Luke Bryan picked up the trophy for Entertainer of the Year at the 2013 ACM Awards, as well as for the 2014 CMA Awards. He’s once again nominated for this incredible title, and he says that first win changed his life.

“Winning Entertainer of the Year, truly changed my life in a lot of ways and just put me in a whole other place professionally and mentally,” says Luke. “It was just an amazing thing to happen.”

Luke, who is co-hosting this year’s ACM Awards with pal Blake Shelton for the third year, is also nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year for “Drink a Beer” and Vocal Event of the Year for “This is How We Roll” with Florida Georgia Line.

The 50th Annual ACM Awards will be broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas at 8pm ET on CBS.

Luke Bryan is giving away 2 Diamond-level tickets to Sunday night’s ACM Awards. He posted a snap with his NEW Snapchat handle — lukebryan (no longer lukebryansnaps).

Luke is nominated for Entertainer of the Year (voteacm.com), Male Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year for “Drink a Beer,” as well as for Vocal Event of the Year for “This is How We Roll” with Florida-Georgia Line.

Catch Luke host AND perform during the 50th Annual ACM Awards, which will be broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas at 8pm ET on CBS.

Vote #‎TeamLuke for Entertainer of the Year daily at http://www.voteacm.com and be sure to watch the 50th Annual ACM Awards on Sunday, April 19th at 8pm ET on CBS. #ACMAwards50

Vote #‎TeamLuke for Entertainer of the Year daily at http://www.voteacm.com and be sure to watch the 50th Annual aACM Awards on Sunday, April 19th at 8pm ET on CBS. #ACMAwards50

Luke Bryan takes fans behind-the-scenes of the first concert date of 2015 with Crash My Playa, featuring pals Cole Swindell, Florida Georgia Line, Kelleigh Bannen and Dustin Lynch in the latest episode of Luke Bryan TV.

Encino, CA (April 9, 2015) – The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions announced the full lineup of country music luminaries and chart-topping artists who will perform together on “ACM Presents: Superstar Duets” and make up the evening portion of the 3^rd Annual ACM Party for a Cause Festival.  Performances at the two-day outdoor music festival celebrating the 50^th ACM Awards will begin at 7:30pm on Friday, April 17th and continue Saturday, April 18th on the Main Stage inside of Globe Life Park in Arlington, TX. A two-hour special including performances from the event will air on Friday, May 15th on the CBS Television Network.

Friday’s lineup will include special collaborations by Alabama & Eli Young Band, Brooks & Dunn & Reba, Darius Rucker & Sara Evans, Dierks Bentley & Kip Moore & Ashley Monroe, Dwight Yoakam & Sam Hunt, and Luke Bryan & Ronnie Milsap, along with a special performance by Brantley Gilbert.

Saturday’s lineup will include duet performances by Alan Jackson & Cole Swindell, Clint Black & Joe Nichols, Eric Church & Marty Stuart, Florida Georgia Line & David Lee Murphy, Hunter Hayes & Brett Eldredge, Keith Urban & John Anderson, Lady Antebellum & Brandy Clark, Miranda Lambert & Patty Loveless, and The Band Perry & Deana Carter along with special performances by Kenny Chesney and Jake Owen.

Ticket packages to the ACM Party for a Cause Festival INCLUDING the 50^th ACM Awards are available NOW at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets to the 50^TH ACM Awards sold out last spring in a record 18 minutes but as staging changes became final for the ACM Awards, seats to the previously SOLD OUT Awards show and festival are now available.
lease see a full lineup of tentatively scheduled performances below for “ACM Presents: Superstar Duets” listed by order of appearance and subject to change. For additional updates please visit www.ACMcountry.com.

