Brett Eldredge Has Got the Beat at Upcoming 2017 CMT Awards

The 2017 CMT Awards, set to air June 7 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, are promising to serve up a rollicking evening of talent, with a variety of unexpected artist duets and collaborations. It’s no surprise that artists of all genres, especially country, are eager to be part of the show.

Singer Brett Eldredge, who is one of the lucky who will be performing at this year’s show, is definitely one of them. “I remember watching my first CMT Awards … on the couch,” he recalled during a rehearsal break. “I wasn’t even cool enough to be there yet.”

Luckily, he was able to join in the fun the following year, and he couldn’t be more excited to be part of the 2017 festivities. “It has a different vibe from the other awards shows out there,” he noted. “You just get wild!”

Eldredge’s performance will stand out — which is not an easy thing to do in a lineup of stellar scheduled moments, but in this case, he’s definitely got the beat. “We’ve got this incredible drum line,” he explained. “I don’t know how many there are, but there are a lot of them. it’s really crazy to run all the way from one side of the stage to the other, and still sing all these words!”

Eldredge is proud to be nominated in the Social Superstar category for Wednesday evening: “I love to get on social media, be myself and act like an idiot on there,” he quipped. However, the nomination that excites him the most is his Music Video of the Year nod, recognizing “Wanna Be That Song.”

Eldredge, an Illinois native, got to live out a dream playing the role of the ultimate Cubs fan in the clip: “I got to shoot that at Wrigley Field,” he marveled. “The year we won the World Series!”

Check out all the 2017 CMT Awards nominees, performers, and more behind-the-scenes action here.