The Most Jaw-Dropping CMT Music Awards Gowns Ever
Each year, stars strut down the CMT Music Awards carpet to celebrate country music videos and television, all while wearing some of the best designs around. The sparkling gowns and gorgeous ensembles worn by artists such as Carrie Underwood, Gladys Knight, and Miranda Lambert demand to be noticed.
Read on and get ready to marvel at some beautiful outfits that made history on the CMT red carpet!
Taylor Swift
When it comes to red carpet events, Taylor Swift can do no wrong, as seen here during the 2013 CMT Music Awards. During the event, Swift wore a high-low cream-colored Elie Saab dress with matching strappy heels.
The dress had a cape-like detailing in the back and embellishments all over, making for a very romantic look.
Kristen Bell
Actress Kristen Bell was one of the presenters during the 2014 CMT Awards ceremony. So, she clearly had to look the part! For the event, Bell did a few wardrobe changes, with this gorgeous Zuhair Murad gown being one of the first dresses she donned that evening.
Floor-length and filled with sparkle, the actress looked ready to take on the night!
Sheryl Crow
Country music star Sheryl Crow wore a daring Willow Spring dress during the 2013 CMT Music Awards. On the red carpet, she was seen wearing a white dress with a corset-style top and a flowy skirt.
The real knock-out part of this design, though, is the three cutouts along the bodice, something Crow brings notice to, thanks to her curly up-do.
Kimberly Schlapman
Singer Kimberly Schlapman wore a Lorena Sarbu design during the 2016 CMT Music Awards. The dress was beautiful, flirty, and complemented Schlapman with its light pink color and floral pattern.
More emphasis is put on the gorgeous gown, thanks to the singer’s curly up-do hair, a style that perfectly matches the fairy-tale-inspired gown.
Carrie Underwood
Back in 2015, Carrie Underwood showed off her toned legs in a minidress on the CMT Music Award red carpet. The white dress was long-sleeved and featured black floral detailing throughout.
Underwood paired the dress with a silver and black clutch before changing into a black and silver ensemble for her stage performance.
Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight proved that less is more on the 2021 CMT red carpet. During the event, she wore a knee-length white dress, complete with long patterned sheer sleeves and matching heels.
Knight then opted for some shimmering makeup and a beautifully coiffed hairstyle, making the star look like an angel.
RaeLynn
One of the more stunning outfits worn on the 2019 CMT Music Awards carpet was this dress worn by singer RaeLynn. Designed by Ines Di Santo, the light green-blue dress donned a bubble skirt, off-the-shoulder sleeves, a floral detailing.
The statement piece, though, was the long train that swept behind her.
Mickey Guyton
For the 2021 CMT Awards, country music singer Mickey Guyton opted to wear designer Brandon Maxwell; and the design did not disappoint!
Guyton was seen on the red carpet wearing an amazing yellow dress, complete with a subtle leg slit and what looks like a shrug over her shoulders. The look was pulled together with matching shoes.
LeAnn Rimes
At the 2023 ceremony, country legend LeAnn Rimes sparkled in a silver gown with lace details. The metallic color and classic silhouette was a timeless look for one of music’s biggest stars who just happens to have a career that spans decades.
Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves was channeling Breakfast At Tiffany’s Audrey Hepburn when she wore this gown in 2014. The classic black ballgown featured beaded detailing to add some subtle sparkles. Musgraves completed the look with a modern take on an up-do style.
Erin Andrews
While sportscaster Erin Andrews didn’t get on stage during the 2015 CMT Music Awards, she didn’t disappoint with her outfit. For the event, Andrews sported a floor-length white gown with not only a right-above-the-knee slit but one hip cutout surrounded in gold.
The dress was definitely one of the bigger statement pieces of the evening.
Anna Moon
Anna Moon walked down the CMT carpet alongside her husband Niko Moon, completely outshining him in an Alex Perry Tate off-the-shoulder dress.
Looking like the sun, the dress was form-fitting and had long sleeves, which the designer strategically created to fall off the shoulder of the star. She paired the dress with black heels and bright red lipstick.
Taylin Gallacher
Taylin Gallacher and her NFL husband, Taylor Lewan, opted for a bit of coordination on the CMT red carpet. Both wearing white, Gallacher wore a sophisticated-looking white blazer dress with silver detail.
She then accessorized with silver, opting for a clutch and some shimmering shoes and earrings to complete the look.
Jada Pinkett Smith
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith stunned during the 2017 CMT Music Awards. As a presenter, Pinkett Smith didn’t hold back in her wardrobe choice. That year, she opted for a strapless lilac floor-length gown.
It wasn’t just a light purple color, though; the gown also featured multi-colored embroidered flowers heading diagonally across the dress.
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert looked very stylish in a Celia Kritharioti minidress during the 2014 CMT Music Awards. For the event, she wore a very light pink dress, complete with a deep-v neckline and filled with beaded embellishments to give it a bit of sparkle.
To complete the look, Lambert wore an accent bronze-colored belt.
