Little Big Town and Sugarland Set to Collaborate on a Performance at 2024 CMT Awards

Mar. 15, 2025

Little Big Town; Sugarland.Photo:CBS (2)Little Big TownandSugarlandare set to hit the stage together at this year’sCMT Awards.On Thursday, the country awards announced during a March Madness game that the two groups — who last shared the CMT Music Awards stage in 2008 for a rendition of “Life in a Northern Town” alongsideJake Owen— would be performing a to-be-announced song together at the 2024 ceremony.Little Big Town, comprised of Karen Fairchild,Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook, will play their 13th CMT Awards show, and Sugarland’sJennifer Nettlesand Kristian Bush are set to reunite for their first CMT Awards performance since 2011.The musicians join an impressive performance slate, which wasfirst announced last weekand also includesBailey Zimmerman,Jelly Roll,Jordan Davis,Keith Urban,Lainey Wilson,NEEDTOBREATHE,Sam HuntandTrisha Yearwood, as well asthis year’s host,Kelsea Ballerini.Zimmerman received a nod for male video of the year for “Religiously,” and Jelly Roll earned nominations for video of the year, male video of the year and CMT performance of the year for “Need a Favor.“Wilson is up for video of the year and female video of the year for “Watermelon Moonshine,” as well as collaborative video of the year for “More Than Friends” with Lukas Nelson + Promise of The Real.Ballerini also earned video of the year and CMT performance of the year nods for “IF YOU GO DOWN (I’M GOIN’ DOWN TOO),” as well as a female video of the year nomination for “Penthouse.“Little Big Town is no stranger to the CMT awards, either — the group took over as hosts in 2018 and 2019, and they also hold the record for the most “group video of the year” nominations in the ceremony’s history with 25 nominations. Meanwhile, Sugarland’s Nettles was honored with the ceremony’s first-ever CMT Equal Play Award in 2020 for heractivism and supportfor gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.This year, Little Big Town will also be featured on an episode of the network’s “CMT STORYTELLERS” series, where the band will take part in a retrospective of their over two decades in the music industry and perform several of their biggest hits.Country singer and fourth-time CMT Music Awards host Ballerini previously opened up about preparing for this year’s ceremony,telling PEOPLE in an interviewthat “it’s definitely new grounds for me.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“But it’s my fourth year hosting, so I feel like I’ve learned a lot,” she told PEOPLE of the2024 CMT Music Awardssolo gig over Zoom from her home in Nashville. And the good thing about CMTs is there’s such a light energy, so there’s not a pressure that I feel to be perfect. I just want to be fun, honor the night and help people have a good time.““It’s really a big reunion and everyone wants to hang out, so I might just ask for some help where I can get it,” she added.The CMT Music Awards is set to take place April 7 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The show will air at 8 p.m. E.T. on CBS and will stream on Paramount+.

Little Big Town; Sugarland.Photo:CBS (2)

CBS (2)

