Jason Aldean honoured those who lost their lives in the recent Las Vegas shooting as he took to the stage at the CMT Artists of the Year show on Wednesday night (18Oct17).
The singer had been on stage at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival earlier this month when gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on the crowds, killing 58 people and injuring hundreds more.
In the wake of the tragedy, CMT (Country Music Television) bosses opted to change the format of the awards ceremony and make it all about paying tribute the victims, with award winners forgoing the usual speeches to instead deliver moving musical performances.
Aldean was joined by the night's other award winners, including Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban, as they stood side by side and dedicated the night to music fans.
"We've been tested beyond our worst nightmare these past few months," he said, as the show was broadcasted live from Nashville, Tennessee. "Heartbroken doesn't even begin to describe how some of us feel. But we have proven time and again in this country that we have the power to overcome anything that threatens our way of life, or our freedom. We dedicate this night to you and everyone who has experienced loss or tragedy in the last few months."
"On this night when we usually celebrate a year of music, we also want to celebrate a year of incredible human spirit, the spirit we see in our fans every night," Stapleton said, while Urban added: "So in some small way we want to thank you for your resolve and perhaps lift your spirits for just a moment."
Performances on the evening included a rousing rendition of Andra Day's anthem Rise Up, for which she was joined by Little Big Town. Rapper Common and singers Lee Ann Womack and Danielle Bradbery then joined them to perform Stand Up For Something. Other performers included the Backstreet Boys, who sang Florida Georgia Line's ballad H.O.L.Y.
The names of those killed in the Vegas shootings were shown during an In Memoriam segment, as well as musicians who have died in recent months, including Tom Petty, Gregg Allman, Glen Campbell, Don Williams and Troy Gentry.
The tribute to Petty was also continued when Aldean was joined by Urban, Stapleton and Little Big Town to perform the late star's track I Won't Back Down to close the evening.
