‘Nashville’ Star Charles Esten To Host 2017 CMT Music Awards

“Nashville” star Charles Esten will be hosting this year’s CMT Music Awards.

The 51-year-old actor expressed his excitement over his upcoming gig. “I’m thrilled and honored to get to host this great event. Everybody knows that CMT has a special connection with country music and the incredible fans that love it so much. That connection is why our show, ‘Nashville,’ now has a perfect home on the network,” he said.

Read: “Nashville” star Charles Esten reacts to Season 6 renewal

Esten continued his lengthy statement (via Entertainment Weekly) by saying that nothing compares to the CMT Music Awards. “It’s a show fully dedicated to the fans and an annual chance for them to place their votes for their favorite artists. Besides always being flat-out fun, it’s also always been a stage for magical musical moments – and a place where some of country’s biggest legends have been made,” he concluded.

The actor, who plays the role of Deacon Claybourne in “Nashville,” also posted a video on his Instagram account inviting fans to vote and tune in to this year’s CMT Music Awards. The video has received over 25,000 views.

This year’s CMT Music Awards will feature performances by “The Voice” coach Blake Shelton, “The Voice” mentor Luke Bryan, “The Horse That Built Me” singer Miranda Lambert, “Wanna Be That Song” singer Brett Eldredge and more. The event will take place on June 7. According to Billboard, the nomination announcement is scheduled for May 9. Voting for winners may be done online until June 5.

Meanwhile, “Nashville” used to air on ABC, but the series transferred to CMT on its fifth season. The Season 5 premiere episode ranked as CMT’s most-watched telecast in history. At the time, speculations were ripe that Season 5 will be the last for the Connie Britton-starrer. But earlier this year, CMT confirmed their decision to renew “Nashville” for a sixth season. Following the renewal, TV Line reported the casting of “The O.C.” alum Rachel Bilson in the show. “Empire” alum Kaitline Doubleday will also be part of the upcoming episodes.

Bilson and Doubleday will both play major roles in “Nashville” Season 5B. The casting of the two high-profile actress did not come as a surprise since “Nashville” lost Britton’s character, Rayna, at the end of the first half of Season 5. Britton will no longer return, but she left the series with a bang since the ratings for the midseason finale hit a new high.

Executive producer Marshall Herskovitz welcomed Bilson and Doubleday into the talented ensemble for “Nashville” Season 5B via a statement exclusively released by TV Line. “We fondly appreciate the second half of the season filled with surprising twists and turns and that make ‘Nashville’ so beloved by the fans,” he said.

Following their casting, Bilson posted a photo on her Instagram account teasing her involvement in “Nashville.” The snap shows Highway 65 Records’ label on the door. Doubleday, who was killed off in “Empire,” also posted a photo of The Bluebird Café which is heavily featured in “Nashville.”

“Nashville” will return to CMT early next year.