NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) – Blake Shelton learned a valuable lesson at the CMT Music Awards: Don’t bet against Blake Shelton.
The Voice star bet against himself in the male video category tonight, wagering that Luke Bryan would win the category. Shelton won for Doin’ What She Likes, and now he’ll be doing what Bryan likes.
“I owe Luke an expensive dinner, but that’s OK,” Shelton joked.
Bryan was a constant fixture early in the awards. He kicked off the show with Florida Georgia Line (FGL), Jason Derulo and ZZ Top – who mashed up their songs This Is How We Roll, Talk Dirty and La Grange. He took a shot from host Kristen Bell about falling off the stage last week – while wrapped in yellow warning tape.
And he and FGL helped Bell with her monologue, taping a segment poking fun at the Jay Z-Solange Knowles elevator dustup, complete with black-and-white security footage.
He returned to the stage later after winning CMT performance of the year with Lionel Richie for their performance of Oh No and All Night Long from 2013 CMT Artists of the Year.
“The fact that I have won an award with you is just amazing, buddy,” Bryan said from the stage.
“All I can say is, if I’m having this much fun, let’s do it again,” Richie responded.
He added another trophy, winning best collaboration with FGL for This Is How We Roll – giving both acts a total of two through two-thirds of the show – and returned to sing his own hit Play It Again while he strolled through the audience.
Kacey Musgraves and Lee Ann Womack teamed up to salute Alan Jackson with a duet of his song Livin’ on Love after he was awarded with the first CMT Impact Award. Jackson is celebrating the 25th year of his career.
