Country Women Applaud All-Female Awards Show On CMT

Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert

Country icon Loretta Lynn doesn't mince words when it comes to CMT's decision to honor all-female artists, including Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and more, at its annual Artists of the Year show, where Lynn will be recognized as an artist of a lifetime.

"It's about dadgum time that we recognize women and not just country music but all music," Lynn, 86, said in a statement to The Associated Press. "A big yee haw to CMT for doing so."

The coal miner's daughter has been blazing trails for women in country music since the 1960s, and she'll be honored on Oct. 17 in Nashville, Tennessee, by her friend and actress Sissy Spacek, who won an Oscar for portraying her in the hit biopic.

While women have been struggling to be played on radio and on streaming playlists or earn nominations for country awards, CMT decided to celebrate the ladies this year, with honors going also to Kimberly Schlapman and Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town, Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum, Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini.

ICYMI: These knockout artists will be performing on this year's #CMTAOTY... pic.twitter.com/9OMzi5NojP

— CMT (@CMT) October 7, 2018

The night will feature the honorees in cross-genre collaborations with special guests. Ballerini will be singing with Alison Krauss, Morris will be doing a tribute to Aretha Franklin with Brandi Carlile, and the women from Little Big Town will be singing with soul legend Gladys Knight. Scott will be singing with pop singer Tori Kelly and gospel singer Kirk Franklin.

Leslie Fram, CMT's senior vice president of music strategy, said the timing just felt right for CMT to make the change this year. For the past couple of years, award shows from the Oscars to the Grammys have been trying to address a lack of diversity in nominees and winners.