CMT has added six acts on the verge of breaking through to the next level of stardom to its 2014 Listen Up campaign, selecting artists from across major and indie labels as well as unsigned artists.

Cole Swindell, Dan + Shay, David Nail, Jerrod Niemann, Sundy Best and Thomas Rhett will be highlighted throughout the year in CMT's multiplatform initiative to introduce their music to a passionate music fan base. Viewers will get an inside look at the personal lives and careers of these artists through live performances, new photos, social chats and interviews that showcase why fans should "listen up." More Listen Up artists will be named later this year.

Danielle Bradbery kicked off the 2014 class officially last week, debuting five new performances exclusively at listenup.cmt.com and on the just-launched CMT Artists App for iPhone. The five-song set includes her hit single, "The Heart of Dixie," as well as "Talk About Love," "Never Like This," "My Day" and "Wild Boy" from her Big Machine Records debut album.

"The idea behind Listen Up is to introduce fans to artists on the rise or artists who are about to take the next big step in their career. It is music discovery at its core," said CMT senior vice president of music strategy Leslie Fram. "We're excited to get behind this diverse mix of incredibly talented artists, and Listen Up is just the first of many opportunities to highlight them across CMT."

CMT launched Listen Up in 2011 as a way to showcase emerging artists online. Since then, the franchise has expanded to take advantage of the network's broad reach across television, radio and social networks. More than 22 artists have been featured, including recent alums Hunter Hayes, Kacey Musgraves, Brett Eldredge, Cassadee Pope, Brantley Gilbert, Lauren Alaina, Charlie Worsham, Jana Kramer, Dustin Lynch, Casey James and Jon Pardi, among others.