NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Country stars highlighted the heroic work of citizens and communities around the country who were coming together to help each other in the middle of the coronavirus epidemic during the “CMT Celebrates Our Heroes” TV special.
But Wednesday’s show largely didn’t address the protesting and rallies for racial justice that have gripped the country in the previous week following the death of George Floyd after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes.
CMT started the show with a simple text introduction: “As social unrest grips the nation, we want to say thank you to those taking action against injustice. There are heroes all around us.”
The special aired in place of their CMT Music Awards, which were postponed to October. It appeared to contain pre-recorded performances and dedications from artists like Carrie Underwood, Luke Combs and Darius Rucker and was focused on good news stories of healthcare workers, educators, first responders and more.
Blake Shelton spoke about the pandemic especially hurting lower income people who are food insecure, including children who rely on school lunches before highlighting the city of Kodiak, Alaska, and its school district for delivering meals to children.