A real buttinsky:Luke Bryanmade a grand entrance into the celebrity section, shimmying his famous booty before sitting down in the front row. NeighborSam Hunttook quick notice and couldn’t resist patting the rump – obviously ignoring Bryan’s no-butt-grabbing rule.
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A duet understudy?At least a few in the audience may have wondered ifMiranda Lambertmight make a surprise appearance forJason Aldean’s“Drowns the Whiskey,” which appears as a Lambert duet on his new album. But no, Aldean took it solo. Still, if he ever needs a duet partner, maybe he should look no farther than his wife, Brittany, who sang along to every word from her seat. (A one-time aspiring singer, she earned a golden ticket on season 11 ofAmerican Idol.)
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Darius Rucker and son Jack in 2018.Mike Coppola/Getty
She saved her biggest excitement, though, for Dad; when Bentley came on stage, she leapt to her feet, clapping and whooping, and even mouthed the words to the chorus ofhis duetwithBrothers Osborne, “Burning Man.” Later, backstage, she delighted in close encounters with Instagram sensationDoug the PugandLauren Alaina, who bent down and gave her a hug.
Cutest couple (undisputed champions):That would be newlywedsKelsea BalleriniandMorgan Evans, who started their “date night” throwing back Jose Cuervo shots in the PEOPLE photo booth before the show. “This will help me with the carpet,” the “Legends” singer quipped before telling her husband she loved him. Evans was stag in the stands until after Ballerini’s sang “I Hate Love Songs” (he beamed through the whole performance).
Once she joined him, they shared a drink from a Solo cup; they took a selfie as he kissed her temple; they sang along withDan + Shayon “Tequila” andRussell Dickersonon “Yours” (complete with synchronized hand motions); they chatted and giggled. Could they possibly be more adorable?
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Cell phone nation:Lindsay EllandCassadee Popetook a selfie together.Luke Combsand his girlfriend, Nicole Hocking, selfied, too. John Osborne couldn’t resist shootingLittle Big Townsinging “Summer Fever.” John Rich’s phone was glowing during Kelsea Ballerini’s performance. AfterKane Brown and Lauren Alainawon collaborative video of the year, the first thing both did when they returned to their seats was take out their phones. Yep, the stars have their own electronic addiction, just like the rest of us.
Huge hugs:In his acceptance address for video of the year, Blake Shelton noted that he was “excited to embrace” the new generation of artists. He could have meant that literally since he spent a major part of his evening greeting and hugging several younger artists, including Morgan Evans (a label-mate) and Kelsea Ballerini,Brett YoungandDevin Dawson(another label-mate). When Shelton was seated, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney (Dan + Shay) got even chummier, perching on each of Shelton’s long legs; Smyers even bestowed a kiss on Shelton’s cheek.
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Pre-performance rituals:Florida Georgia Line’sTyler Hubbard revved up every member of his band with a ceremonial fist-bump before the duo performed “Simple,” and the Backstreet Boys could be seen on the darkened stage still rehearsing some of their crisp choreography before they launched into “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.”
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In case you’re wondering:Shelton’s “date” for the evening was Warner Music head honcho John Esposito. And okay, this was on the televised show, but you may have missed noticing that after Shay Mooney kissed Shelton on the top of his head for winning video of the year, he wiped off his mouth. Oh my. What hair product was Shelton wearing?
Be sure to check outPEOPLE’s full CMT Awards coverageto get the latest news on country’s big night.
The 2018 CMT Music Awards were broadcast live from Nashville on Wednesday, June 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CMT.
source: people.com