Little Big TownandSugarlandare set to hit the stage together at this year’sCMT Awards.On Thursday, the country awards announced during a March Madness game that the two groups — who last shared the CMT Music Awards stage in 2008 for a rendition of “Life in a Northern Town” alongsideJake Owen— would be performing a to-be-announced song together at the 2024 ceremony.Little Big Town, comprised of Karen Fairchild,Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook, will play their 13th CMT Awards show, and Sugarland’sJennifer Nettlesand Kristian Bush are set to reunite for their first CMT Awards performance since 2011.The musicians join an impressive performance slate, which wasfirst announced last weekand also includesBailey Zimmerman,Jelly Roll,Jordan Davis,Keith Urban,Lainey Wilson,NEEDTOBREATHE,Sam HuntandTrisha Yearwood, as well asthis year’s host,Kelsea Ballerini.Zimmerman received a nod for male video of the year for “Religiously,” and Jelly Roll earned nominations for video of the year, male video of the year and CMT performance of the year for “Need a Favor.“Wilson is up for video of the year and female video of the year for “Watermelon Moonshine,” as well as collaborative video of the year for “More Than Friends” with Lukas Nelson + Promise of The Real.Ballerini also earned video of the year and CMT performance of the year nods for “IF YOU GO DOWN (I’M GOIN’ DOWN TOO),” as well as a female video of the year nomination for “Penthouse.“Little Big Town is no stranger to the CMT awards, either — the group took over as hosts in 2018 and 2019, and they also hold the record for the most “group video of the year” nominations in the ceremony’s history with 25 nominations. Meanwhile, Sugarland’s Nettles was honored with the ceremony’s first-ever CMT Equal Play Award in 2020 for heractivism and supportfor gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.This year, Little Big Town will also be featured on an episode of the network’s “CMT STORYTELLERS” series, where the band will take part in a retrospective of their over two decades in the music industry and perform several of their biggest hits.Country singer and fourth-time CMT Music Awards host Ballerini previously opened up about preparing for this year’s ceremony,telling PEOPLE in an interviewthat “it’s definitely new grounds for me.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“But it’s my fourth year hosting, so I feel like I’ve learned a lot,” she told PEOPLE of the2024 CMT Music Awardssolo gig over Zoom from her home in Nashville. And the good thing about CMTs is there’s such a light energy, so there’s not a pressure that I feel to be perfect. I just want to be fun, honor the night and help people have a good time.““It’s really a big reunion and everyone wants to hang out, so I might just ask for some help where I can get it,” she added.The CMT Music Awards is set to take place April 7 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The show will air at 8 p.m. E.T. on CBS and will stream on Paramount+.

Little Big TownandSugarlandare set to hit the stage together at this year’sCMT Awards.

On Thursday, the country awards announced during a March Madness game that the two groups — who last shared the CMT Music Awards stage in 2008 for a rendition of “Life in a Northern Town” alongsideJake Owen— would be performing a to-be-announced song together at the 2024 ceremony.

Little Big Town, comprised of Karen Fairchild,Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook, will play their 13th CMT Awards show, and Sugarland’sJennifer Nettlesand Kristian Bush are set to reunite for their first CMT Awards performance since 2011.

The musicians join an impressive performance slate, which wasfirst announced last weekand also includesBailey Zimmerman,Jelly Roll,Jordan Davis,Keith Urban,Lainey Wilson,NEEDTOBREATHE,Sam HuntandTrisha Yearwood, as well asthis year’s host,Kelsea Ballerini.

Zimmerman received a nod for male video of the year for “Religiously,” and Jelly Roll earned nominations for video of the year, male video of the year and CMT performance of the year for “Need a Favor.”

Wilson is up for video of the year and female video of the year for “Watermelon Moonshine,” as well as collaborative video of the year for “More Than Friends” with Lukas Nelson + Promise of The Real.

Ballerini also earned video of the year and CMT performance of the year nods for “IF YOU GO DOWN (I’M GOIN’ DOWN TOO),” as well as a female video of the year nomination for “Penthouse.”

Little Big Town is no stranger to the CMT awards, either — the group took over as hosts in 2018 and 2019, and they also hold the record for the most “group video of the year” nominations in the ceremony’s history with 25 nominations. Meanwhile, Sugarland’s Nettles was honored with the ceremony’s first-ever CMT Equal Play Award in 2020 for heractivism and supportfor gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.

This year, Little Big Town will also be featured on an episode of the network’s “CMT STORYTELLERS” series, where the band will take part in a retrospective of their over two decades in the music industry and perform several of their biggest hits.

Country singer and fourth-time CMT Music Awards host Ballerini previously opened up about preparing for this year’s ceremony,telling PEOPLE in an interviewthat “it’s definitely new grounds for me.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“But it’s my fourth year hosting, so I feel like I’ve learned a lot,” she told PEOPLE of the2024 CMT Music Awardssolo gig over Zoom from her home in Nashville. And the good thing about CMTs is there’s such a light energy, so there’s not a pressure that I feel to be perfect. I just want to be fun, honor the night and help people have a good time.”

“It’s really a big reunion and everyone wants to hang out, so I might just ask for some help where I can get it,” she added.

The CMT Music Awards is set to take place April 7 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The show will air at 8 p.m. E.T. on CBS and will stream on Paramount+.

source: people.com