NASHVILLE, TN. (CMT) - The 2005 CMT MUSIC AWARDS has set new viewing records at the network. The two-and-a-half hour live awards show, which premiered on Monday, April 11, scored a 1.75 in the P18-49 demo, making it CMT's highest rated and most watched telecast in channel history.
More than 9.9 million viewers P2+ watched the live awards show telecast and related CMT MUSIC AWARDS programming on April 11. Driven by young, female viewers, April 11 was CMT's highest rated and most watched day ever among women viewers ages 18-49. In addition, the success of the 2005 CMT MUSIC AWARDS drove the network's April 11 Primetime to be CMT's most watched and highest rated Primetime in channel history.
"The stars aligned for this year's CMT Awards," remarked the channel's Executive VP/ General Manager Brian Philips. "Jeff Foxworthy is as hot as a rocket right now, and CMT's artists have never generated more fan interest, or greater CD sales. The CMT Awards are meant to be an over-the-top party celebrating the very best in our genre, and we had a plenty to celebrate this year!" said Philips. "Star power drives ratings," he added, "and we delivered our biggest array of talent ever."
The evening's festivities, telecast live from downtown Nashville, awarded country music's elite for the year's most outstanding videos. The 2005 CMT MUSIC AWARDS is country music's only fan-voted awards show and only video music awards. Fans cast a record number of votes at CMT's Web site, CMT.com, leading to an all-time event-day traffic record. Due to fan participation during the week of the 2005 CMT MUSIC AWARDS, CMT.com page views soared up 61% over the same period last year.
Hosted by comedy kingpin Jeff Foxworthy, the evening was filled with laughs, surprises and amazing musical performances by Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Heart, Toby Keith, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Big & Rich, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson and Trisha Yearwood. Highlights of the show included Yearwood's surprise performance, debuting new music and her first television performance in nearly three years. Other highlights of the two-and-a-half hour live telecast include Gretchen Wilson's duet with powerhouse rockers Heart, "Crazy On You." The three women rocked the house with the song originally made famous by Heart. The original cast of "Dukes of Hazzard," Catherine Bach, ("Daisy Duke"), John Schneider ("Bo Duke"), Tom Wopat ("Luke Duke"), James Best ("Rosco P. Coltrane"), Ben Jones ("Cooter") and Sonny Shroyer ("Enos") joined together for a television reunion. Big & Rich closed the show with a rousing musical number featuring the cast of their video "Save a Horse (Ride A Cowboy)" set to the dance re-mix of their hit song.
Musical icon Loretta Lynn faced an arena-wide standing ovation as she accepted the Johnny Cash Visionary Award from presenters and admirers Gretchen Wilson, Martina McBride and Reba McEntire. Lynn was also honored by friends and family in a moving pre-taped tribute, featuring Elvis Costello, Crystal Gayle, Faith Hill, Sissy Spacek, Keith Urban and Wynonna.
Appearing with Jeff Foxworthy were NASCAR star Kyle Busch, Deana Carter, Jeff Daniels ("Because of Winn Dixie," "Terms of Endearment"), Drea de Matteo ("Joey," "The Sopranos"), Bill Engvall ("Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie"), Gina Gershon ("Face/Off"), Dennis Hopper ("Apocalypse Now," "Easy Rider"), Shooter Jennings, Larry the Cable Guy ("Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie"), Andie MacDowell ("Beauty Shop"), Montgomery Gentry, Joe Nichols, Julie Roberts, Rick Schroder, ("NYPD Blue"), William Shatner ("Boston Legal"), Van Zant, NASCAR star Brian Vickers, Lee Ann Womack and the Warren Brothers, all of whom were presenters on the telecast. In a pre-taped segment, Shania Twain joined Foxworthy and Billy Currington in a hilarious spoof on her video, "Party For Two."
Keith Urban, who received the night's big honor for Video of the Year, voted on by viewers during the live telecast said, "The fans are a passionate lot, and I love that. It's pretty overwhelming when you get that kind of love back from people like I've been getting."
Other stars walking away with CMT MUSIC AWARDS include Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Rick Schroder, and Gretchen Wilson, who picked up two awards.
CMT, America's No. 1 country music network, carries original programming, specials, and live concerts and events, as well as a mix of videos by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, including world premiere exclusive videos. Founded March 6, 1983, CMT, owned and operated by MTV Networks, reaches more than 77.1 million households in the United States.
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