Country music fans in Austin lost an opportunity to see some of the top musicians of 2025, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter. It referenced an internal memo stating that the CMT Music Awards, which have been held in Austin for the past two years, have been canceled.
Although the news broke on February 7, there has still been no easily accessible public statement. CMT is still posting on social media, but has not addressed the cancelation in a permanent post.
The short memo, as published by The Hollywood Reporter, states that the cancelation of the CMT Music Awards along with several others under the Paramount umbrella, is "to reimagine and optimize our events slate going forward."
Paramount is going through a merger with Skydance Media that has been beset with hurdles including a lawsuit from President Donald Trump, objections from a group of New York pension funds, and other external interests. Paramount also executed three rounds of layoffs in 2024.
It looks like Austinites will never know who would have appeared at the awards ceremony. In 2024, nominees included Jelly Roll, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, and Cody Johnson. The year before was the inaugural year for the Austin version of the awards show, which at that point was already 56 years old and had been based in Nashville. Its 2023 nominees included Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown, Austin's own Charley Crockett, and more.
County music hasn't fled the Texas capital entirely. The iHeartCountry Festival Presented by Capital One is still on the books for May 3 at Austin's Moody Center. Headlined by Brooks & Dunn and featuring Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flatts, and more, that might be local country fans' best shot for now at seeing the genre's top talent.
