The first round of performers for the 2018 CMT Music Awards were announced Wednesday morning, with Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Sam Hunt, Blake Shelton and Chris Stapleton all slated to take the stage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
Making her first appearance on the show, Clarkson is set to perform a rendition of the Guess Who’s “American Woman,” which is also the title of an upcoming Paramount Network sitcom starring Alicia Silverstone that premieres the next day. The 1970 classic-rock hit has actually been performed on the CMT Awards stage once before – Jason Aldean and Lenny Kravitz teamed up to open the show with the song in 2013. (That same year, Kravitz was a surprise guest at CMA Music Festival.)
Hunt and Clarkson are the only performers who are not nominated for an award at this year’s ceremony, with Stapleton up for three and Shelton and Ballerini in the running for two each. Aldean, Florida Georgia Line and Carrie Underwood lead the field with four nominations each.
As previously reported, Little Big Town will host this year’s fan-voted show, which airs live on June 6th at 8:00 p.m. ET on CMT, one night before Nashville’s yearly CMA Fest kicks off.