Get to know the 2017 CMT Artists of the Year

Luke Bryan began his country music career not as a performer, but as a writer. Some of the first songs he ever wrote when he moved to Nashville were for his high school friends, Travis Tritt and Billy Currington. Bryan wrote "Honky-Tonk History" for Tritt – the first track off of his 2004 album, "My Honky Tonk History," and "Good Directions" for Currington, which reached the top of the country charts. 

Despite his success, Luke Bryan has been besieged by great loss. His older brother Chris died in a car accident when Bryan was just 19 years old and on the cusp of moving to Nashville. Then, in 2007, just days after performing at the iconic Grand Ole Opry for the first time, his older sister Kelly died unexpectedly of unknown causes. 

2017 marks the sixth consecutive year Bryan has been named as one of "CMT's Artists of the Year." He currently holds the record – shared with another artist on this year's list – for receiving this recognition the most. 

Among the artists and bands that Bryan has claimed as influences are country greats like George Strait, Merle Haggard, and Alan Jackson. But it's not just straight up country. Bryan has also said that hip-hop acts like Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys have helped shape his music.

In addition to being one of the biggest acts in country music, Luke Bryan is an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He even has his own TV show on the Outdoor Channel that features him and his friends – including fellow country star Jason Aldean and ex-professional baseballers Adam LaRoche and Ryan Langerhans – doing outdoor expeditions.

Like Bryan, Chris Stapleton began his career as a songwriter, penning number one country hits for the likes of Kenney Chesney ("Never Wanted More") and George Strait ("Love's Gonna Make It Alright"). It's not just country songs he's written, either. Stapleton has also worked with Adele, Peter Frampton, and Sheryl Crow.

Before going solo, Stapleton was the lead singer in two separate bands. The first was The Steeldrivers, a bluegrass group formed in 2007 that put out two well-received albums. He left that band in 2010, and that same year helped form The Jompson Brothers, a southern rock band. 

Stapleton's rise to country music prominence began in 2015 with the release of his first solo album, "Traveller," which was commercially successful and critically acclaimed. It has sold more than two million copies since its release, and it won Stapleton the "Album of the Year," "Male Vocalist of the Year," and "New Artist of the Year" awards at the 2015 CMA Awards.

Many non-country music fans got their first taste of Chris Stapleton at the aforementioned 2015 CMA Awards, where he dueted with Justin Timberlake. Stapleton and Timberlake performed "Tennessee Whiskey" – made popular by George Jones – and "Drink You Away."

Mainstream audiences got an even bigger taste of Stapleton when he was the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" on January 15, 2016. That particular episode was hosted by "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" star Adam Driver. 

The bro country duo, who derive their band name from the fact that they grew up in both states (Brian Kelley is from Ormond Beach, Florida, and Tyler Hubbard is from Monroe, Georgia), have been scorching the country charts since releasing "Cruise," their 2012 debut track. With more than 7 million downloads sold, the single has been the only country song to be certified diamond (it happened in 2016). 

Despite their bro aesthetic, Kelly and Hubbard both grew up in the church, and even found their love of music there. It also brought them together; the two met each other in 2008 at a Christian study group while both were attending Belmont University.

Florida Georgia Line got their first big break after Joey Moi, Nickelback's producer, saw them perform at a county fair. Moi invited the two to record music, which yielded the 2012 EP " It'z Just What We Do." Included in that EP was "Cruise," which propelled the band into country music stardom. 

Their first full-length album, 2013's "Here's to the Good Times," was a massive success. It stayed atop Billboard's country chart for ten weeks running. The record was was even the sixth best-selling album of that year, outsold only by the likes of Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, and Imagine Dragons. 

The duo were tapped earlier this year by ESPN, along with Hank Williams, Jr., and Jason Derulo, to perform "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night," the theme song for the network's "Monday Night Football" weekly NFL broadcast. 

Like Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean has been named as one of the "CMT Artists of the Year" six times, a record. Unlike Bryan, who was named in six consecutive years, Aldean last received the honor in 2014. 

Of the seven albums he's put out, all but one have gone platinum (his latest, 2016's "They Don't Know"). 2010's "My Kinda Party" was certified quadruple-platinum and 2012's "Night Train" has gone double platinum. 

Although his parents divorced at a young age, both parents were very present in Jason Aldean's life. His father, for example, taught him how to play guitar and would even play alongside of him when he'd get home from work. His mother was also very supportive, helping him book the local Veterans of Foreign Wars hall when he was fifteen. These would be Aldean's first public performances.

Jason Aldean's first big break came in 1998, when he was 21. He signed a deal with Warner-Chappelll, the publishing house, but was subsequently dropped. In 2000, he signed with another record label but was dropped yet again. He was close to quitting altogether before Broken Bow Records offered him a deal. 

Jason Aldean will forever be associated with one of the worst mass shootings in American history. Aldean was performing at the the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, when terrorist Stephen Paddock started shooting at innocent bystanders from his room in the Mandalay Bay. 58 innocent people were killed. That same Saturday, Aldean was the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live," and performed the recently deceased Tom Petty's classic, "I Won't Back Down" to send a message of resilience. 

Urban was born in New Zealand and moved to Queensland, Australia with his family when he was 17-years-old. He began his career as part of the Australian country music scene (his self-titled 1991 album was distributed by EMI Australia) before moving to Nashville in 1992. In 2009, the government of Queensland named Urban as one of its Q150 icons, a list that recognized the cultural movers and shakers that have called Queensland home. 

Urban has received multiple awards for his music—a Teen Choice Award, a People's Choice Award, a Billboard Award, and an American Music Award, just to name a few. He also has four Grammys, all in the "Best Male Country Vocal Performance" category. 

In addition to his prolific music career, Keith Urban has also served as a judge for two separate television programs. In 2011, Urban was one of the four coaches for the Australian version of "The Voice." The following year, Urban was named as one of the judges for "American Idol." He served as a judge from season 12 until season 15, the last one on Fox. 

Since October of 2013, the Home Shopping Network has been selling Keith Urban's own signature line of guitar and other musical instruments. 

In January 2005, Keith Urban met Nicole Kidman at an Australian-themed event in Hollywood, "G'Day LA." The two were later married in June 2006. The couple has two daughters together.