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  • THE 50TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON FRIDAY.

    Audio
    Sam Hunt

    WHAT:  The fourth annual ACM digital press conference, hosted by the Academy of Country Music, CBS Television and dick clark productions via ACM social media channels to announce the nominees for the 50TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, Country Music’s Party of the Year®.

    Hosted by four-time ACM Award winners Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan, the ACM Awards will be broadcast LIVE from AT&T Stadium in North Texas on Sunday, April 19th, 2015 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

    WHEN:        Friday, January 30, 2015 at 8:30AM ET / 7:30 AM CT / 5:30AM PT  

    WHERE:  ACM Facebook Page:     www.facebook.com/AcademyOfCountryMusic

                       ACM Instagram Page:    www.instagram.com/ACMawards

                       ACM Twitter Feed:         www.twitter.com/ACMawards

    A full list of nominations for the 50th ACM Awards will be revealed immediately following the nominations announced via social media on www.acmcountry.com.

    MORE:   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 and Barry Adelman are executive producers.  Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

    The first round of fan voting for New Artist of the Year is underway at VoteACM.com and voteacm.CMT.com and will close Tuesday, February 10th at 6:00pm ET. The final three nominees will be announced in the coming weeks and will move on to compete in the final round of voting for the New Artist category at VoteACM.com. The final round of fan voting begins April 8th and will close on April 19th.

    Audio / Sam Hunt says he’s overwhelmed just being acknowledged in the initial category for ACM New Artist of the Year, along with Kip Moore, Brett Eldredge, Tyler Farr, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, Dan + Shay and Chase Rice.

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    Sam Hunt (prelim ACMs) OC: …is special. :34
    “I really don’t know what to think about [the initial nomination], in a similar way that I didn’t know what to think about being on the radio when I had my first song on the radio. Growing up, I listened to the radio and watched the award shows, so those are the two biggest, I guess, outlets that represented the top of the top in the country music world. So, to be even potentially affiliated with the ACMs and the other associations that do so much for country music in a category that also has so many talented artists that are at the top of their game in country music. Just to be acknowledged in that community is special.”


  • SUPER BOWL 2015: Canaan, Darius, Dierks, Easton, Keith, Lady A, Little Big Town, Luke, Sam

    Audio
    Canaan Smith / Darius Rucker / Easton Corbin / Keith Urban / Lady Antebellum / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Sam Hunt

    This Sunday (February 1st), millions of people around the world will be tuning in to the Super Bowl (the Big Game), including some of your favorite country artists. Some will be rooting for the Seattle Seahawks, while others will be pulling for the New England Patriotsto win the Big Game. Canaan Smith, Darius Rucker, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Easton Corbin, Kip Moore, Keith Urban, Sam Hunt and Little Big Town are definitely fans of football…Check out all the action at the University of Phoenix stadium on Sunday at 6:30pm ET on NBC.

    A handful of artists will be out in Phoenix for events preceding Sunday’s game.

    Dierks Bentley returns to his home state to perform at the annual Night Before concert, along with Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line. The show takes place January 31st at the US Airways Center.

    Sam Hunt will perform at the first-ever DIRECTV Super Fan Festival in Glendale, Arizona, along with the Zac Brown Band, Thomas Rhett and the Cadillac Three.

    The members of Little Big Town are set to perform at this year’s Taste of the NFL Party With a Purpose Saturday in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s a strolling wine and food event featuring a chef from each NFL city serving their signature dish, alongside a current or alumni NFL player. All proceeds go to benefit food banks in every NFL city. “It’s a privilege to perform at this year’s Taste of the NFL event and to help raise funds and awareness for hunger relief,” says LBT’s Karen Fairchild. “Working together to support the fight against hunger is something that we are very passionate about. We are excited to help support local food banks and are eager to defeat hunger throughout the U.S.”

    Audio / Canaan Smith always has a good time watching the Super Bowl.

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    Canaan Smith (Super Bowl) OC: …It’s cool. :21
    “Super Bowl’s all about pizza and commercials. You gotta sit down, you gotta drink your beer, get a little buzz. It’s pepperoni and banana peppers for me and my family. We sit down, we have a a good time, we have friends over. We have a nice TV, plenty of space. We have a good time. Usually, when it’s all said and done, we have a little dance party afterwards too. It’s cool.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker is a HUGE football fan, as everyone probably knows by now. He even has a special man cave with probably six or seven (or more) televisions mounted on the wall to catch all of the games being played during the season. He explains why he loves football so much. SIDENOTE: He’s a huge Miami Dolphins fan, and word has it, just to be able to meet then Dolphins quarterback, Dan Marino, he asked him to be in a Hootie & the Blowfish video for “Only Wanna Be With You.”

