With the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as the backdrop, ’80s country icons The Judds made a powerful return to the awards show stage on Monday night when they reunited to perform “Love Can Build a Bridge” with the support of a full gospel choir.
Wynonna’s voice rang out as strong and sure as ever as she delivered the song’s meaningful lyrics about love mending the world’s broken pieces.
“This is really happening,” Wynonna said, looking at her mother Naomi during the song.
The duo’s voices blended with the same smoke and fire that have captivated country music fans for the last four decades. The gospel choir joined in, and with the starry night sky as the backdrop, it felt like a piece of country music history. The Judds’ CMT Music Awards appearance marks their first awards show performance in more than 20 years.
Kacey Musgraves introduced The Judds, who will soon be inducted into The Country Music Hall of Fame. She called them “undeniably iconic” and explained their unique sound and prolific songwriting bolstered their historic career. The mother-daughter duo earned 14 No. 1 songs and five platinum albums throughout their journey through country music. They also revealed their final tour on Monday. The 10-show run launches Sept. 30 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
If you missed the performance the first time, catch CMT Music Awards Extended Cut at 8 p.m. (ET) April 15 on CMT. The bonus version comes with 30 additional minutes of new performances and extra content.