President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will appear at tonight’s 2012 CMT Music Awards. Each is part of a comedic pre-taped video that will open the show, much the way the President, John McCain and Hillary Clinton did in 2008.

The two candidates are “in on the joke,” CMT President Brian Philips said according to the Associated Press. “They’re each great sports,” he said. The broadcast begins at 8PM ET on CMT.

The show’s opening moments have proven to be the highlights of previous CMT Music Awards. In 2011, Taylor Swift, Shania Twain and friends recreated scenes from the 1991 movie ‘Thelma and Louise.’ And of course, who forget “T-Swizzle?” In 2009, Swift teamed with T-Pain in a hilarious mock-rap video.

Swift has three nominations leading up to a night that women are expected to dominate. Carrie Underwood leads the way with five nods and Miranda Lambert has four. Either Swift or Underwood have won the last five Video of the Year awards.

Taste of the Country will be following the show closely and reporting the highlight performances, awards and outfits Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Be sure to check back for anything you missed.

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