Wildly popular “Hannah Montana” star and singer father will MC in April

By Matthew B. Zeidman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Hollywood Today) 2/26/08 – Teenage megastar Miley Cyrus surprised Oscar viewers by presenting an award at this weekend’s ceremony, but that was child’s play compared to her next gig. Cyrus and her father, Billy Ray, have been asked to take charge of hosting duties at the 2008 CMT Music Awards.

“Miley and I are so excited to be hosting the CMT Music Awards. We know it will be a fun-filled night with a lot of great music performances,” Billy Ray Cyrus, 46, said in a statement shortly after Tuesday’s announcement.

The live awards show, which recognizes the past year’s best contributions to country music, will be held in Nashville, Tenn. on April 14 at Belmont University’s Curb Event Center.

Miley Cyrus, 15, is idolized by the preteen set with a fervor that would even make any former teen star jealous. She just finished a sold-out nationwide tour highlighting music from her Disney Channel show, “Hannah Montana,” which was accompanied by a 3-D movie marketed to fans who couldn’t muster the hundreds and even thousands of dollars per ticket demanded by scalpers. Her father is best known for his 1992 country/pop crossover hit, “Achy Breaky Heart.” He also plays Miley’s father on “Hannah Montana.”

The two Cyruses were criticized earlier this month by “Consumer Reports” on the magazine’s blog for not wearing seatbelts during a scene in the 3-D film. The elder Cyrus was quick to apologize, claiming that the two had been caught up in the moment and strongly believed in seatbelt safety.