Predicting the winners of the 2019 CMT Music Awards

With its high-stakes heist scenes, Eric Church’s undeniable charisma and one hell of a song powering it, the music video for “Desperate Man” is a seriously strong contender for Video of the Year. 

Carrie Underwood should definitely take home the Video of the Year trophy for “Cry Pretty,” her deeply emotional, incredibly empowering anthem with a video that’s packed full of powerful imagery. 

It’s a bit of a long shot, but Dan + Shay’s “Speechless” could end up winning Video of the Year in 2019. It’s a ridiculously personal album for the duo, featuring footage from their own weddings that tugs at even the most cynical heartstrings. 

It’s a packed field of strong contenders in the Male Video of the Year category, but we predict that Kenny Chesney’s “Get Along” will take home the trophy. With its empowering message, fan-focused scenes and Chesney’s endless charm, it’s a no-brainer. 

Jason Aldean’s “Drowns The Whiskey” brings the star power of Miranda Lambert to this powerful, lonesome duet — and it’s about time that Jason Aldean took home a CMT Music Award. Despite dominating the categories at other awards shows, Aldean hasn’t won at this ceremony since 2013. 

Don’t be surprised if the breezy desert vibes of Kane Brown’s “Lose It” video — not to mention his sweet dance moves on top of a Camaro — are enough to sway the judges to hand Brown the win. 

Kacey Musgraves has already had a major year, especially when it comes to awards, and it’s likely that she’s going to snag another trophy in the Female Video of the Year category for “Space Cowboy.” 

Brandi Carlile brought Americana into country’s mainstream in a real way in 2018, and her song “The Joke” is arguably one of the past year’s best tunes. The video for the song, which features the real stories of people in the music industry, is the most powerful among this year’s field of contenders. 

Newcomer Carly Pearce is poised to become country’s next big female artist, which could mean that her “Closer to You” video could take home the win. 

Considering their dominance in the country duo scene in recent years, it’s likely that Florida Georgia Line’s “Simple” will take home the Duo Video of the Year win. It doesn’t hurt that the video is also visually compelling, with its old-timey costumes and sweet love story. 

With the added bonus of a little Taylor Swift star power, Sugarland’s “Babe” video is the most compelling in the category. With its vintage, "Mad Men" vibes and solid acting from the band’s Jennifer Nettles (and Swift!), it’s arguably one of the year’s best country music videos overall. 

Dan + Shay’s “Speechless” video is also a strong contender in this category, thanks to its adorable wedding footage and the fact that this song was such a major hit for the band in the past year. 

The Zac Brown Band’s intensely powerful video for “Someone I Used to Know” is a shoo-in for Group Video of the Year. From the first scene, this video hooks in viewers with a compelling (if emotionally intense) storyline that reflects the real struggles of soldiers returning home from war with post-traumatic stress disorder. 

The Zac Brown Band’s “Someone I Used to Know” is really the obvious choice for this category. Even though it’s got a little more pop influence than some country fans would like, the message is just too powerful. 

Pay attention to Midland in the Group Video of the Year category. With its classic honky-tonk setting and a truly epic dance floor fight, it’s equal parts compelling and fun. 

You’ve gotta hand the Breakthrough Video of the Year trophy to Jimmie Allen, who set records and placed himself on the trajectory to country stardom in 2018. The video for his song “Best Shot” is a great introduction to Allen as both an artist and a person, thanks to the sweet vintage home footage and tons of family photos. 

There’s no denying the raw, emotional power of Ashley McBryde’s video for “Girl Going Nowhere,” filmed at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works. It’s a powerful portrait of one of country music’s most compelling new performers. 

Keep an eye on Runaway June. This fiery country trio’s “Buy My Own Drinks” is exactly the kind of song that male-dominated country music needs right now, and the video’s a lot of fun thanks to its "Coyote Ugly"-style inspiration and a slew of adorable kids who join the band for a few scenes. 

Thanks to its hefty dose of star power — Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Charles Kelley teamed up with Darius Rucker — “Straight To Hell” has to be the favorite to win this year’s Collaborative Video of the Year. 

Keith Urban and Julia Michaels’ “Coming Home” should be the favorite for this year’s Collaborative Video of the Year. Set in a dimly lit honky-tonk, this video showcases the best of both worlds: Urban’s inimitable ability to connect with an audience and Michaels’ sultry vocals. 

Don’t count out Brantley Gilbert and Lindsay Ell’s “What Happens In A Small Town,” even in this stacked field of competitors. As if Ell’s stellar guitar playing isn’t convincing enough, the story of two exes who keep running into each other in a small town plays out beautifully on the small screen. 

Leon Bridges and Luke Combs’ CMT Crossroads performance of Combs’ song “Beautiful Crazy” exemplifies what makes this cross-genre show so special. 

Maren Morris and Brandi Carlile’s truly transformative cover of Carole King’s “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman” at the 2018 CMT Artists of the Year broadcast is one of the few covers that even comes close to matching the soulful original made famous by King and Aretha Franklin. 

Combining the powerful voices of Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman and soul icon Gladys Knight, this trio’s performance of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night” is also a strong contender.