On Saturday Night (April 2nd), Dierks Bentley headlined the second night of the 4th ACM Party for a Cause® Festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. The three-day event continued with an all-star lineup of performers on the Ram Trucks Main Stage including Chris Stapleton, Frankie Ballard, Lee Brice, Chris Janson, Dustin Lynch and Chris Young.
Highlights from the second day and night included:

• Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelly and Eric Paslay joined headliner Dierks Bentley on stage to perform Kelley’s debut solo single, “The Driver.”
• Chris Stapleton performed a duet with his wife, Morgane, as the sunset over the Las Vegas Festival Grounds.
• ACM CEO Bob Romeo presented Chris Stapleton with his ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year

The morning kicked off with the ACM & Cabela’s Celebrity Tic-Tac-Toe Archery Tournament. Cabela’s Ambassadors Luke Bryan and Justin Moore returned to host the fan-favorite event held at the Cabela’s Stage at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. Country music stars Luke Bryan, Chris Janson, Dustin Lynch, Justin Moore, Eric Paslay, Chris Rice, and Granger Smith, former MLB player Adam LaRoche, plus Cabela’s pro staff Wade Middleton and Kristy Titus participated in the archery tournament featuring Cabela’s state-of-the-art archery equipment.

“LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 02: Singers Justin Moore (L) and Luke Bryan attend Cabela’s & Academy of Country Music Celebrity Archery Tournament during the 4th ACM Party for a Cause Festival at at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on April 2, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for ACM)”

“LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 02: Singers Justin Moore (L) and Luke Bryan attend Cabela’s & Academy of Country Music Celebrity Archery Tournament during the 4th ACM Party for a Cause Festival at at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on April 2, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for ACM)”

o   HIGHLIGHTS:

• Team Luke and Team Justin competing head-to-head for the trophy:
• Team Luke included country music artists Chris Janson, Chase Rice, and Granger Smith plus Cabela’s pro staffer Wade Middleton.
• Team Justin included artists Dustin Lynch, Eric Paslay, former MLB player Adam LaRoche and Cabela’s Pro Staffer Kristy Titus. Country artist Lucas Hoge and bow hunting athlete Cameron Hanes also competed at the event during half-time.
• Team Luke was leading the competition when host Storme Warren suggested that Luke and Justin make a sudden death deal: the two artists shoot one last game of tic-tac-toe and whoever wins would take home the trophy. In spite of Team Luke’s commanding lead, Justin surprised the crowd with a victory!

On Sunday (April 3rd), Kenny Chesney will close out the festival with a full set after his performance on the 51st ACM Awards. Earlier in the evening, Brett Eldredge, Sam Hunt, Kip Moore, Chase Rice and Old Dominion will perform on the Ram Trucks Main Stage.

The Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena Sunday at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

Chris Stapleton is going into Sunday night’s ACM Awards already a winner. He picked up the award for New Male Vocalist of the Year. He’s also up for numerous other awards, including Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for Traveller, Song of the Year for “Nobody to Blame” (as both artist and songwriter) and Vocal Event of the Year for “Hangover Tonight” with Gary Allan.

He’s experienced such a huge wave of success over the past year – heck, the past six months – with three CMA Awards, a huge CMA performance with Justin Timberlake, and through it all, he trusted his instincts where his music is concerned.

“I always just listen to myself, hopefully to a fault. And sometimes if I ever catch myself not listening to what I want to do musically or personally or anything, it always puts me in a bad spot,” says Chris. “So, hopefully, I’ve learned to follow my own instinct of what I need to do or want to do. It always just kind of works out for me musically and as a job path.”

“The best example I can give [is] I was in a band called The Steel Drivers. Choosing a career in bluegrass isn’t exactly like, it doesn’t sound like job security to most people, but I was in that band for a few years and out of that, those recordings and those records that I made with that band, a song was recorded by Adele. That’s not a path that you would take to get a song recorded by Adele. No one would ever tell you to be in a bluegrass band, [with] a country rhythm, make a few records with them and you’ll get a cut by the biggest pop star in the world. Those are things that just happen I think when you (A) get really, really lucky and (B) try to follow your path, and whatever that path may be. Sometimes you just don’t know why you have to do those things, and if you listen to yourself enough, you just go do it and figure out what it’s for later.”

Chris is set to perform on the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards, which will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET/PT delayed on CBS.

Eric Church’s surprise release, Mr. Misunderstood, Sam Hunt’s Montevallo and Chris Stapleton’s Traveller are up for Album of the Year at this year’s ACM Awards. They’re nominated alongside Thomas Rhett’s Tangled Up and Chris Young’s I’m Coming Over.

