The Josh Turner Scholarship Fund For The Arts is currently accepting scholarship applications through February 1st, 2022. Established by Turner and his wife Jennifer in 2008, those eligible to apply must be high school seniors from South Carolina wishing to enter the music business or undertake a career in the arts. The scholarship is intended to support students primarily from rural areas, and applicants must be focusing on a career that will introduce them to various opportunities in the music business or some discipline of the arts.

Growing up in rural South Carolina, Turner attended a small school and did not have the benefit of a comprehensive arts program at his high school.  As a result, he felt behind his fellow students upon entering Belmont University as Commercial Vocal Performance major. “I had never been taught music theory or heard about ear training.  It was like a whole new language for me and I felt lost,” shares Turner.  “There were only 75 people in my graduating class, and that translated into ‘not a lot of opportunities’ when it came to music.  We had academic and sports programs, but we never had a consistent music program. We would have a band one year, a chorus the next, but nothing ever lasted.” Turner’s experience at Nashville’s Belmont University, alongside his wife Jennifer’s love of the arts (also a Belmont music major), inspired the couple to start a scholarship fund that would jump-start high school students into a future in the music business or the arts.

The Josh Turner Scholarship Fund For The Arts supports students planning a career that will introduce them to various opportunities in the music business, from performing, writing, or publishing, to managing or producing, or some discipline of the arts, such as graphic design, photography, or painting to name a few. “The requirement to apply for the fund is that the student should be interested in pursuing a job that is directly associated with the music industry or the arts. You don’t have to be a singer or songwriter, so that makes the possibilities endless,” Turner says.

The application can be found at https://www.cfmt.org/grants-scholarships/.

About Josh Turner
With his deep bass voice, Turner has sold more than six million records, reached 3.7 billion global streams, and has become a favorite and unforgettable hitmaker on country radio. With timeless songs like “Long Black Train” and “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Turner’s five No. 1 singles include “Your Man,” of which the official music video recently surpassed 100 million views.  This comes on the heels of the release of Your Man Deluxe Edition, celebrating 15 years of Turner’s iconic double Platinum-selling album, as well as the release of the mini documentary “Josh Turner Your Man 15^th Anniversary” (Mini Doc). The Double-Platinum-selling “Would You Go With Me,” featured on Your Man Deluxe Edition, recently experienced a viral surge across TikTok leading to a jump in streaming which landed the classic country tune on Spotify’s US Viral 50 along with Spotify Viral charts in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Posting more than 3.7M weekly streams, “Would You Go With Me” moved inside the Top 35 on the Country streaming chart and ranked HOT on Amazon Music’s Voice Index. A native of South Carolina, Turner has received six Inspirational Country Music Awards, and has been nominated for two GRAMMY Awards, five CMA Awards, two ACM Awards, one CMT Award, and seven ACA Awards. To support music and arts education, he created The Josh Turner ScholarshipFund for the Arts to help students pursue their studies in these fields.  Turner and his wife Jennifer, whom he met as a student at Nashville’s Belmont University, have four sons. For more information, please visit www.joshturner.com

Keith Urban
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

Carrie Underwood
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap

Kimberly from Little Big Town
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

TJ Osborne
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

John Osborne
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

Tae from Maddie & Tae
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

Jimi from Little Big Town
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

Lauren Alaina
More rapid than eagles his reindeer they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

“Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen!

Caylee Hammack
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

Dierks Bentley
So up to the house-top the reindeer they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too

Darius Rucker
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

Jordan Davis
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

Maddie from Maddie & Tae
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

Karen from Little Big Town
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

Jon Pardi
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

Brandon Lay
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

Phillip from Little Big Town
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

Josh Turner
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

Luke Bryan
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

Alan Jackson
But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

Carrie Underwood will perform “Hallelujah” from her My Gift album with John Legend on NBC’s The Voice season finale on Tuesday (December 14th) at 8pm ET.

Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner and Lauren Alaina will perform during the first-ever Opry Live: USO Holiday Special. The one-hour show, hosted by USO Global Ambassador Kellie Pickler, will also feature performances by Luke Combs, Craig Morgan, Jessie James Decker and The War & Treaty. The holiday special will air on the Circle Network on Saturday (December 18th) at 9pm ET/8pm CT.

Eric Church is set to perform at the White House for the PBS holiday concert special premiering December 21st at 8pm ET. In Performance at the White House: Spirit of the Season will also feature host Jennifer Garner, along with performances by Andrea Bocelli, Camila Cabello, Jonas Brothers, Norah Jones, Pentatonix and Billy Porter, among others.

When Josh Turner was working on his first-ever Christmas album, King Size Manger, he and his producer Kenny Greenburg were going back and forth on certain standards they wanted to put on the album. One classic Kenny suggested was “Silent Night,” but it wasn’t one of Josh’s first choices. It was on a father-son trip with his youngest son where the ideas for the arrangement of the song started flooding the singer’s brain.

“I just had gone to South Carolina to my cabin with my youngest, Hawke. Because I’ve taken all of my boys on a father-son trip to our cabin, at a certain point, but Hawke was a lot older than the other three were when I finally got to take him because life’s been so crazy lately,” says Josh. “And so, I had taken him, and we were there one night, and he had already gone to bed, I had gone to bed, but all of a sudden, this idea popped in my head of the ‘Silent Night’ and the string arrangement and all that. So, I got up and got my guitar out and, and just started playing it, you know, to my phone, and the ideas kept flowing, of how to, you know, make it impactful. And then we eventually had Stuart Duncan come in and play a fiddle part on top of that with like, kind of a two-string Appalachian kind of vibe. It turned out to be a pretty cool thing with all that combined and it’s you know, it’s like a five-minute version, but you kind of get wrapped up in the song and what it’s all about.”

Josh is taking his Holiday & The Hits Tour to Mount Vernon, Kentucky on Thursday (December 9th).

Josh Turner is set to hang with two talented ladies — Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager — on NBC’s Today Show on Wednesday (December 8th) to chat about his new Christmas album, King Size Manger, and his Christmas tour, Holiday and the Hits.

I lucked out and I get to hang out with both of these wonderful ladies — @HodaAndJenna, tomorrow (12/8) on @TODAYshow! Tune-in! @HodaKotb @JennaBushHager #kingsizemanger pic.twitter.com/rh3ZN0z2b2

— Josh Turner (@joshturnermusic) December 7, 2021

Chris Stapleton and H.E.R. appeared on CBS’ National Tree Lighting television special to perform “This Christmas” together.

It was announced earlier this week that Travis Denning will hit the road with pal and fellow Georgia native, Cole Swindell beginning February 17th in Peoria, Illinois.

https://twitter.com/Travis_Denning/status/1467887846929448966

Parker McCollum has teamed with MusicFX, a digital community platform connecting artists to their fans through NFTs, to launch the Gold Chain Cowboy Club. “I’m thrilled to be the first artist to partner with MusicFX,” said Parker. “Without my amazing fans, I would not be where I am today. MusicFX is really going to allow us to support one another as we continue this incredible journey.” The NFT fan club is set to go live on Christmas Day.

Taylor Swift is No. 78 on the Forbes list of the Most Powerful Women In Entertainment for 2021. Other amazing women on the list include Vice President Kamala Harris, Oprah Winfrey, Rhianna, Beyonce, Reese Witherspoon, Queen Elizabeth and at No. 1 is billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

If you happened to miss the premiere of Reba McEntire‘s Lifetime holiday movie, Christmas in Tune, you’re in luck. The channel will air encore presentations of the movie several times throughout the month, including December 4th, December 16th, December 21st and December 24th.

Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Shania Twain, Trace Adkins, Vince Gill, Suzy Bogguss, Deana Carter and many more are featured on the new compilation 90s Country Christmas. Click here to download or stream.

Let it be Christmas and celebrate with this 90's Country Christmas Compilation, ft. Alan's #LetItBeChristmas! ❄️ https://t.co/euOGfNIjM1 pic.twitter.com/UHbyrIwXZH

— Alan Jackson (@OfficialJackson) December 3, 2021

Caylee Hammack shared her tour diary from her dates opening up for Chris Stapleton. Check it out below.

