A galaxy of the biggest stars in country music today hit the red carpet at the 2017 CMT Awards, celebrating one of Nashville's most fun-filled and casual awards shows of the year on Wednesday night (June 7).

Lauren Alaina, Granger Smith, Nashville star Charles Esten -- who's also hosting the show -- Dustin Lynch, Kellie Pickler, Sam Hunt, Chris Young and more stars were among those who turned out for the red carpet pre-show, keeping it casual for the festivities. The men were wearing mostly jeans instead of the tuxedos common at most of Music City's biggest awards shows, while country's women showed some serious sex appeal.

Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker and Charles Kelley joined guitarist Derek Trucks to pay tribute to Gregg Allman in the show's opening. Allman died late in May. Blake Shelton, Brett Eldredge, Miranda Lambert and Thomas Rhett are set to perform during the broadcast, which will also feature joint performances from Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum with Earth, Wind and Fire and Florida Georgia Line with the Chainsmokers.

Urban, Kelsea Ballerini and Rhett led the nominations in 2017 with four each. Urban is up for Video, Male Video and Collaborative Video of the Year (with Underwood), as well as Social Superstar, and he and Rhett are set to face off in the Video, Male Video and Social Superstar categories. Rhett is also up for CMT Performance of the Year with Nick Jonas for their collaboration on “Close” from CMT Crossroads. Alaina, Underwood, FGL, Aldean and Dierks Bentley are among the artists who earned multiple nominations at the 2017 CMT Music Awards.

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