Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson, Sammy Hagar and more are set to pay tribute to the late Toby Keith during the 2024 CMT Music Awards.
All-Star Tribute Performance In Honor Of The Late Toby Keith
The tribute, set to take place at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on Sunday (April 7th), promises an all-star lineup that includes one-of-a-kind performances from Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson, Sammy Hagar, all backed by Toby Keith’s longtime band, with special appearances by Lukas Nelson and Roger Clemens.
Toby Keith had a longstanding history with CMT. Throughout his iconic career, the “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” singer earned 30 CMT nominations and won 7 trophies. He also delivered 13 performances at the CMT Music Awards, including performances for 10 consecutive years.
In addition to performing on the show numerous times, Keith also had many memorable moments on the CMT Music Awards stage over the last two decades, including two co-hosting gigs, in 2012 with Kristen Bell and 2003 with Pamela Anderson for the then-named “CMT Flameworthy Video Awards,” the year he was the most-awarded artist of the night, taking home three belt buckles, including “Video of the Year” for his video “Courtesy of The Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).”
Furthermore, a brand-new, one-hour tribute special, dubbed CMT Music Awards Celebrates Toby Keith, will premiere next week on Thursday, April 11 on CMT (10/9c), celebrating the legendary country music singer’s most memorable show moments.
Toby Keith Died On February 5, 2024
Toby Keith died on February 5, 2024 following a battle with stomach cancer. A representative for the country music icon shared the sad news with fans via a statement on his official website and social media profiles.
“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family” a statement on his official social media read. “He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
Following Battle With Stomach Cancer
He was diagnosed with stomach cancer in October of 2022, but didn’t reveal his diagnosis with fans until June of 2022. At that time, he was also forced to cancel all of his scheduled concerts to focus on his health.
With 32 No.1 singles and 44 million albums sold, Toby Keith was regarded as one of country music’s biggest hitmakers. He wrote a chart-topping hit every year for 20 consecutive years, including “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American),” “I Love This Bar,” “Beer For My Horses,” and “As Good As I Once Was.”
He was a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (having already been inducted into the all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015), and was honored with the Academy of Country Music’s prestigious Merle Haggard Spirit Award. Throughout his career, the Oklahoma native received the BMI Icon Award as well as the BMI Country Songwriter of the Year award three times, and his hit single “As Good As I Once Was” was awarded BMI’s Country Song of the Year in 2006. He was also honored with the Country Icon Award at the Inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards.
Most recently, Toby Keith received a posthumous induction into the 2024 Country Music Hall of Fame.
2024 CMT Music Awards
Hosted by Kelsea Ballerini, the 2024 CMT Music Awards will air live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, for the second consecutive year on Sunday, April 7 at 8/7c on CBS. The fan-voted awards show will deliver three hours of performances and one-of-a-kind collaborations.
The coveted awards show will feature over a dozen performances from some of the hottest acts in country music, including Jelly Roll, Bailey Zimmerman, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Sam Hunt, Cody Johnson, Dasha, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town + Sugarland, Megan Moroney, NEEDTOBREATHE + Jordan Davis, Old Dominion ft. Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum ft. Brittney Spencer, Trisha Yearwood and more.
Some of the biggest names across music, television and entertainment will also make special appearances as presenters during the coveted awards show, including Amber Riley, Billy Bob Thornton (Landman), Carly Pearce, Cody Alan, Cody Johnson, Emily Osment (Young Sheldon), Emma Roberts, Gayle King (CBS Mornings), James Van Der Beek, Jane Seymour, Jelly Roll, Max Theriot (Fire Country), Megan Moroney, Melissa Etheridge, Mickey Guyton, Minnie Driver, Montana Jordan (Young Sheldon), Parmalee and Paul Walter Hauser.
Tickets to attend the show in person at the Moody Center are available to purchase.
