Cody Johnson brought his hit single "Human" to life onstage at the 2023 CMT Music Awards on Sunday night (Apr. 2), delivering a powerful live rendition of his ode to self-improvement and balancing the different passions and dreams we chase in life.
Johnson sat with his acoustic guitar on a stage in the center of the crowd at Austin's Moody Center. Audience members raised their phone flashlights for the performance, which offered a glowing effect in the arena, and sparkling lights added to the soulfulness of the rendition.
The Texas native performed a pitch-perfect version of the tune, playing his own guitar and being accompanied by fiddle and other traditional country instruments. Dressed in jeans and a suit jacket, along with his classic white cowboy hat, Johnson stayed seated for the entirety of the performance, allowing the meaningful lyrics to ring out. The song only gained momentum as Johnson continued performing, and it received enthusiastic applause from the audience.
"Human" is the title track off Johnson's wildly successful double album from 2021. As a radio single, it follows "'Til You Can't" -- the singer's breakout hit, and a song that he performed at last year's CMT Awards ceremony.
Johnson is among the most-nominated artists at the 2023 CMT Music Awards show, with mentions in three different categories. Among those is Performance of the Year, for his rendition of "'Til You Can't" from the 2022 CMT Awards. "Human" is also nominated in the Male Video of the Year category.
The video for "Human" was also a finalist in the most coveted category of the night, Video of the Year. A whopping 16 nominees for Video of the Year were initially announced, and in early rounds of fan voting, that list was whittled down to six. Hours before the awards show kicked off, the CMTs announced its final three top contenders as Carrie Underwood's "Hate My Heart," Hardy and Lainey Wilson's "Wait in the Truck" and Kane Brown and Katelyn Brown's "Thank God."
The 2023 CMT Music Awards air live from Austin, Texas' Moody Center on CBS. The event is also streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+. Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini are co-hosting the show.
2023 CMT Music Awards Red Carpet
The best dressed at the 2023 CMT Music Awards took a slight risk on an established personal style. Country singers and their significant others walked the red carpet prior to the Sunday (April 2) show in Austin, Texas. See pictures of the hottest country fashions as worn by the biggest hitmakers, most-talked-about newcomers and more.Who gets your vote for best and worst dressed at the 2023 CMT Music Awards?
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