Getty Maren Morris and Gabby Barrett both dropped out of performing at this years CMT Music Awards.
The 2021 CMT Music Awards air tonight at 8 pm ET on CMT, MTV, and TV Land. The long list of country music icons performing includes Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan. Maren Morris and Gabby Barrett were also slated to perform, but both recently dropped out of the awards show.
Morris cited a “scheduling conflict” as the reason she won’t be performing. ET reports that Morris broke the news to fans via an Instagram story.
“Due to a scheduling conflict, I will not be performing at the CMT Music Awards on Wednesday. I know @jpsaxe will slay it and I am so excited for his album to come out soon,” Morris wrote.
Ingrid Andress will take Morris’s place singing “Line By Line” with JP Saxe. Andress shared a photo of her dressed in black leather holding a microphone on her Instagram story with the caption, “u ready for the @cmt awards?”
Barrett was scheduled to perform alongside Lady A (formerly Lady Antebellum) and Carly Pearce, but dropped out due to “personal circumstances.” In an Instagram post, Barrett wrote “I’m really sad to share that because of personal circumstances I won’t be able to perform with @ladya and @carlypearce on Wednesday at the CMT Music Awards.”
Barrett Won a CMT Award in 2020
At last year’s CMT Awards, Barrett took the stage to perform her song “I Hope.” She also took home her first CMT Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year for the song’s music video.
In January 2021, the breakout country star welcomed a baby girl named Baylah with her husband Cade Foehner. In an Instagram post, Barrett wrote “Oh Baylah May, how you have flipped my world completely upside down in such a small amount of time.”
Foehner plays guitar in Barrett’s band. He and Barrett met while contestants on “American Idol.”
Morris Is Nominated for Four CMT Awards This Year
Although Morris won’t be present at tonight’s awards show, it’s possible she’ll win at least one award. She is nominated for Video of the Year (“Better Than We Found It”), Female Video of the Year (“To Hell & Back”), and Collaborative Video of the Year (“Chasing After You” with Ryan Hurd). Her video with her husband Ryan Hurd is also nominated for Video of the Year, meaning it could potentially win in both categories.
In a February Instagram post, Morris celebrated the release of her duet with her husband. “I love you, our son & our song,” she wrote. “Cheers to our first real duet.”
Morris and Hurd got married in 2018 and welcomed a baby boy named Hayes in 2020. Morris wore a short wedding dress inspired by the one her mother wore at her own wedding.
Miranda Lambert is tied with Morris for the most nominations this year. Lambert is nominated for “Settling Down” and “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)“, a duet with Elle King. Lambert will perform tonight alongside Jack Ingram and John Randall.
Who Is Hosting the Awards?
Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown will host tonight’s show. Both hosts are also performers and nominees tonight. Ballerini and Brown are both nominated in the Video of the Year category.
Tonight’s award presenters include Busy Philipps, Gladys Knight, and Mickey Guyton.
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