Leslie Fram Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

CMT and CBS have set the date for the 2023 CMT Music Awards, airing Sunday, April 2, 2023 live from Austin, Texas’ Moody Center for the first time.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Tonight’s CMT Music Awards show will endeavor to emphasize what’s currently flameworthy, to borrow a word that has long since been retired from the telecast’s original name. Prime performance slots have been given to country music figures who are still on the ascent, from still-fairly-freshly-minted superstars Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson to up-and-comers who really seem fresh out of the oven, like Megan Moroney and TikTok sensation Dasha (pictured above, in rehearsals).

Kelsea Ballerini is set to host the 2024 CMT Music Awards for the fourth consecutive year.

Nothing brings people together like music. The 2023 CMT Music Awards will be a star-studded event — not only for the show’s nominees and performers, but also for its presenters.

Bigger in Texas! Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown return to host the 2023 CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2.

On Wednesday, Country Music Television announced the stacked line-up for its final “Next Women of Country” showcase of the year, taking place on Nov. 8.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticWhen Leslie Fram, formerly a top programmer and morning cohost in radio’s alternative format, made the jump from FM to television by coming aboard the CMT network as the VP in charge of music in 2011, she liked almost everything she had to learn as a quick study in country music. That ranged from the greater collegiality of country’s artist community to how much earlier the music showcases started in Nashville than they had in New York.

The country music community gathered today at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville to remember one of their own. As it might be expected, the best way to honor and memorialize one of the genre’s greatest hitmakers was found in song.

A public memorial service for 5-time Grammy winner and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Naomi Judd, who died last week at 76, will air live on CMT this weekend.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticA public memorial service for Naomi Judd has been set for this Sunday evening at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, with CMT airing it live and commercial-free at 6 p.m. ET/3 PT.The lineup of participating artists who will perform or otherwise pay tribute will be announced in the days leading up to the event, with organizers for now promising “some of the biggest names in entertainment” will have a part in saying goodbye to the singer, who died April 30.Naomi’s daughters, Wynonna and Ashley Judd, are participating in the program, which is being co-produced by CMT and Sandbox Live.

Jason Aldean is on the red carpet with his wife Brittany.

EXCLUSIVE: The 2022 CMT Music Awards have added more performers to its inaugural broadcast on CBS.

Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert have been nominated for two CMT Awards each, going head to head in the Video of the Year category.MORE: Carrie Underwood 'couldn't be more proud of sister' Miranda Lambert after 'long overdue' winThe show, the only fan-voted country music awards show, sees Carrie also nominated for Collaborative Video of the Year for her hit song 'If I Didn't Love You' with Jason Aldean, while Miranda is up for Female Video of the Year for 'If I Was A Cowboy.' WATCH: Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood perform together at 2014 CMT Music AwardsKane Brown leads the nominations this year with four, including Video of the Year, Male Video of the Year and CMT Performance of the Year.Kelsea Ballerini - who is hosting alongside Marvel star Anthony Mackie - has three nominations, along with Mickey Guyton, BRELAND and Cody Johnson; it is the first CMT nods for Cody and BRELAND.SEE: All the show-stopping looks from the 2022 ACM AwardsTwelve acts are nominated for Video of the Year - the big award - with the final nominees, from a second round of voting, announced on show day.A winner is picked via social media votes and announced as the final category during the live show. Kelsea will co-host with Anthony MackieJoining Miranda and Carrie in the category are Taylor Swift and Chris Stapleton, Mickey Guyton, Kane Brown, Maren Morris, Luke Combs, Kacey Musgraves, Cole Swindell and Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, and Brandi Carlile."Expect the most unforgettable CMT Music Awards yet, jam-packed with the most star-power, world premiere performances and one-of-a-kind collaborations from in and around Music City," executive producers Margaret Comeaux, John Hamlin and Leslie Fram said in a statement.

The fans are in charge! The first round of nominations for the 2022 CMT Music Awards have been announced — and the list is full of chart-topping artists.

CBS and CMT have set a new April air date and venue for the 2022 CMT Music Awards. CBS’ inaugural broadcast of country music’s entirely fan-voted awards show will now take place live on Monday, April 11 from 8-11 PM Live ET/delayed PT from Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium, and various locations in and around the city. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe CMT Music Awards, which agreed to move their date and venue when the 2022 Grammy Awards announced their relocation to Las Vegas, have unveiled the new date and venue for their inaugural broadcast on CBS: The show will now broadcast live from Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium on Monday, April 11, from 8 p.m – 11 p.m. ET; the West Coast broadcast will be delayed, although the show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.“The biggest and best moments in music are coming to CBS this April,” said Jack Sussman, executive vice president, specials, music, live events & alternative programming for CBS.

2020 CMT Music Awards — and that means the show will need a super-sized slate of hosts!Ashley McBryde will join Kane Brown and Sarah Hyland as a celebrity host for this year's awards show, which is set to honor the best videos and performances of the year on Oct. 21.“We are thrilled to welcome Ashley as our third and final host for the 2020 CMT Music Awards!” said Leslie Fram, Senior Vice President, Music and Strategy for CMT.

Variety Staff Follow Us on TwitterSave The Music, which is partnered with ViacomCBS and supports efforts to teach music in schools, particularly in economically challenged districts, has announced a new music industry advisory board led by Elena Diaz, senior vice president of talent and content development at ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group, Leslie Fram, svp of music and talent at CMT, and Wanda Coriano, senior director of music at MTV.

A few hours after Leslie Fram discussed how the COVID-19 outbreak might affect the entertainment industry — and talked about bringing DIY hand sanitizer to victims of the deadly March 3 tornado that devastated Middle Tennessee — the Nashville-based exec found out she had her own brush with the virus.

By Greg Evans

The country music television network that started the “Next Women of Country” franchise is now promising to be “Half Women of Country.” CMT announced Tuesday that all of its music video programming blocks will consist of 50% female artists from here on out.