 Friday, April 17, 2015 (Listed in Order of Appearance)

·         Brantley Gilbert

·         Dwight Yoakam & Sam Hunt

·         Darius Rucker & Sara Evans

·         Alabama & Eli Young Band

·         Brooks & Dunn & Reba

·         Dierks Bentley, Kip Moore & Ashley Monroe

·         Luke Bryan & Ronnie Milsap

 Saturday, April 18, 2015 (Listed in Order of Appearance)

·         Clint Black & Joe Nichols

·         The Band Perry & Deana Carter

·         Lady Antebellum & Brandy Clark

·         Hunter Hayes & Brett Eldredge

·         Jake Owen

·         Kenny Chesney

·         Alan Jackson & Cole Swindell

·         Miranda Lambert & Patty Loveless

·         Keith Urban & John Anderson

·         Eric Church & Marty Stuart

·         Florida Georgia Line & David Lee Murphy

The 3^rd Annual ACM Party for a Cause Festival, beginning at 12:00 PM on April 17-18, 2015, will include multiple stages for ongoing LIVE country music performances, interactive experiences, a family-friendly country marketplace with food trucks and vendors from around the country, and much more, all leading up to the 50^th Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be broadcast LIVE for the first time ever from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Proceeds from the event will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music and military philanthropies including Folds of Honor Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, Navy SEAL Foundation, and Task Force Dagger Foundation.

ACM Presents: Superstar Duets is produced for television by dick clark productions. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan and R.A. Clark are executive producers.  Mark Bracco, Barry Adelman and Tom Forrest are co-executive producers. Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

Luke Bryan is nominated for ACM Entertainer of the Year, having picked up the award in 2013. In the same category is one of his idols, Garth Brooks, who he’d never imagine would even know his name, much less be nominated at the same time.

“I never thought I’d be in any of whatever’s going on in my world, and obviously, when I started getting nominated for Entertainer of the Year and being in those categories like that. I can honestly say I never thought I’d be in a category with Garth Brooks, and certainly be in there with George Strait and stuff. So, it’s very mind-boggling and very flattering. So, now I’m nominated in Entertainer of the Year with Garth Brooks, and I see the paper, and I’m like ‘Phew!’ I mean, you almost want to frame it, it’s pretty cool. I just always feel blessed in these moments, and I can’t believe I’m in this situation to where these people know who I am, you know? I never would’ve thought I would be here.”

In addition to Entertainer of the Year, Luke is also nominated for Male Vocalist and Song of the Year for “Drink a Beer,” as well as Vocal Event of the Year with Florida Georgia Line on “This is How We Roll.” Luke has already picked up one ACM Award – the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award, which acknowledges “unprecedented, unique and outstanding individual achievement in country music.”

Fan voting for both Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year categories for the ACM Awards opened today (Wednesday, April 8th) and closes April 19th, just prior to the start of the show at 8pm ET. The fan votes will be tallied with the votes from ACM members to determine the final winners. Go to VoteACM.com. The 50th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Luke and Blake Shelton, will be broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas at 8pm ET on CBS.

NASHVILLE – (April 8, 2015) – Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa adds country superstar Dierks Bentley as a headline performer for the all-inclusive Caribbean concert vacation set in Riviera Maya, Mexico on January 22-26, 2016.

Luke will headline two nights of beachfront concerts, while Dierks will take the headlining reigns for one night. The third headliner and additional artists will be announced soon. All packages go on sale Thursday, April 9, 2015 at 11 AM Central at crashmyplaya.com.

All Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa guests will enjoy the ultimate country music fan experience with unparalleled access to their favorite stars.  From the moment guests arrive in Mexico, fans will be treated to an all-inclusive and high-caliber experience, including all local travel, amenities and accommodations, admission to each night’s exclusive beach performances, food and drink, 24 -hour concierge, an official Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa merchandise package and optional themed adventures and activities that explore the riches of the Riviera Maya.

For the 2016 event, guests can choose from one of three distinctive resorts – The Barceló Maya Beach Resort, Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya or the Mayakoba featuring Rosewood, Fairmont, and Banyan Tree Properties – and either four-night or five-night stays.

For more information about Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa and for information on easy payment plans, please visit: www.crashmyplaya.com.

About Luke Bryan

Since the debut of his first album in 2007, Luke Bryan has placed 12 singles at No. 1 and sold nearly 7 million albums with 27 million digital tracks from his four studio albums and has been named Entertainer of the Year for both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.   He just released his seventh and final spring break album, Spring Break…Checkin’ Out, which debuted the album at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart and No. 3 on Billboard’s Top 200.  Sales of Luke’s combined spring break releases now exceed 1.2 million.  He celebrated the album with two concerts at Spinnaker Beach Club in Panama City Beach, Florida with record crowds of more than 400,000 fans.

Luke is the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and he will co-host the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards with Blake Shelton for a third consecutive year on April 19, 2015.  In May, Luke will launch a new tour – “Kick The Dust Up.”

