CMT transformed this year’s CMT Artists of the Year special from a formal awards show to a night of hope and healing.
Following devastating hurricanes and the tragic mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, honorees Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line‘s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban used Wednesday’s event to send heartfelt messages directly to their fans from Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
The six men opened the 90-minute special with speeches of hope and unity after Andra Day and Little Big Town dedicated a moving musical tribute of Day’s hit “Rise Up” to all who have suffered tragedy this year.
“Music can be so powerful and we’ve never needed it more than we do right now,” Bryan, 41, began the intro segment. “Music moves us. Music brings us together. And tonight music can be a part of the healing.”
Then, Stapleton shared: “From Las Vegas to Puerto Rico, from Florida and Texas to Charlottesville and California, the entire nation is trying to process these devastating events. But on this night, one that we usually celebrate a year of music, we also want to celebrate a year of incredible human spirit. A spirit that we see in our fans every night.”
Hubbard, 30, and Kelley, 32, continued the emotional presentation by reminding fans of the strength of country music amid tragedy.
“The character of country music fans is obvious to us all. We see it all the time. When the natural disasters strike, you step up to lend a helping hand and open your hearts and wallets for those in need,” Kelley said before Hubbard shared, “During tragedies like Las Vegas, so many people — from concertgoers to first responders who risked their own lives for total strangers — it’s in those moments, those acts of courage and heroism, that bring light to even the darkest times.”
Don’t miss a beat of country music news, photos and videos! Click here to get all this and more in the PEOPLE Country Newsletter.
John Shearer/Getty Images for CMT
Also, Urban, 49, reminded the audience and viewers the true purpose of the night.
“In some small way tonight, we want to thank you for your resolve and perhaps lift your spirits just for a moment. We hope to remind you that everything we go through, we can get through when we stick together,” he said.
Aldean, 40, closed out the segment with a somber statement, reflecting back on the Route 91 Harvest Festival, the outdoor country music gathering where he was performing before a gunman killed 58 people and injured 489.
“We’ve been tested beyond our worst nightmares the past few months. Heartbroken doesn’t even begin to explain how some of us feel,” he said. “But we have proven time and again in this country that we have the power to overcome anything that threatens our way of life or our freedom. We dedicate this night to you and to everyone who’s experienced loss or tragedy in the past few months. Like Keith said, we will get through this together.”
This Article Was Originally Posted at www.People.com
http://people.com/country/cmt-artist-of-the-year-honorees-open-2017-show-with-message-of-hope/
