Hayden Panettiere to Host 2012 CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR

The celebrity line-up for the third annual 2012 CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR continues to heat up with appearances or performances by some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Eli Young Band, Sammy Hagar, Hunter Hayes, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, “Duck Dynasty” star Willie Robertson, Kenny Rogers, Thompson Square, Carrie Underwood, Chris Young, with more to be announced. Country super group Rascal Flatts and “Nashville” actress Hayden Panettiere will host the event that honors the top country acts of 2012 when it premieres on Saturday, December 8 at 11:00 p.m., ET/PT.

The 90-minute special is the most exclusive gathering of country music superstars of the year and celebrates the class of 2012 with an incredible evening of wall-to-wall performances and special appearances from others in entertainment. For the first time ever, CMT is keeping the illustrious list of honorees top secret until they are revealed on the night of Saturday, December 8. Past artists named as CMT Artists of the Year include Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Zac Brown Band.

CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR is executive produced by R.A. Clark, John Hamlin and Margaret Comeaux.

Join the conversation on CMT.com/AOTY/ and the official Facebook page, or follow @rascalflatts, @haydenpanettier and @CMT on Twitter using official hashtag #CMTAOTY.

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 and its website, CMT.com, offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and is 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.