CMT Music Awards: A Performers’ Portrait Gallery (EXCLUSIVE)

Although the CMT Music Awards are airing live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, many of the performances are from remote locations around the central Tennessee area. The network captured portraiture of the performers before they took to the makeshift stage at these settings, including Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Ingrid Andress, Lauren Alaina, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Blanco Brown and — back at the host arena — duet partners H.E.R. and Chris Stapleton. Here is Variety’s exclusive look at the stars in the run-up to the show, which airs simultaneously on CMT, MTV, TV Land, MTV2, Logo and Paramount Network.

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