About Dierks Bentley

ACM top male nominee Dierks Bentley is seven albums into one of country music’s most respected and most unpredictable careers. His latest evolution comes in the form of his critically acclaimed and No. One selling album RISER, which has already spawned two consecutive No. One hits with “I Hold On” and “Drunk On A Plane” and his latest single, “Say You Do” is in the Top 10 on the charts. Bentley’s six previous studio albums have sold more than five million copies, notched 12 chart-topping singles and earned 12 GRAMMY nominations. He recently announced his 2015 SOUNDS OF SUMMER TOUR kicking off June 5and running through the summer. For more information and a full list of appearances visit www.dierks.com.

About CID Presents

In January 2015, CID Entertainment, the premier guest-focused experiential agency, launched its production arm CID Presents with the sold out Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa. CID Presents designed, produced and operated the all-inclusive destination concert event in the Riviera Maya, which treated 4,000 guests to unprecedented levels of access to the biggest stars in country music. By utilizing CID’s expansive entertainment industry ties and expertise and seamlessly integrating concert and travel logistics, CID Presents develops multi-sensory and creative productions, providing every guest with unparalleled experiences and engagement with their favorite artists.

Luke Bryan is now a fixture at the ACM Awards, having won Entertainer of the Year in 2013 and New Artist of the Year in 2010, plus returning as co-host for the third year in a row.

Luke recalls attending his first ACM Awards – even before his first album was released, and it was a pretty emotional time for him because he and his family used to sit down and watch the awards together.

“My first year out here, Reba was hosting and Capitol [Records] flew me out, and this was like a year before my first album ever came out,” says Luke. “I just sat in the back and ate popcorn, and I think Reba walked out and I started crying, so that was an amazing moment. It’s just crazy that, fast-forward the clock and now Entertainer of the Year of the ACM Awards, and I’ve hosted it twice – it’s pretty, pretty crazy.”

Luke is nominated for Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Song of the Year for “Drink a Beer,” as well as Vocal Event of the Year with Florida Georgia Line on “This is How We Roll.” Luke has already picked up one ACM Award – the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award, which acknowledges “unprecedented, unique and outstanding individual achievement in country music.”

The 50th Annual ACM Awards airs live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on April 19th at 8pm ET on CBS.

ENCINO, CA (April 7, 2015) – The Academy of Country Music announced today the winners of awards that will not be televised during the 50^TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, due to time constraints. The 50^thACM Awards will be telecast LIVE from AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, April 19^th at 8:00PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Special Awards honorees will be feted during the 9^th Annual ACM Honors event on September 1, 2015 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN.

The Academy of Country Music Special Awards are voted on by the ACM Board of Directors and specific categories are awarded during years where the Board of Directors feels there are clear and deserving candidates. The Studio Recording Awards (formerly known as the Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist (MBI) Awards) ballot is voted on by professional members of the Academy who are classified in the Artist-Entertainer/Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist category and the Producer-Engineer-Studio Manager sub-category (contained within the Affiliated category). The Songwriter of the Year ballot is voted on by professional members of the Academy in the following categories: Artist-Entertainer/Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist, Composer, Music Publisher/PRO, Record Company, and the Producer-Engineer-Studio Manager sub-category (contained within the Affiliated category). Industry Awards are voted on by all professional members of the Academy and for the first time ever this year’s ballot included the ACM Festival of the Year category. The Academy wanted to recognize the growing festival industry, a platform that has helped raise awareness and appreciation for country music.

SPECIAL AWARDS

Career Achievement Award – Alabama has been chosen to receive the Career Achievement Award, honoring an individual artist, duo, group or multiple artist collaboration that has advanced the popularity and acceptance of country music through their endeavors in the entertainment industry in multiple areas during the preceding calendar year.