Eric says inspiration struck unexpectedly for his Mr. Misunderstood album, and that’s why he ended up with a new album in 10 days. “Really inspiration is kind of what led [to the Mr. Misunderstood album]. I sat down one day to write. I had no intentions and nobody needing an album,” he says. “We’d just finished ‘The Outsiders’ and we’d just finished ‘Wrecking Ball,’ and I was writing and one day led to another day. You get into grooves and inspiration strikes you as a songwriter, and all of a sudden something was happening to me three, four, five days in in a row that had never happened, where every day a song was being written that sounded like a record. All of a sudden I had one, and I knew it, and I decided to go in and just record one song and 10 days later I had an album.”
Sam, who has experienced nearly unequaled success with his debut album, hopes folks listen to the record with open hearts and minds. “The record is hopefully diverse enough to reach people of several different tastes,” he says. “If there is something I could say to someone that was about to listen to this record for the first time, I would hope that they could put aside any preconceived notions or any direction that whatever they have stumbled across before has given them, they could open their mind and just listen to the music with an open mind and open heart and just see how they feel about it; see how it makes them feel.”

Chris Stapleton has had such a huge journey over the past year, and especially the last six months, and his Traveller album has been No. 1 on the country charts nearly every week since the CMA Awards last November. He says the title of the album is quite representative of the songs that appear on the record. “It seemed like a natural thing to call it, because a lot of, certainly the inspiration for this record came from a series of events. It’s kind of the only song that was written inside of, well, there might’ve been one other song written inside of knowing I was going to make this record in this way. The rest of the songs came from outside of that time period,” he says. “So, that’s one reason to name it that. The other reason is that it can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s about a journey in a musical sense and in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. In every way that you can have a journey, this record is kind of that for me, and hopefully for some other folks too.”

The 51st Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Luke and Dierks Bentley, will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

Luke Bryan is scheduled to appear on The Late Late Show with James Corden on Thursday (March 31st) on CBS. Check your local listings for times.

Luke Bryan is set to co-host for the ACM Great Outdoor Celebrity Archery Tournament in Las Vegas with Justin Moore again this year on Saturday, April 2nd. Eric Paslay and Dustin Lynch will be playing for #TeamLuke. Check out some of the action from last year in the video below.

Eric Paslay is set to join Toby Keith on his 2016 Interstates & Tailgates Tour this summer. The trek kicks off May 21st in Louisville, Kentucky, and Eric will join the tour July 8th in Virginia Beach. “Really excited for the opportunity to be on the road with TOBY this year,” said Eric. “He sure knows how to put on a show. I can’t wait to take it all in and learn from one of the best.”

Vince Gill will receive the E.W. “Bud” Wendell Award May 3rd during a ceremony at the Music City Center as part of Nashville’s National Tourism Week Hospitality Industry Celebration.The award honors Nashville business executives who’ve helped the city in its advancement as the center of music entertainment.

Chris Stapleton has been announced as one of the performers at the 25th anniversary of the Lollapalooza festival July 30th in Chicago.

Chris Stapleton and Ram Trucks, in conjunction with ACM  Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music, today announced a partnership that will see the two-time Grammy Award winner return to Johnson Central High School, his alma mater, located in Stapleton’s hometown of Paintsville, Kentucky.   During the visit, Ram Nation volunteers (a grassroots team of Ram truck owners) and students from the Johnson Central High School carpentry program will dedicate an outdoor performance space, The Golden Eagle Stage Powered By RAM Trucks, for the school’s use.   It will be located on the grounds of Johnson Central High School, and was constructed by JCHS carpentry students in conjunction with Ram Nation volunteers.

In addition, Stapleton will perform a closed afternoon concert for students, educators and administrators at the Johnson Central High School Gymnasium.  Later that evening, Stapleton will return to the same stage for his sold-out ‘Ram Trucks Hometown Concert’ for the Paintsville community.

“While the story of Chris Stapleton may not be widely known, it’s one of pride, dedication and perseverance, all values important to our Ram truck owners,” said Marissa Hunter, Director of Brand Advertising, FCA US. “It’s a great opportunity and honor for us to go back to Paintsville with Chris to document his return to the place that built his character and work-ethic. Ram will be creating videos from this experience to show millions of people the very special town and moments that made Chris the man he is today.”

About Ram Trucks

The Ram Truck brand is sponsoring the March 24 Paintsville activities as part of its ongoing relationship with Stapleton. In conjunction with his 2015 Traveller album, the brand first partnered with the award-winning and critically acclaimed artist, who is a Ram truck owner himself, for a series of episodic videos telling stories of Stapleton and real Ram truck owners’ experiences travelling in their trucks. The videos can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/ramtrucks along with a“Waltz Across Texas” videofeaturing Stapleton’s powerful vocals (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJQVOlnleuk).

Ram Nation is a grassroots volunteer corps of Ram owners and like-minded people willing and ready to lend a helping hand in their communities when an opportunity arises. Truck owners interested in answering future calls to help, whether its mobilizing volunteers to assist in disaster relief efforts or proactive community outreach initiatives, can sign up for Ram Nation at RamTrucks.com/RamNation.

About ACM Lifting Lives®
ACM Lifting Lives® is the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music dedicated to improving lives through the power of music. Through partnerships with artists and strong ties in the music industry, ACM Lifting Lives develops and funds music-related therapy and education programs, and serves members of the community who face unexpected hardships through its Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund. Through generous donations and the support of artists and fans, ACM Lifting Lives is able to fund everything from disaster relief and helping communities in need, to music education in schools and music camps for those with disabilities and supporting programs that use music therapy as a means to help our veterans and wounded warriors ease back into life.  For more information, please visit www.ACMLiftingLives.org.

