Kenny Rogers, Chris Stapleton to Be Honored at CMT Artists of the Year

Kenny Rogers and Chris Stapleton will be honored at this year's CMT Artists of the Year celebration, which airs live from Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville on Dec. 2 at 8PM ET/PT.

Rogers will receive the Artist of a Lifetime Award and becomes the second recipient of the award following Merle Haggard, who was given the inaugural honor last year.

"You go through your life and your career and you try to do the right things and make the right decisions," Rogers says in a press release. "You don’t always do that, but I have been very lucky. I am grateful for it all. This is a great honor and one I highly treasure. Being in with Merle Haggard on anything is always a thrill. To CMT, the fans, and all who made this incredible award possible, I can’t thank you enough."

Following a stellar year, Stapleton will receive the 2015 CMT Artists of the Year Breakout Award, and he'll perform live during the show as well.

The sixth annual 90-minute special will celebrate five artists selected by CMT as the top artists of the year, including Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt and Little Big Town. According to CMT, the five 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."

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