Go behind-the-scenes with Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley as they get acclimated to the Vegas air in the Neon Sign Graveyard.

Superstars Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley will co-host the 51st ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS®, Country Music’s Party of the Year®, returning to Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena and broadcast LIVE April 3rd at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS. The show will mark reigning ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan’s fourth consecutive turn hosting the Awards, and Bentley’s first time hosting a LIVE televised event.

Many country stars were starstruck backstage at the Kris Kristofferson tribute show in Nashville on Wednesday night (March 16th). Actor Kevin Spacey (House of Cards, The Usual Suspects, etc.) was in attendance. Check out some of the photos below.

(Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Essential Broadcast Media)

Dierks Bentley jumped at the chance to co-host this year’s ACM Awards with his pal, Luke Bryan. It seems the Phoenix native is always up for a challenge, such as when he was learning how to pilot his own plane or taking chances with his music or seizing new opportunities to stretch himself, like hosting a major awards show.

“I’m constantly picking things up just to see if I can do them, and I view music that way in some ways. I try to challenge myself to make better records,” says Dierks. “The idea of hosting the ACMs – that’s pretty crazy. Yeah, let’s give it a shot and see what happens. So, it should be a lot of fun. I feel pretty comfortable with Luke, obviously, being around him, and I’ve watched those guys the last couple of years, and I think I can get up there and take a shot at it.”

The 51st Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET/PT delayed on CBS.

Dierks is making his way up the charts with “Somewhere on a Beach,” his fastest rising single to-date.

On this date (March 15th) in 2005, Dierks Bentley scored his first platinum record with his self-titled debut album, which featured his No. 1 single “What Was I Thinkin’,” in addition to “My Last Name” and “How Am I Doin’.”

On April 7th, 2005, a party was held in his honor at the now defunct Hair of the Dog saloon, chosen in part in homage to his constant canine companion, Jake.

Photo (l to r): Capitol Nashville’s Mike Dungan, Today host Katie Couric, Dierks Bentley and Capitol’s Fletcher Foster
Photo Credit: Marilu White

Dierks Bentley is among the headliners for the first night of this year’s CMA Music Festival. He’ll be joined by Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert and Rascal Flatts Thursday, June 9th at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.

Keith Urban was recently named CMC International Artist of the Year at the CMC Music Awards in Australia, his fourth win in this category, and also CMC International Video of the Year, his fifth win in this category, for “Raise ‘Em Up,” featuring Eric Church.

Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley put on a different hat to produce Chuck Wicks on a version of Justin Bieber’s hit, “Love Yourself.” The song is available now on iTunes.

Mickey Guyton will perform during the fifth annual Rising Women on the Row in Nashville April 8th.

Sam Hunt is part of the Carnival Cruise Line’s fall 2016 Carnival LIVE performances, which also includes comedians Chris Tucker and Jim Gaffigan. The “Make You Miss Me” singer will perform on the Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Splendor in Cozumel, Mexico October 19th and 20th.

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.

Dierks Bentley has been prepping for next month’s ACM Awards and feels ready for whatever may happen, but says his co-host Luke Bryan should be prepared for some sort of malfunction during the show.

“Luke’s been really lucky. If you think about all his shows, and you think about all his dance moves, and you think about how tight his jeans, he’s been really lucky that nothing’s ever popped. And I’m thinking 2016’s gonna be the year,” says Dierks. “I think this is the year that Luke’s gonna have an accidental wardrobe malfunction, just to kind of keep the heat on and keep the popularity there at an all-time; take it to new heights.”

The 51st Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET/PT delayed on CBS.

Dierks is scaling the charts with “Somewhere on a Beach,” his fastest rising single to-date.

Dierks Bentley attended a private reception for his new exhibit – Dierks Bentley: Every Mile a Memory – at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Thursday (March 3rd). Some of his personal items he donated included his “Drunk on a Plane” pilot costume, his favorite guitar featuring signatures of several of his musical influences, platinum album, as well as some childhood artifacts including an eighth grade class picture with his wife Cassidy (the two first met in school and dated before losing touch until years later).

“It’s totally surreal. I mean, I understand I’m not in the Hall of Fame, but I am in the Hall of Fame [laughs]. It’s hard to process. I’ve been trying to think about this the last couple months. As folks came by to grab stuff out of the house, I’m trying to figure out what was going to go in here,” says Dierks. “I didn’t use country music as a vehicle to become a star. I’m a star because of, I guess, my passion for country music. I’ve never thought about these things. I’ve never pictured myself having a display at the Country Music Hall of Fame. I don’t save stuff thinking this is going to be, needs to be saved for this or that. There’s so much I’ve lost over the years, but it’s really taken being here right now to actually really grasp this whole thing. It’s hard to comprehend. I mean, it’s the Country Music Hall of Fame, but to even be a part of this in any small way is amazing.”

Dierks is expected to return to the Hall of Fame March 12th to talk about his career and perform an acoustic set. The exhibit will close September 6th.

Dierks is scaling the country charts with his latest single, “Somewhere on a Beach,” the first release from his forthcoming album, Black.

Dierks Bentley, Eric Church and Sam Hunt, as well as Kelsea Ballerini, have been announced as the latest performers for this year’s ACM Awards. They join previously announced performers Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Cam and Florida Georgia Line.

This year, Eric Church is nominated for six ACM Awards (including Entertainer of the Year), and Dierks Bentley and Sam Hunt each received two nominations. Additional acts and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.

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

Dierks Bentley will hit the ice with the Nashville Predators on Sunday (February 27th) in the alumni game against the St. Louis Blues alumni.

Charles Kelley will appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday (March 2nd).

If you want to light up your life, you can do so with a David Nail candle. Inspired by the romantic themes of his hit song, “Night’s On Fire,” the candle boasts the earthy aroma of sage, oak and lavender to relax the body while the lively aromas of orange and amber awaken the mind! Night’s On Fire is subtle and enticing. 12 ounce soy wax candle with an 80 hour burn time housed in a repurposed wine bottle!

Little Big Town is set to receive the Artist of the Year award from the Music Business Association. The band will accept the award during the 2016 Music Biz Awards Luncheon May 18th. Sam Hunt will be honored with the Breakthrough Artist Award.

Toby Keith has been added to The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson along with Hank Williams Jr., Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Lee Ann Womack and Jack Ingram. The concert taping, which pays tribute to the famed singer-songwriter-actor, will take place March 16 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Previously announced artists include Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Darius Rucker, Emmylou Harris, Jamey Johnson, Willie Nelson and Trisha Yearwood.