Little Big Town, Sugarland to Collaborate During CMT Music Awards

Little Big Town and Sugarland are the latest performers who are set to collaborate on a world-premiere performance during the upcoming CMT Music Awards, when the awards show airs from Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on April 7 on CBS. Little Big Town and Sugarland last shared the CMT Music Awards stage 15 years ago, when they were joined by Jake Owen for a rendition of “Life in a Northern Town.”

The performance coincides with Little Big Town’s 25th anniversary as one of country music’s most successful groups. The group made their Grand Ole Opry debut in May 1999, and were inducted in October 2014. They released their debut, self-titled album in 2002; that same year, they issued their debut song “Don’t Waste My Time,” which reached No. 33 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart (now Hot Country Songs). They earned their first No. 1 on that chart in 2012 with “Pontoon,” and have earned two more No. 1s on that chart: “Better Man” and “Girl Crush.”

The performance will mark four-time CMT Music Awards winners Little Big Town’s 13th CMT Music Awards performance. Their previous performances have included “Macon” with Jamey Johnson in 2010 and premiering what would become a signature summertime anthem, the two-week Billboard Hot Country Songs No. 1 “Pontoon,” in 2012. The group teamed with Keith Urban in 2013 to cover Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” offered up “Day Drinking” in 2014 and teamed with Pharrell Williams in 2016 for “One Dance,” among other performances.

Additionally, the performance also marks Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush reuniting for their first CMT performance together since 2011. Since the release of Sugarland’s debut album (the outfit initially launched as a trio) in 2004 with Twice the Speed of Life, they have earned five Billboard Hot Country Songs chart No. 1s: “Want To,” “Settlin’,” “Already Gone,” “All I Want to Do: and “It Happens.”

Four-time CMT Music Awards winners Sugarland earned their first CMT Music Awards accolade in 2005, for breakthrough video of the year for “Baby Girl.” In 2011, they offered up a rendition of “Stand Up” to draw attention to American Red Cross Tornado Relief efforts, and honored victims of devastating tornadoes that struck earlier that year. Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, as a duo, offered up a rendition of their hit single “Babe” in 2018. Nettles has also been honored for her advocacy work and championing of women in the music industry, LGBTQ+ community and other unrepresented groups, and thus received the inaugural CMT Equal Play Award at the 2020 CMT Music Awards.

Little Big Town and Sugarland join previously-announced CMT Music Awards performers including Bailey Zimmerman, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban, performer and host Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, Jordan Davis (who teams with group NEEDTOBREATHE), as well as Old Dominion, Sam Hunt and Trisha Yearwood.

As well as airing on CBS, the CMT Music Awards will also be available to stream live and on demand via Paramount+. As previously announced, CMT Storytellers: Little Big Town will premiere on Friday, April 5 at 8 p.m. ET as part of “CMT Awards Weekend.”