BraveWords.com has received the following press release:

Last week DEF LEPPARD, one of a handful of select groups including THE BEATLES, LED ZEPPELIN and PINK FLOYD that have been awarded the R.I.A.A.’s prestigious Diamond Award more than once, received three first round CMT Award nominations. Today they were named as performers, along with KEITH URBAN, TAYLOR SWIFT, SUGARLAND, BRAD PAISLEY, RASCAL FLATTS and TOBY KEITH, for the 2009 CMT Music Awards, which will premiere live on Tuesday, June 16 at 8:00 PM (ET) on CMT and CMT.com.

Def Leppard received two first round nominations for their performance of 'Photograph' with Taylor Swift, from CMT Crossroads: Def Leppard and Taylor Swift; one for CMT Performance Of The Year and the other for Wide Open Country Video Of The Year. Their collaboration with Tim McGraw on Nine Lives also received a nomination as the Wide Open Country Video Of The Year.

Fan voting for the 2009 CMT Music Awards continues through May 11, only at CMT.com, where fans will select the top nominees in each of the categories. On Tuesday, May 19, CMT will announce the four finalists in each category. Fans then vote online at CMT.com through June 15 to determine the winners of the 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS.

Def Leppard hits the road this June for what is sure to be the biggest rock event of the summer. A 40-city North American tour, which kicks off on June 23rd in Camden, NJ, with POISON and CHEAP TRICK that will feature an unparalleled string of Def Leppard hits including 'Photograph', 'Rock Of Ages', 'Pour Some Sugar On Me', 'Foolin’', 'Bringin' On The Heartbreak', and then some.

Def Leppard (Joe Elliott - vocals, Vivian Campbell - guitar, Phil Collen - guitar, Rick "Sav" Savage -bass and Rick Allen - drums) sits at the top of an iconic class of rock ‘n’ roll bands. The band’s most recent album Songs From The Sparkle Lounge debuted last year at #5 on the Billboard Top 200; earning Def Leppard their highest-charting debut since their 1992 album Adrenalize.