A CMT Breakthrough Video Award Nomination With a Western Kentucky Connection

I guess I haven't paid terribly close attention to the CMT Award nominees in the past. Or if I did, I didn't pay much attention to how they're so different from, say, the CMA Awards or the ACM Awards in that there are SO MANY nominees in each category. The Video of the Year category alone has 16.

As you scroll down, you'll get to the Breakthrough Female Video of the Year featuring nominations for exciting new talents like Avery Anna, Kylie Morgan, MacKenzie Porter, Megan Moroney, Tiera Kennedy, and Morgan Wade. It's Moroney and Wade who have had the greatest solo success among all the nominees, thus far. The former is currently in the top 25 with "Tennessee Orange"; the latter landed in the top 30 with her debut chart hit "Wilder Days."

Why Western Kentucky Will Cheer for Morgan Wade's 'Wilder Days'

At this point, there's no telling who the frontrunner is in that category, but I am likely joining others from these parts in throwing support toward one nominee, in particular. That would be Morgan Wade's "Wilder Days."

Having racked up more than 4 million views, "Wilder Days" is the one for which we have a particular fondness. And you can help it win by voting right here.

That's because it was directed and edited by John Mason and produced by his sister-in-law Amy-Beth Mason. John's parents are Jim and Janie Jett Mason of Owensboro. And Amy-Beth practically grew up on the stage of Goldie's Best Little Opryhouse in Kentucky.

They were hanging out around country music every weekend for practically their whole young lives and now they have immersed themselves in the business.

Another Production from John and Amy-Beth Mason

The Mason in-laws also have the same credits on the video for Morgan Wade's "Don't Cry."

The Nashville Careers of John Mason and Amy-Beth Mason

Based in Nashville, Amy-Beth, whose single "Mama's Little Girl" you may have seen displayed on counters in Wax Works and Disc Jockey way back in the day, is also the business affairs manager for the Gospel Music Association which produces the Dove Awards.

John was an editor for Nickolodeon and Comedy Central before heading up comicbook.com and popculture.com.

Amy-Beth Mason's Single "Mama's Little Girl" Unearthed

And of course, John and Amy-Beth--married to John's brother Steve--spend their "spare" time working in the music video industry. They have a video company called Backwards J, so named because, as a child, Amy-Beth autographed John's copy of one of her singles "Love Amy-Beth to John" and wrote the J backward. Hence the cool production company name. By the way, I found "Mama's Little Girl."

The influence of Goldie's Opryhouse has spread far and wide and, naturally, into the heart of Music City where two of her "alumni" are thriving in the country music business.

And now, they are nominated for a CMT Award. So a huge congratulations to John and Amy-Beth Mason.

The CMT Music Awards will air Sunday April 2nd on CBS and will stream the same night on Paramount +.