THE 14TH ANNUAL SHORTY AWARDS

The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media and digital. View this season's finalists!

Industry

See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Auto See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Beauty See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Business to Business See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Consumer Brand See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Education See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Entertainment See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Financial Services See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Fitness, Health, & Wellness
<br>See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Food & Beverage
See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Gaming See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Government & Politics See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Hospitality See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Insurance See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Live Events See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> News & Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Non-Profit See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Pets & Animals See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Pharma & Healthcare See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Real Estate See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Restaurants See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Retail & E-Commerce See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Social Activism See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Sports See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Technology See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Television See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Travel & Tourism See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Wine, Beer & Spirits

Strategy & Engagement

See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Brand Partnership See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Call to Action See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Community Management See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Creative Use of Technology See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> CTV/OTT See previous winners and honorees for Insights and Trends here.</a> <a href=https://shortyawards.com/17th/"https://shortyawards.com/category/16th/data-visualization">See previous winners and honorees for Data Visualization here.</a>"> Data & Insights See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Earned Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Event & Experiential See previous winners and honorees here.</a>""> Gamification See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Humor See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Innovative Media Buying Strategy See previous winners and honorees here.</a>""> Integration with Traditional Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Internal Communications See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> LGBTQ Community Engagement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Micro-Influencer Strategy See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Multicultural Community Engagement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Music & Dance See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> On a Shoestring See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Organic Promotion See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Paid & Amplification See previous winner and honorees here.</a>"> Physical and Digital Convergence See previous winner and honorees here.</a>"> Public Service Announcement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Real Time Response See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> SEO & SEM See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Social Commerce See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Storytelling

CMT Night Out

Entered in Vertical Video

Objective

Idea: CMT Night Out was designed to give fans the full concert experience, from front-row to behind-the-scenes looks at life on tour with country music’s favorite stars. Created as a social-first series, CMT Night Out leverages vertical video to immerse fans in the energy of concert days, while focusing on the personal stories and experiences of the featured artists. With a focus on Instagram and TikTok, the series embraces platforms where fans are most engaged, amplifying its impact and ensuring the format feels native and seamless.
Goals:
1. Fan Engagement: Bring fans closer to their favorite artists by showcasing an intimate, day-in-the-life view of a concert day.
2. Platform Optimization: Utilize vertical video to maximize resonance and shareability on social-first platforms.
3. Diverse Storytelling: Feature a range of artists from different stages in their careers, ensuring wide audience appeal.
 

Strategy

CMT Night Out’s 2024 season focused on creating compelling, vertically-shot content that captured the essence of life on tour for three unique country artists:
1. Cody Johnson: Shot during his sold-out arena concert in Kansas City, this episode captured the energy and spectacle of a superstar’s tour. Fans were treated to backstage moments, soundcheck highlights, and Cody’s reflections on his connection with his fans at such a monumental show.
2. Terri Clark: At her first-ever headlining gig at the world-famous Ryman Auditorium, Terri shared her excitement and gratitude for performing at this iconic venue. This episode highlighted the significance of her journey, interwoven with glimpses of her pre-show rituals and heartfelt moments with friends Ashley McBryde and Trisha Yearwood.
3. Wyatt Flores: Chronicling Wyatt’s rise, the episode focused on his sold-out show at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl. Fans saw Wyatt’s progression from playing smaller local venues to commanding larger stages, underscoring his rapid ascent in the country music scene and his dedication to his fans.
Each episode was shot vertically, optimizing for social platforms like TikTok and Instagram Stories/Reels. This POV-style approach brought fans into the action, whether it was Cody’s adrenaline-filled stage prep, Terri’s emotional reflections at the Ryman, or Wyatt’s awe at performing for a packed crowd.
To amplify engagement, the series featured:
- Cross-Promotion: Each episode was shared across CMT’s social platforms, in collaboration with the featured artists’ accounts. 
- Behind-the-Scenes Teasers: Leading up to each episode, clips and artist soundbites were shared across IG / FB stories to generate added excitement. 

 

Results

CMT Night Out achieved outstanding results, solidifying its position as a fan-favorite series:
1. Massive Reach: The Cody Johnson episode alone generated over 1M views across platforms..
2. Diverse Appeal: By featuring a superstar, a genre icon, and a rising newcomer, the series attracted a broad demographic, resonating across multiple fanbases.
 

Media

Entrant Company / Organization Name

MTV Entertainment Studios, Paramount Global

Links

Entry Credits