Alabama received the ACM Artist of the Decade award for the 1980s after winning the Entertainer of the Year award for five consecutive years. Combining their rock influences with Southern roots, the ensemble charted 51 Top 10 hits between 1980 and 1999, with 32 reaching No. 1. They also earned six consecutive ACM awards in the Vocal Group category. Alabama joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2011, original band members Randy Owen, Jeff Cook and Teddy Gentry brought their mountain music back to country radio by singing on “Old Alabama,” Brad Paisley’s salute to them. In 2013, the band celebrated 40 years in country music with the “Back to the Bowery” Tour and the tribute album Alabama & Friends, which featured Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line and many others. Their 2013-2014 run culminated in the September 2014 releases of theAngels Among Us: Hymns and Gospel Favorites album and the Alabama & Friends At The Ryman live CD/DVD. Also in 2014, Alabama frontman Randy Owen celebrated the 25th anniversary of his call to country radio to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. To date, the “Country Cares for St. Jude Kids” initiative has raised more than $500 million for the hospital.

Past recipients of the Career Achievement Award include John Anderson, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Ronnie Milsap, Johnny Paycheck, Carl Perkins, Reba, and Kenny Rogers.

Crystal Milestone Award – Loretta Lynn has been chosen to receive the Crystal Milestone Award, which is given to an artist or industry leader to commemorate a specific, remarkable achievement.

Loretta Lynn remains one of country music’s most beloved and admired artists. Celebrated for her keen songwriting and down-home personality, she was named the ACM Artist of the Decade for the 1970s, an honor bestowed after she claimed four Female Vocalist awards, four Vocal Group awards (with Conway Twitty) and ultimately 1975 Entertainer of the Year – the first woman ever to earn that distinction. Lynn joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1962 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988. The film version of her life, Coal Miner’s Daughter, is an Oscar-winning classic. Lynn has captivated a younger generation as well, collaborating with rocker Jack White on the Grammy-winning Van Lear Rose album and championing today’s female vocalists like Miranda Lambert. In 2014, Loretta celebrated her 50^th anniversary in country music. New music is expected in 2015.

Past recipients of the Crystal Milestone Award include Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Merle Haggard, Gayle Holcomb, Jennifer Nettles, and Taylor Swift.

Gene Weed Special Achievement Award – Luke Bryan has been chosen to receive the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award, which acknowledges unprecedented, unique and outstanding individual achievement in country music.

Luke Bryan is experiencing a career rush thanks to his double-platinum project, Crash My Party. The album ushered in a record-setting six consecutive No. 1 singles: “Crash My Party,” “That’s My Kind of Night,” “Drink A Beer,” “Play It Again,” “Roller Coaster” and “I See You.” In 2014, he performed for 1.7 million fans, marking his best year of touring yet. In January, he carried his music to Europe for the first time and announced a schedule of arenas and stadium concerts stateside. An exhibit on his stellar career will open at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum this summer.

Past recipients of the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award include Garth Brooks, George Burns, Jeff Foxworthy, Willie Nelson, Blake Shelton, George Strait, and Carrie Underwood.

Jim Reeves International Award – Eric Church has been chosen to receive the Jim Reeves International Award, which is presented to an artist for outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world.

Eric Church is proving that modern country music translates across borders, even when his biggest songs reference iconic American imagery like “Springsteen” and “Talladega.” The North Carolina native introduced The Outsiders World Tour to Europe in early 2014, sharing his rugged, original music across 12 major markets and thousands of new fans. Church began his ambitious international trek in Dublin, Ireland, with dates following in Belfast, Northern Ireland; Glasgow, Scotland; Manchester, United Kingdom; London, England; Amsterdam, Holland; Cologne, Hamburg and Munich, Germany; Malmo and Stockholm, Sweden; and Oslo, Norway. His worldwide legion of fans is known as the Church Choir.

Past recipients of the Jim Reeves International Award include Garth Brooks, Dick Clark, Roy Clark, Merv Griffin, Alan Jackson, Charlie Nagatani, Buck Owens, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, andRascal Flatts among others.

Mae Boren Axton Award – Barry Adelman and Tim DuBois have been chosen as the recipients of the Mae Boren Axton Award, which is given in recognition of years of dedication and service by an outstanding individual to the Academy of Country Music.

Barry Adelman, EVP of Television for dick clark productions, has been a tireless champion of the Academy of Country Music Awards as the show’s long-time writer and executive producer, and has served on the ACM Board of Directors. He is one of the most prolific producers working in Hollywood today, with credits including the Golden Globes, American Music Awards, So You Think You Can Dance and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, among many other high-profile live broadcasts. He has received multiple Emmy nominations in his role as a producer and has written speeches for Presidents Clinton, Bush and Reagan. Early in his career, he also wrote forThe Sonny & Cher Show and wrote the eulogy for Elvis Presley’s funeral.