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    Darius Rucker (football) OC: …football season. :20
    “Ever since I was five years old, I’ve loved football, and I love how physical it is. I love the chess match of the game. I love the speed of the game. I love college football, but for me watching pro football is better because the speed is so much more. For me, there’s two times a year, man — football season and waiting for football season.”

    Audio / Easton Corbin says you can’t go on the bus during football season without a game being on the television.

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    Easton Corbin (football) OC: …that’s on. :07
    “That’s all that’s on the bus on the weekends. That’s it, and we’ve got three TVs on the bus, so that’s all that’s on.”

    Audio / Keith Urban says his wife, Nicole Kidman, got him interested in football.

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    Keith (Nicole and football) OC: …new to me. :04

    “She’s a big NFL fan, and she sort of turned me on to it.”

     

    Audio / The members of Lady Antebellum reveal their favorite tailgate foods, just in time for the Big Game.

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    Lady A (tailgate food) OC: (Charles) …football watching. :21
    HILLARY: “Honestly, chips and salsa, salsa or cheese dip or something. That’s like what I always go for. I could eat that every meal. No joke.” DAVE: “Best tailgate food is a big ole burger soaked in Dale’s sauce. That’s all you need.” HILLARY: “Or bratwurst. I forgot that. Those are good.” CHARLES: “Cold beer! A couple of little finger foods, but without cold beer, it’s not football watching.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s beautiful and talented Karen Fairchild was a badass growing up when she was playing quarterback for her powder puff football team.

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    LBT (football story) OC: …my lip. :40
    “I was the quarterback to my powder puff team. I was running the ball and I came around the corner – this was in high school – and a foreign exchange student, I think her name was Inga (KIMBERLY: “Inga.”), and I didn’t want to fumble ‘cause my brother and my dad were there, and I come from this very athletic family, so I held onto the ball. I knew I was going to go down, so I let my head hit first and I bit all the way through, but I didn’t fumble and I had a hole in my face, though. The sad thing is that it was just flag football, but I left my flags on and cleats and everything, ‘cause it looked cool, and I had blood running all down my jersey. I went to the emergency room like that, and they sewed up my lip.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan gives his pick for this year’s Big Game matchup between Seattle and New England. Luke Bryan (Super Bowl food) OC: …over again. :22 “Definitely Super Bowl is like the queso, the Frito Lay scoops with the Ro-tel situation. I guess it’s like, what’s the black-eyed pea stuff too? All of that, just stuff that you can sit there and have lots of sodium, and then just, it’s like Thanksgiving all over again.” Former UAB quarterback Sam Hunt talks about his thoughts on this year’s Super Bowl matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.

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    Luke Bryan (Super Bowl 2015) OC: …love ya! :26
    “My thoughts on the Super Bowl – I am, hmmmm, that’s a toughie. Patriots and Seattle – I’m completely neutral. I’m gonna sit back and enjoy the Super Bowl, kind of lean to the Patriots a little bit, ‘cause I’m East Coast. Seattle’s way out there, but I love Seattle, so don’t take it personally. Love ya!”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about some of the food he likes to have while watching the Super Bowl.

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    Luke Bryan (Super Bowl food) OC: …over again. :22
    “Definitely Super Bowl is like the queso, the Frito Lay scoops with the Ro-tel situation. I guess it’s like, what’s the black-eyed pea stuff too? All of that, just stuff that you can sit there and have lots of sodium, and then just, it’s like Thanksgiving all over again.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt, a former UAB quarterback, talks about his thoughts on this year’s Super Bowl matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.

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    Sam Hunt (Super Bowl 2015) OC: …pick a team. :46
    “I don’t have a die-hard team, but when it comes to playoff time, Super Bowl time, I definitely come in and get caught up in that whole world. I was pulling for (Green Bay Packers Quarterback) Aaron Rodgers, and especially after he hurt his leg, I thought it would be really cool for him overcome that. So close. He’s such a phenomenal quarterback. He did a really great job. But all of the quarterbacks at this point are gonna be at the top of their game, and it’s hard not to be a fan of any of them – anybody who’s that talented at that level at anything. I was pulling for Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay, but now that the Super Bowl’s here, I don’t know. I’m gonna have to kind of educate myself on the seasons that each one of them has had, see who I feel like deserves it most and pick a team.”



  • SAM HUNT READY TO KICKOFF HIS ‘LIPSTICK GRAFFITI TOUR.’

    Audio
    Sam Hunt

    Sam Hunt launches his first headlining tour, the Lipstick Graffiti trek, in Los Angeles Thursday (January 29th) at the Troubadour. You may be wondering where the title came from, so we asked him how he came up with the tour name.

