ADAM LAMBERT AND LEONA LEWIS TO REVEAL THEIR "GIRL CRUSH" ON LITTLE BIG TOWN LIVE DURING THE "2015 CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR" SPECIAL ON DECEMBER 2 AT 8PM ET/PT

Darius Rucker To Perform Blake Shelton's Smash "Neon Light"

Dolly Parton, Dan Rather, Hillary Scott, Trace Adkins, Kellie Pickler and More To Celebrate Honorees Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Chris Stapleton, Kenny Rogers and the cast of "Nashville"

NASHVILLE - December 1, 2015 - CMT today announced that pop superstars Adam Lambert and Leona Lewis will celebrate Little Big Town with a once-in-a-lifetime performance of the band's controversial chart-busting anthem "Girl Crush" during the "2015 CMT Artists of the Year Special," the definitive year end party, live from Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville on Wednesday, December 2 at 8pm ET/PT. In addition, Darius Rucker will be joined by Cassadee Pope and RaeLynn (both former Team Blake alumni from NBC's "The Voice") to toast fellow country superstar, Blake Shelton, with a can't-miss performance of his #1 hit "Neon Light" live for the first time.

The sixth-annual 90-minute special will celebrate the top five artists that earned the right to be called CMT's artists of the year: Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt. These artists collectively dominated the last 12 months ruling CMT's platforms and country radio, scoring chart-topping album and singles, and selling out arenas around the country. Country legend Kenny Rogers will receive the prestigious "Artist of a Lifetime Award," Chris Stapleton will receive the first-ever "CMT Artists of the Year Breakout Award" and perform live, while the cast of "Nashville" will receive the inaugural "International Impact Award."

The evening will feature unexpected tributes and unforgettable toasts from Dolly Parton, Dan Rather, Hillary Scott, Trace Adkins, Kellie Pickler and more.

Previous "CMT Artists of the Year" honorees include Jason Aldean (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013), Kenny Chesney (2011, 2012), Eric Church (2012), Hunter Hayes (2013), Toby Keith (2012), Lady Antebellum (2010, 2011), Miranda Lambert (2012, 2014), Tim McGraw (2013), Brad Paisley (2011), Taylor Swift (2010, 2011), Carrie Underwood (2010, 2012), Keith Urban (2014) and Zac Brown Band (2010).

For more information visit CMT.com or CMTPress.com, and go join the conversation on the official CMT Facebook page or follow @CMT on Twitter using the official hashtag, #CMTAOTY.

CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR is executive produced by Switched On Entertainment's John Hamlin. Jayson Dinsmore and Margaret Comeaux serve as executive producers for CMT.

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, CMT.com and CMT Radio offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and are the top resource for country music on demand. The network's digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT App, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.