If you haven’t had a chance to see Chris Stapleton in concert, never fear. He’s added several more shows to his touring schedule this spring and summer. In addition to his dates with Luke Bryan and Hank Williams, Jr., he’s also got several headlining gigs with Jason Isbell, Aubrie Sellers, Anderson East and Sam Lewis on select shows. Tickets for the new shows go on sale Friday (March 18th).

Go to Chrisstapleton.com for more information on tour dates or to see when he’s coming to your town.

In other news, Chris, who’s up for seven ACM Awards next month, has announced he’s returning to his homestate of Kentucky, the town of Paintsville, to be exact, to perform a FREE concert at Johnson Central High School Gymnasium. The show, sponsored by Ram Trucks, will take place March 24th; tickets were handed out on a first come, first serve basis.

Chris is sitting inside the Top 10 on the country charts with “Nobody to Blame.”

Luke Bryan and Chris Stapleton have been added to the list of performers at next month’s ACM Awards. They’re joined by Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw and Thomas Rhett. Previously announced performers include Keith Urban, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Kelsea Ballerini, Cam and Florida Georgia Line.

The 51st Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be hosted by Luke and Dierks, will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

Chris Stapleton has released a music video for “Fire Away,” a song from his award-winning album, Traveller. The concept of the clip, which features Ben Foster (Lone Survivor, X-Men) and Margarita Levieva (The Black List, Revenge) and directed by Tim Mattia, was conceived by Chris.

The clip, which takes you through a young married couple’s first happy moments that quickly turn tragic, is helping to bring awareness to mental health issues, specifically through the Campaign to Change Direction. The organization was introduced to Chris through Foster and hopes to begin conversations about the five signs of mental illness, which are featured in the video. Nearly one in five people have a diagnosable health condition and most of them do not speak up.

Chris is currently blazing up the country charts with his single “Nobody to Blame,” which is also from his album, Traveller.

At this year’s ACM Awards, he’s nominated for Male Vocalist, New Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for Traveller, Song of the Year for “Nobody to Blame” and Vocal Event of the Year for the song “Hangover Tonight” with Gary Allan. The 51st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET on CBS.

Check out the video here: http://www.chrisstapleton.com/fire-away/

Album buy link: http://umgn.us/Traveller

Little Big Town will appear as guest judges on Project Runway All Stars on Thursday night (February 25th). The contestants are tasked with creating looks for the fashionable ladies to wear to this year’s ACM Awards. The show airs at 9pm ET on Lifetime.

The official music video for Dierks Bentley‘s “Somewhere on a Beach” will premiere this Friday (February 26th) on VEVO.  The Behind-the-Scenes of the clip will debut on Break.com.

Video link: http://vevo.ly/4GyHH4

Buy Link: http://umgn.us/SomewhereOnABeach

Chris Stapleton’s Traveller is on the short list for the inaugural American Music Prize, along with debut albums by Azealia Banks, Benjamin Booker and Leon Bridges, among others. The winner is set to be announced March 2nd.

This week, Sam Hunt helped present one of the Grammy Amplifier Program Awards (by Hyundai and the Recording Academy) to Adley Stump, a member of Blake Shelton’s team on Season 2 of The Voice. She will receive one of three prizes – a recording session, a live performance showcase or a music video. “It takes a whole lot of passion, commitment and conviction to put yourself out there, to enter a competition and to be judged,” said Sam in a press release. “There is no formula for making it in this business, but American Bombshell, Kirby and Adley have been given a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow as musicians. There’s absolutely nothing that gives us more pleasure than to be a part of an initiative like the Grammy Amplifier program that gives these aspiring talents opportunities that will help them to develop their crafts.”

The ACM nominees for Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year were announced on Thursday (February 18th). Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” Eric Paslay’s “She Don’t Love You” and Chris Stapleton’s “Nobody to Blame” are on the ballot, as well as Keith Urban’s “Raise ‘Em Up,” featuring Eric Church.

The Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET on CBS.

Song of the Year [awarded to songwriter(s)/publisher(s)/artist(s)]
“Burning House,” Cam
Songwriters: Jeffrey Bhasker, Tyler Johnson, Cam

“Girl Crush,” Little Big Town
Songwriters: Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose

“Nobody to Blame,” Chris Stapleton
Songwriters: Chris Stapleton, Barry Bales, Ronnie Bowman

“Raise ‘Em Up,” Keith Urban featuring Eric Church
Songwriters: Tom Douglas, Jaren Johnston, Jeffrey Steele

“She Don’t Love You,” Eric Paslay
Songwriters: Eric Paslay, Jennifer Wayne

Songwriter of the Year
Rodney Clawson (“Crash My Party”)
Ross Copperman (“Strip It Down”)
Ashley Gorley (“Play It Again”)
Shane McAnally (“Break Up in a Small Town”)
Josh Osborne (“John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16”)