Hailey Whitters
Country music singer Hailey Whitters was literally embodying the sun and the stars during the 2021 CMT Awards. For the event, Whitters wore a black blazer dress with sun, moon, and star detailing.
To complete the look, the singer went with black knee-high boots and a sophisticated updo hairstyle.
Kellie Pickler
Country music star Kellie Pickler went all-out during the 2013 CMT Music Awards. She opted for a pink crystal-covered halter gown with a plunging neckline and low back.
She paired the dress with Tacori rose amethyst earrings, glittering eyeshadow, and even some glitter body lotion to give her an overall shimmering aura.
RaeLynn
During the 2015 CMT Music Awards, singer and songwriter RaeLynn wore one of the more amazing gowns of the evening. She opted for a funky kaleidoscope dress with purple, blue, pink, and subtle green shades.
On top of the beautiful color, the neckline was an intricate black web that looked amazing with her long bob hairstyle.
Tenille Arts
Tenille Arts stepped on her first-ever red carpet during the 2021 CMT Awards, wearing a stunning gown designed by LBV. The column dress was a geometric pattern of embellished black and blue, going all the way down to the floor.
During an interview with ET, Arts said, “This dress is like, a hundred pounds, I’m not kidding. But it was so much fun. I’m like, ‘I’m not complaining at all; this is so great.'”
Lauren Alaina
American Idol alum Lauren Alaina wore something a bit different during the 2021 CMT Awards. During the ceremony, she wore this gorgeous deep-v top paired with black pants and sheer creme-colored tulle, going from ruffles on her shoulders and flowing all the way down to the ground.
It was one of the more glamorous looks of the evening.
Carrie Underwood
Country music star Carrie Underwood shined bright like the sun during the 2021 CMT Music Awards ceremony, wearing a neon yellow mini-dress.
The dress was the perfect statement piece for Underwood, as she looked flawless on the carpet and on stage while she accepted the award for Video of the Year.
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson doesn’t disappoint when it comes to her carpet appearances, including this gown during the 2018 CMT Music Awards. For the event, Clarkson wore a black gown that pretty much covered her entire body, aside from the one-leg slit.
The most stunning part of the dress, though, is both the accent broach and the power shoulder pads!
Jordan Sparks
Jordan Sparks looked like a real-life fairytale during the 2012 CMT Music Awards. During the event, Sparks wore a peach-toned gown by Kevan Hall. The floor-length dress had a cold shoulder with ruffled sleeves.
Sparks looked incredibly romantic in the outfit, opting for a soft, wavy hairstyle to bring everything together.
Kelsea Ballerini
During the 2021 CMT Awards, country music singer Kelsea Ballerini was lucky enough to co-host with Kane Brown.
Ballerini had a few wardrobe changes throughout the evening, with the second one being this long-sleeve shimmering blue gown she wore during her on-stage performance of “I Quit Drinking” with Paul Klein.
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes looked like a goddess walking the CMT Music Awards red carpet, wearing a stunning white gown, complete with a front slit and long train.
The draped dress was designed by Rani Zakhem and stole the show when Rimes walked on the red carpet during the 2014 awards ceremony.
Lindsay Ell
Singer Lindsay Ell stunned in a Grecian-inspired white gown during the 2016 CMT Music Awards. The dress not only had flowy sleeves but a wrap middle section, a long train, a high slit, and midsection and arm cutouts.
The look was complete with a gold metal necklace and a sleek up-do.
Lauren Alaina
Singer Lauren Alaina wore one of the cooler dresses during the 2018 CMT Music Awards. The piece looked almost futuristic, with a high-low hem and a total asymmetrical sleeve pattern — one is completely ruffled while the other is a simple tank top band.
The funky gown was paired with a thin gold belt accent.
Danielle Bradbery
The Voice alum Danielle Bradbery wore a very cool white cocktail gown during the 2019 CMT Music Awards. It is hard to know where to look first with this piece, as it has a collarbone cutout, a gladiator-inspired skirt, and long sleeves with pompom detailing.
This is one of those pieces that really shouldn’t work, but Bradbery makes it look stunning!
Jillian Jacqueline
Artist Jillian Jacqueline went a little outside the box with her wardrobe selection during the 2018 CMT Music Awards ceremony. She opted for a dark purple and red brocade blazer dress, paired with matching red shoes and a white clutch.
Overall, the look is clean, and Jacqueline makes the silk piece work!
Karen Fairchild
Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town didn’t disappoint on the 2020 red carpet of the CMT Awards. The country music star wore an ice blue minidress designed by Alexandre Vauthier, paired with matching pumps and some icy blue eyeshadow.
Unlike other performers, Fairchild opted to stay in the piece all night without an outfit change.
Shania Twain
Shania Twain has been a fashion icon for decades, so choosing her best look is difficult. But, this bold mesh gown with flattering cut-outs has to be one of her most beautiful looks ever. Twain paired this fiery gown with a copper hair color that matched her vivacious personality.