Tim DuBois enjoyed a significant songwriting career before developing Arista Nashville into a powerhouse label in the 1990s. His writing credits include ACM-nominated songs such as Alabama’s “Love in the First Degree,” Vince Gill’s “When I Call Your Name” and Jerry Reed’s “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft).” Under his leadership at Arista, artists like Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley and Pam Tillis picked up numerous platinum albums and industry awards. Despite his busy schedule, DuBois has given countless hours to the Academy of Country Music as an officer and a member of the Board of Directors for more than 30 years. His experience and wisdom have been instrumental in helping the Academy grow and transition. He currently serves as ACM board’s Sergeant-at-Arms. Following positions at ASCAP and Vanderbilt University, he is now a partner at Artist Management Partners.

Past recipients of the Mae Boren Axton Award include John Dorris, Rod Essig, Gayle Holcomb, Jack Lameier, Marge Meoli, Paul Moore, Ray Pilzak, Gaynelle Pitts, Gene Weed, Tommy Wiggins and David Young.

Poet’s Award – Felice and Boudleaux Bryant (awarded posthumously) and Bob McDill have been selected to receive the Poet’s Award, which honors songwriters for outstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their careers in the field of country music.

Felice and Boudleaux Bryant moved to Nashville in 1950 and helped established the city’s songwriting industry. Boudleaux Bryant matched his talent as a professional fiddler to his wife’s interest in poetry to create a winning formula. Their catalog includes the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love” and “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” as well as Eddy Arnold’s “How’s the World Treating You,” Jimmy Dickens’ “I’m Little But I’m Loud,” Roy Orbison’s “Love Hurts” and the Osborne Brothers’ “Rocky Top.” Boudleaux died in 1987; Felice died in 2003. They were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1991

Bob McDill weaves his incredible stories with vivid language, memorable melodies and a wise, relatable perspective. The Texas native has written 30 No. 1 country hits since moving to Nashville in 1970. His rich catalog includes Alabama’s “Song of the South,” Alan Jackson’s “Gone Country,” Waylon Jennings’ “Amanda” and Don Williams’ “It Must Be Love.” In addition, his ACM-nominated songwriting credits are Mel McDaniel’s “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On,” John Schneider’s “I’ve Been Around Enough to Know,” Dan Seals’ “Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold),” Pam Tillis’ “All the Good Ones Are Gone” and Keith Whitley’s “Don’t Close Your Eyes.”

Previous recipients of the Poet’s Award include Bill Anderson, Bobby Braddock, Guy Clark, Jack Clement, Hank Cochran, Dean Dillon, Merle Haggard, Tom T. Hall, Harlan Howard, Kris Kristofferson, Roger Miller, Buck Owens, Fred Rose, Don Schlitz, Cindy Walker and Hank Williams.

INDUSTRY AWARDS

• CASINO OF THE YEAR:
  • SMALL CAPACITY– Hard Rock Live – Biloxi, MS
  • MEDIUM CAPACITY– MGM Grand Casino – Las Vegas, NV
• FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR:Country Thunder USA: East – Twin Lakes, WI
• NIGHTCLUB OF THE YEAR:  Joe’s Bar – Chicago, IL
• VENUE OF THE YEAR:
  • SMALL CAPACITY– Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
  • MEDIUM CAPACITY – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
  • LARGE CAPACITY – Hollywood Bowl – Hollywood, CA
• DON ROMEO TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR:  Sally Williams – Ryman Auditorium
• PROMOTER OF THE YEAR: Ed Warm – Joe’s Live

STUDIO RECORDING AWARDS (FORMERLY THE MBI AWARDS)

• BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Glenn Worf
• DRUMMER OF THE YEAR:  Greg Morrow
• GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Tom Bukovac
• PIANO/KEYBOARDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Michael Rojas
• SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT(S) PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Ilya Toshinsky
• STEEL GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Dan Dugmore
• AUDIO ENGINEER OF THE YEAR:  Chuck Ainlay
• PRODUCER OF THE YEAR:  Jay Joyce

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR:  Luke Laird

About the Academy of Country Music Awards

The 50th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry.  The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will broadcast LIVE from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, R.A. Clark, Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco are executive producers.  Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.