CMT Awards: Kree Harrison and Cassadee Pope to Perform on Nationwide Insurance Stage

CMT announced today that Kree Harrison, the runner-up from American Idol Season 12, and Cassadee Pope, the Season 3 winner of The Voice, will perform on the Nationwide Insurance Stage during the 2013 CMT Music Awards on Wednesday, June 5. These appearances continue a recent tradition: the Nationwide Insurance Stage features short “bumper” performances that air as the CMT telecast cuts to commercial, offering fans quick, high-energy sets from a range of country and crossover artists.

For Kree Harrison, this performance comes at the end of a milestone week. She is scheduled to make her Grand Ole Opry debut on June 4 — fulfilling a long-held aspiration — and will follow that with her CMT Awards appearance the next evening. Her schedule also includes a spot at the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge on Saturday, June 8, where she will play for Team Opry alongside other country artists and personalities.

Cassadee Pope joins the lineup fresh from her success on The Voice, bringing her blend of pop-rock and country-leaning material to the Nationwide Insurance Stage. Both Harrison and Pope join a roster of performers selected to deliver standout short sets in between the main-stage performances at the awards show.

Main Stage Performers and Hosts

The main CMT Awards stage will host established country stars, including Season 4 American Idol winner Carrie Underwood and acclaimed artist and Season 12 American Idol judge Keith Urban. Other scheduled performers for the live broadcast include Darius Rucker, Florida Georgia Line, George Strait, Hunter Hayes, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan and Taylor Swift. The show will be co-hosted by Jason Aldean and actress Kristen Bell.

Nationwide Insurance Sponsorship and Fan Award

Nationwide Insurance returns as a prominent sponsor for the sixth consecutive year and will again present the branded Nationwide Insurance Stage, modeled after the company’s recognizable blue-frame logo. As part of its sponsorship, Nationwide will present the Nationwide Insurance On Your Side® Award, recognizing country music’s best new live act as chosen by fans. Fans can view nominee performance videos and cast their votes through June 2. The nominees for this fan-decided award include Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, Kip Moore and Lee Brice.

How Fans Can Vote

Fans play a central role in determining winners at the CMT Music Awards. Voting is open online at CMT.com and through mobile options, including CMT Mobile and the CMT Insider app for iPhone, iPad and Android, through June 2. During the live broadcast, the six finalists for Video of the Year will be announced at the start of the show; viewers can then continue to vote via CMT.com, mobile, the CMT Insider app and text message (voting by text applies during the live telecast in ET/CT only) to decide the evening’s top honors.

Red Carpet and Broadcast Details

Before the awards ceremony, the red carpet will roll out with the biggest names in country, rock and pop culture arriving in designer looks. The 2013 CMT Music Awards Red Carpet will air live on Wednesday, June 5 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT on CMT and CMT.com. CMT hosts Cody Alan, Katie Cook and Allison DeMarcus will provide live coverage, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes fashion commentary, giving fans a first look at the night’s styles and moments leading into the awards show.

Production and Military Broadcast

Veteran live event producer Michael Dempsey returns as executive producer for the 2013 CMT Music Awards, with Joe DeMaio directing. John Hamlin and Margaret Comeaux serve as executive producers for CMT. For the fourth consecutive year, the show will also be broadcast on the Armed Forces Network, bringing the live event to deployed members of the U.S. military around the world.

Stay Connected

For the latest updates and announcements related to the awards, CMT encourages fans to follow the network’s social media channels and to monitor CMT.com. Fans are invited to use the official awards hashtag in social posts and to engage with show coverage across platforms during the live telecast.