My tour diary entry from our weekend out on the road with @ChrisStapleton & @morganwithane is up now💃🏻

You can watch it here, my loves: https://t.co/1nL3PrzHiD pic.twitter.com/hZBQWChAS2

— Caylee Hammack (@Cayleehammack) December 3, 2021

Josh Turner talked to People about his new holiday song, “Soldier’s Gift,” his first-ever Christmas album, King Size Manger, and his holiday tour.

Thanks, @people, for talking to me about my new song, "Soldier's Gift," my debut Christmas album, 'King Size Manger,' and my first-ever Christmas tour, the 'Holiday & The Hits' tour! Y'all go check it out!#KingSizeManger #SoldiersGift #holidayandthehitshttps://t.co/RjXuXaaYh0

— Josh Turner (@joshturnermusic) December 3, 2021

Here are some holiday liners from UMG Nashville artists, including Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Caylee Hammack, Chrissy Metz,Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Gary Allan, George Strait, Hootie & The Blowfish, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Kassi Ashton, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Kylie Morgan, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Maddie & Tae, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Shania Twain, Taylor Swift, Terri Clark, Travis Denning and more!

Josh Turner just released his first-ever Christmas album, King Size Manger. The collection features some classic Christmas tunes, as well as a few original songs. Growing up in South Carolina, Josh looks back at the holiday and remembers having great times with his family on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

“We lived about a half a mile from my momma’s parents and probably three or four miles from my daddy’s parents, and so it was the same every year. Christmas Eve night we would go to my daddy’s parent’s house and daddy was one of six children. So once that family got big, we couldn’t do everything in the house. So we ended up in my grandparent’s garage. And so, we literally like… we would have a mountain of presents in the middle of the garage and there would be a circle, like folding chairs all the way around the edge of the garage. And so there would be one person designated every year to hand out the presents and so whoever that person was, would hand out one present at a time and everybody was focused on that person opening their presents. And there was this tradition that got started probably by daddy’s older brother, my Uncle Buck. Every time somebody would like actually open up their present everybody could see it, the whole crowd, the whole family of… I don’t know however many there were 40 or 50 of us, you know… they would all in unison go, “WOOOooo!” you know, and so it was like every present, we go around down the line and didn’t leave anybody out. And it was you know, just some fun times and once all the presents were open, actually, we would eat and then we would do the presents and then if the presents were open, everyone would go out and you know everybody would have a fireworks competition. So, you had the biggest fireworks display and, and all that and the more sensitive ones in the family that couldn’t stand the cold or the noise of the fireworks, they would huddle up in the bedroom and look and watch from a bedroom window. So that would always happen Christmas Eve night and then we would come home, open one present and then we would get up next morning, do our Christmas at home. And then we would go to my mom’s parent’s house and eat. And then we would do presents there with that side of the family. And then we usually end up at home the rest of the day playing with what we got for Christmas. So it was that way, every year.”

Having four sons now (Hampton, Colby, Marion, Hawke), Josh  and his wife Jennifer say it’s easier for their extended families to come to them rather than traveling during the holidays. Some of the annual traditions they enjoy are watching all of their favorite Christmas movies.

“We’ve always had to be flexible as a family. You know, early on right after we got married, you know, we would alternate going back and forth to Georgia and South Carolina and all that. And then when we started having children, we felt strongly about spending Christmas Day here at home because we wanted them to have Christmas memories of being at home and so that’s kind of turned into watching our list of Christmas movies,” says Josh. “We have to try to fit them all in before Christmas comes and then we usually try to go out and see lights whether it’s at the Opryland Hotel or, you know, driving through a drive thru light place, Beyond that, it’s just we try to spend as much time with family as we can. We try to spend time at home. We try to have a big, nice fancy Christmas meal and then we’ll always open one present on Christmas Eve night and then we get up on Christmas morning and open all our presents. And then we eat a big breakfast and just kind of you know, spend the rest of the day just chillin’ Nothing too outlandish.”