2022 CMT Artists of the Year

Country Music Television or CMT recently named their top artists of the year and luckily for you, they are all hitting the road next year and touring their hits. The 2022 CMT Artists of the Year are Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Kane Brown, Luke Combs and Walker Hayes. CMT also recognized Lainey Wilson as “Breakout Artist of the Year” and Alan Jackson as “Artist of a Lifetime.”

We will take a closer look at their recent accomplishments in the blog below and let you know where they are headed on tour.

Carly Pearce

Pearce, who won the 2021 CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year, left home at 16 to work at Dollywood. Her debut album Every Little Thing (2017) and Platinum-certified title track helped her garner the attention of the genre’s biggest stars like Blake Shelton, who she will join for his “Back to the Honkey Tonk” tour in 2023. Her 2021 album 29: Written in Stone featured her first No. 1 hit, “Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” which topped the Billboard Country Airplay charts. It was written and recorded as a collaboration with Ashley McBryde. Pearce has a few solo shows remaining before that tour starts on Feb. 16 including two nights at the prestigious Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

She is the lone female performer honored as one of the 2022 CMT Artists of the Year. Gabby Barrett and Kelsea Ballerini were celebrated in 2021 along with Mickey Guyton who was named “Breakout Artist of the Year.”

Cody Johnson

This Texas-born singer-songwriter scored his first No. 1 hit album with 2019’s Aint Nothin’ to It. “Till You Can’t” from his 2021 EP Human: The Double Album, was his first chart-topping single. It is now certified double-Platinum by the RIAA. Johnson, who also goes by “CoJo,” is currently on tour with Randy Houser and has dates scheduled through the summer of 2023.

Kane Brown

Brown, who recently made history as the first male country artist to perform at the VMAs, will start the U.S. leg of The Drunk and Dreaming Tour in spring 2023 with support from Dustin Lynch, LoCash and Gabby Barrett. The tour began in September in New Zealand, shortly after the release of his album Different Man. Restless Road is also slated to join Brown on a number of Canadian dates this spring.

Luke Combs

The Country Music Association’s 2021 Entertainer of the Year is set to embark on a stadium tour with supporting acts like Wilson, Riley Green, Flatland Calvary and Brent Cobb. Combs debuted in 2017 with his first studio album This One’s For You. It was certified triple platinum with hits like “When It Rains It Pours” and “One Number Away.” His second EP followed a similar path earning several awards and securing his first chart-topping album on the Billboard 200. He released Growin’ Up in 2022 and started touring shortly after. The Luke Combs World Tour starts March 25 and is scheduled to hit 16 countries on three continents.

Walker Hayes

Hayes is set to wrap up the Glad You’re Here tour with Parmalee this November. It is the “Fancy Like” artist’s first headlining arena tour which follows the release of Country Stuff the Album. Hayes debuted in 2010 with his first single “Pants” and has released three LPs since. “You Broke Up with Me” and “Fancy Like” are both certified platinum for Hayes.