Kane Brown + Katelyn Brown Turn Up the Romance With ‘Thank God’ at the 2023 CMTs [Watch]
Kane Brown and his wife Katelyn let their love for each other shine through in their performance of their hit duet, "Thank God," at the 2023 CMT Music Awards on Sunday (April 2). The pair took the stage outdoors near the awards show venue, with the dome of the Texas Capitol glowing against the night sky in the backdrop.
The Browns wore svelte black outfits for their performance, with the country superstar rocking a flowing, sheer shirt and his wife dressed in an evening gown and elbow-length gloves.
"I'm excited, man," Brown told the crowd when he first came out onstage. "How we feeling? Y'all feeling good?" He subsequently turned to his wife and said, "How you feel, baby? You excited?"
"I'm so excited! And nervous!" Katelyn responded.
"She's nervous. Y'all gotta make her feel at home," Brown told fans. "It's her first awards show. She's gonna slay, though. She's gonna slay."
Brown continued to hype up his wife as they began to sing. After concluding his first verse and chorus, when it was time for Katelyn to take the spotlight, he stepped to the side and danced along as he watched her perform.
And slay she did: Katelyn's silky soprano and close harmonies with her superstar husband were a highlight of the performance, along with the pair's obvious onstage chemistry and the dreamy, romantic ambiance of the song. Blue smoke floated around the stage as they sang, and glowing lanterns hung from the rafters. Even the rowdiest fans in the crowd caught wind of the love in the air, and in the far-off distance, one couple watching the show from the balcony of their apartment could be seen slow-dancing along to the Browns' love ballad.
"Thank God" is one of the finalists for Video of the Year, the top honor at the CMT Music Awards. A whopping 16 nominees were initially announced in that category, and in the weeks leading up to the show, fan voting whittled that number down to a final six. In the hours before the awards show began, the top three contenders were announced, and Kane and Katelyn made the cut. They were named the final three alongside Carrie Underwood's "Hate My Heart" and Hardy and Lainey Wilson's "Wait in the Truck." A winner will be named at the end of the ceremony.
"Thank God" also scored a nomination in the Collaborative Video of the Year category, while Brown earned a solo nod for Male Video of the Year for his song, "Like I Love Country Music." It's a busy night for the country star: Not only is he a performer and one of the most-nominated acts at the 2023 CMTs, but he's also co-hosting the show with Kelsea Ballerini.
The 2023 CMT Music Awards aired live from Austin, Texas on CBS on Sunday night, as well as streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+.