NASHVILLE – May 21, 2012 – The 2012 CMT MUSIC AWARDS just got a little rowdier and funnier as country music superstar Toby Keith and actress Kristen Bell have been tapped to host this year’s show. Now in its 11th year, the 2012 CMT MUSIC AWARDS will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 6 at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT on CMT and CMT.com.

“Toby Keith and Kristen Bell are a terrific one-two knockout punch for the 2012 CMT Music Awards,” said John Hamlin, SVP, Music Events and Talent, CMT. “Toby has been involved with our show every year since its inception and Kristen is as entertaining and witty as any young actor working today. We’re thrilled to have them both as hosts for this year’s show.”

Country music’s first fan-voted awards show will include performances from Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and Zac Brown Band. Additional performers and presenters will be announced soon.

From his first No. 1 smash “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” to his latest Top Country Album chart-topper Clancy’s Tavern, Toby Keith has been one of the most consistent self-directed hit makers of his era. His albums have sold more than 36 million copies, ranking him among the top-selling all-genre artists on Billboard’s Top 200 Artists of the Decade. Keith is also Billboard’s No. 1 Artist of the Decade and No. 1 Country Songwriter of the Decade. He’s now in his 19th consecutive year having had a #1 single every year since his first release. This latest collection’s lead single, “Made In America,” topped the charts as one of the fastest rising songs in a long line of chart burners from Keith’s pen. The second hit, “Red Solo Cup,” has become the most remarkable and commercially successful country single in recent memory with a viral video with more than 15 million views while topping the top downloaded country songs. And now, the third single release from Clancy’s Tavern, “Beers Ago,” is on its way to becoming another huge hit.

Kristen Bell is currently starring in the Showtime series, “House of Lies” opposite Don Cheadle. She will star alongside Dax Shepard in the feature film, “Hit & Run,” hitting theaters on August 24, 2012, a film they produced together. She lends her voice as the infamous narrator on Gossip Girl, can be heard in the new animated FX television show “Unsupervised” and will be added to the roaster of Disney princesses in the studios upcoming animated feature, “Frozen”. She recently completed work on “Some Girls” written and based on the play of the same title by Neil LaBute. Bell’s film credits include “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” “You Again,” “When in Rome,” and “Couples Retreat”. Her television credits include “Veronica Mars,” “Deadwood,” “Heroes” and “Party Down” while her Broadway credits include “Tom Sawyer” and “The Crucible.”

Fans can vote online at CMT.com, and on their mobile device at CMT Mobile or the CMT Insider app available on iPhone, iPad and Android now through June 4 to determine the winners. The five finalists for VIDEO OF THE YEAR will be announced at the beginning of the live show and fans can then vote at CMT.com, CMT mobile, on the CMT Insider app and via text message throughout the live telecast (ET/CT only) to determine the night’s big winner.

Michael Dempsey will executive produce the 2012 CMT MUSIC AWARDS alongside director Joe DeMaio. John Hamlin and Margaret Comeaux serve as executive producers for CMT.