On a night that was supposed to bring the CMT Awards and the annual CMT Artists of the Year special, a CMT Heroes special took its place with special performances from Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini, Sam Hunt, and Thomas Rhett.
The at-home performances were joined by teachers, nurses, grocers, farmers, and entrepreneurs who were celebrated for stepping up over the past several weeks in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Special moments from Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, and Brothers Osborne preceded a stripped-down performance of the Ben E. King classic, “Stand By Me” from Kane Brown.
Kane was shown in a Nashville studio sitting on a bar stool, sang the soulful song along with a band who was off-camera.
This ended the two-hour show.