THE YEAR'S TOP COUNTRY ARTISTS TO BE HONORED ON "CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR" BUT HONOREES WILL REMAIN A MYSTERY UNTIL THE CMT PREMIERE ON DECEMBER 8

NASHVILLE - October 8, 2012 - Who are the 2012 ARTISTS OF THE YEAR in country music? Country music fans will find out on Saturday, December 8 when they are revealed at the star's favorite event of the year, the third annual CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR special, premiering at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT on CMT.

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. The annual event is a one of-a-kind television experience that gives viewers an insider's look at how country's biggest names celebrate with their closest friends.

For the first time ever, CMT is keeping the illustrious list of honorees top secret until they are revealed on the night of December 8. Will Jason Aldean make it a three-peat? Will fan-favorite Miranda Lambert be honored? Will country's biggest bad boy Eric Church make his debut as one of the CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR? With so many artists having had a successful year like Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, and many more, it is going to be tough to predict which artists will walk away with the CMT honor. 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.

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.