is set to close out the 2022 CMT Music Awards on Monday (April 11) by taking the stage to deliver a classic song from his decades-long career. The country superstar will debut two new band members in a televised performance that will serve as a tease for his upcoming return to the road, and he's fired up.

A press release Friday morning (April 8) explains that Chesney and his band are in the final rehearsals for his upcoming Here and Now 2022 Tour — which launches in Tampa on April 23 — and he's been so excited about integrating new drummer Nick Buda and guitarist Danny Rader into his band that he actually reached out to CMT to ask if he could be part of the annual awards show.

“You just know when something’s white hot,” Chesney says of his rehearsals. “I can’t wait for people to see where this band is, and I realized: even when we get to Raymond James Stadium on April 23, most people won’t get to see it until we hit their town!"

“I know there are some very passionate people who are coming into Tampa to be part of flying the No Shoes Nation Flag for the first time since 2019, and I can’t wait to hear them roar," Chesney continues. "But when I realized the CMT Music Awards were happening next week, I asked if they could find space for us to debut this band, to play one of those songs that defined what we do live all those years ago — and they said, ‘C’mon.’”

Chesney joins a massive all-star slate of awards show performers announced late last month: Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd, Carly Pearce, Cole Swindell and Lainey Wilson and Keith Urban were all among the first round of performers.

Carrie Underwood, Mickey Guyton and Old Dominion were also added to the lineup on April 4. Guyton will be joined by psychedelic soul group the Black Pumas for her time on stage.

The 2022 CMT Music Awards will also feature the first televised performance in more than two decades from the Judds. Priscilla Block, Breland, Jessie James Decker, Parker McCollum, Elvie Shane and Caitlyn Smith will all perform from the Ram Trucks Side Stage.

Ballerini is also set to co-host the fan-voted awards show alongside Anthony Mackie when the 2022 CMT Music Awards air live from Nashville on Monday, April 11, beginning at 8PM ET. 2022 marks the first time the CMT Music Awards will air on the CBS Television Network, and the broadcast will also be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.

Voting is now open at vote.cmt.com.

See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born

Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!

Men named Hank dominated early before stars like Freddie Hart, Ronnie Milsap, Willie Nelson Clint Black took over to close the 1980s. More recently it's been Tim Mcgraw, Rodney Atkins, Kane Brown and Morgan Wallen. Did the most-played country song from the year you were born become a favorite of yours later? All info comes from Billboard's country airplay charts.

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