GAME ON!

ERIN ANDREWS AND J.J. WATT TO HOST THE LOUDEST NIGHT IN COUNTRY MUSIC "2016 CMT MUSIC AWARDS" LIVE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8 AT 8:00 PM ET/PT FROM NASHVILLE

NASHVILLE - May 25, 2016 - CMT today announced that sportscaster/TV personality Erin Andrews and football superstar J.J. Watt and will host the "2016 CMT Music Awards," live on Wednesday, June 8, 2016 at 8:00 pm ET/PT from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Best known for his defense on the field with the Houston Texans and for her role as a FOX/Sports broadcaster and host of "Dancing with the Stars," Watt and Andrews are no strangers to intense competitions. This marks Watt's first time as host, while Andrews' returns for a second consecutive year after keeping the audience laughing and the artists on their toes.

"I'm thrilled to come back to Nashville to co-host the CMT Music Awards," said Andrews. "I had so much fun last year, and I can't wait to see what antics J.J. and I will get into together. Plus, there's nothing better than seeing my favorite country artists get recognized for their great work."

"Having presented at the CMT Awards last year, I got a first-hand look at the energy and excitement of the event and I am very excited to be involved in a much larger capacity this year as co-host," said Watt. "There are two things that I know about the people of Nashville... they love country music and they know how to throw a party. When you put those two things together, it makes for one heck of a night. I can't wait to host the awards with Erin and be part of such a great night, honoring the biggest stars in country music."-

J.J. Watt was drafted by the Houston Texans with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Watt has become the most dominant player in the NFL in his first five years, tying an NFL record with three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards (2012, 2014 & 2015). Watt, who has the second-most career sacks in a player's first five seasons in NFL history, leads the NFL in sacks (74.5), tackles for loss (132) and quarterback hits (209) since entering the league. In addition to his dominance on the field, J.J. Watt is one of the most beloved athletes off the field. He started the Justin J. Watt Foundation in 2010 while at the University of Wisconsin out of a desire to help underserved kids. His personal motto of "Dream Big, Work Hard" culminated into a mission that he uses to impact communities not only around Houston, but around the country. Watt has provided funding in excess of $2,000,000 to after-school athletic programs and organizations with insufficient funding through the Justin J. Watt Foundation. The foundation's mission is to provide after-school opportunities for middle-school aged children in the community to become involved in athletics, so that they may learn the character traits of accountability, teamwork, leadership, work ethic, and perseverance, while in a safe and supervised environment with their peers. In addition to Watt's on-the-field excellence and charitable endeavors, this summer he will have a role in the upcoming movie Bad Moms and will be launching his first ever collaboration with Reebok to feature his own product line.

A co-host for ABC's hit show, Dancing with the Stars, Andrews also currently reports as a features host and sideline correspondent for FOX NFL Sunday as a member of FOX Sports "A-Team." Additionally, Andrews lends her talents reporting for the MLB All Star Game as well as the World Series. Country music fans will enjoy her unique perspective coupled with her easygoing demeanor.

CMT revealedthe first round of performers last week that include show-stoppers like Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and Thomas Rhett. Earlier this month, the network unveiled nominations for the 2016 "CMT Music Awards", which pitted the reigning champion, Carrie Underwood, against powerhouse newcomers, Cam and Chris Stapleton for most nominations and the highly coveted "Video of the Year" win. For the first time, The CMT Music Awards will find out, will country royalty Carrie Underwood be able to defend her throne?

Additional performers and presenters will be announced at a later date.

Fan voting is available at CMT.com and continues until Monday, June 6 at 12:01 AM ET. On Wednesday, June 1, CMT will announce a brand-new surprise awards category. In the coming weeks, CMT will reveal this year's host, performers, presenters and more.

Last year's "CMT Music Awards" once again earned its title as the loudest in country music garnering nearly 17 million cumulative viewers for the premiere and subsequent airings, according to Nielsen. #CMTawards trended worldwide on Twitter from the start of the live telecast and throughout, and the show ranked as the #1 most social telecast of the day with over 18 million impressions according to Nielsen Twitter TV ratings. The awards ranked as the #2 most social non-sports telecast of the week and CMT.com saw double-digit gains for "CMT Music Awards" content, with unique visitors up +33% from the prior year.

Follow @CMT on Twitter and Instagram, use hashtag #CMTawards and like the CMT Music Awards on Facebook.

About CMT

CMT, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 92 million homes in the U.S. CMT, CMT.com and CMT Radio offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and are the top resource for country music on demand. The network's digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.