    “The phrase Lipstick Graffiti comes from a song that I wrote a couple of years ago called ‘Vandalizer.’ The opening line from the song says ‘Lipstick Graffiti on the bathroom mirror,’” says Sam. “I was going through the lyrics of old songs and listening for just little phrases, buzz phrases, that caught my attention, and that was one that I wrote down and continued to look at it, er, look at that list of potential tour names over the next couple of weeks, and it kept standing out. When I look at that phrase, I feel like [it] captures what we’re going to be doing on this tour. It just fit.”

    Sam’s latest single, “Take Your Time,” has hit the Top 25 on the country charts.

    Audio / Sam Hunt reveals where he came up with the title of his headlining Lipstick Graffiti Tour.

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    Sam Hunt (Lipstick Graffiti Tour) OC: …just fit. :31
    “The phrase Lipstick Graffiti comes from a song that I wrote a couple of years ago called ‘Vandalizer.’ The opening line from the song says ‘Lipstick Graffiti on the bathroom mirror.’ I was going through the lyrics of old songs and listening for just little phrases, buzz phrases, that caught my attention, and that was one that I wrote down and continued to look at it, er, look at that list of potential tour names over the next couple of weeks, and it kept standing out. When I look at that phrase, I feel like [it] captures what we’re going to be doing on this tour. It just fit.”

     

  • SAM HUNT JUST WANTS TO ‘TAKE YOUR TIME.’

    Audio
    Sam Hunt

    Sam Hunt’s latest hit, “Take Your Time,” gives guys an inventive and sincere opening line when approaching a lady that they are interested in getting to know.

    “I think those interactions between strangers in terms of a guy going up and pursuing a lady or introducing himself or expressing his interest — that can get cliché at times. It can get kind of sleazy and shallow at times when you think about, especially if it’s in a bar or a place that may not necessarily be as romantic as the next,” says Sam.
    “Hopefully, the singer in this song and what he’s saying overcomes some of those stereotypes, and you can see past just a surface attraction and you can see that he’s generally interested in this girl who has just completely got his attention.”

    Sam, a single guy himself, says it can be tough to stick out from the crowd. “I’ve seen in social settings when there’s a girl there that guys are attracted to, they’re going to pursue her. It’s tough to stand out sometimes, so this is an attempt at that.”

    Sam will be kicking off his Lipstick Graffiti Tour, featuring songs from his Montevallo album, January 29th in Los Angeles.

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his latest hit, “Take Your Time.”

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    Sam Hunt (Take Your Time) 2 OC: …play out in. :42
    “I think those interactions between strangers in terms of a guy going up and pursuing a lady or introducing himself or expressing his interest, that can get cliché at times. It can get kind of sleazy and shallow at times when you think about, especially if it’s in a bar or a place that may not necessarily be as romantic as the next. But, hopefully, the singer in this song and what he’s saying overcomes some of those stereotypes, and you can see past just a surface attraction and you can see that he’s generally interested in this girl who has just completely got his attention in whatever circumstance you want to see this song play out in.”

     

    Audio / Sam Hunt says it’s tough to stand out when you’re vying for a lady’s affections, but says “Take Your Time” is a good start.

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    Sam Hunt (Take Your Time) 3 OC: …at that. :14
    “It’s tough, ‘cause as a guy I know, I’ve seen in social settings when there’s a girl there that guys are attracted to, they’re going to pursue her. It’s tough to stand out sometimes, so this is an attempt at that.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Take Your Time)

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  • SAM HUNT IS LOOKING FORWARD TO APPEARING ON THE ELLEN DeGENERES SHOW.

    Audio
    Sam Hunt

    Sam Hunt appears on the Ellen DeGeneres Show Thursday (January 22nd) to perform his latest hit, “Take Your Time.” He’s really looking forward to meeting the talk show host.

    “I respect her a ton, and I respect her appreciation for music. You see her doing so much for new artists,” says Sam. “I’ve seen segments where she’ll find artists on the internet and have them on and really give them exposure and help them out in a really cool way. I have, right off the bat, a ton of respect for anybody who appreciates music and especially new artists in music in the way that she does.”

    Ellen routinely gives her male guests “Ellen” underwear, but just in case she isn’t forthcoming with the boxers for Sam, he’s prepared.

    “Actually, my aunt found out I was gonna be on the show, and for Christmas, she got me some Ellen underwear,” he laughs. “I have some already that I may have to tell her that, or I may wear ‘em, actually.”

    Sam is also prepping to launch his first headlining tour, Lipstick Graffiti Tour, January 29th at the Troubadour in West Hollywood.

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday (January 22nd).

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    Sam Hunt (1st time on Ellen DeGeneres) 1 OC: …that she does. :26
    “I’m really, really looking forward to it. I respect her a ton, and I respect her appreciation for music. You see her doing so much for new artists. I’ve seen segments where she’ll find artists on the internet and have them on and really give them exposure and help them out in a really cool way. I have, right off the bat, a ton of respect for anybody who appreciates music and especially new artists in music in the way that she does.”

    Audio / After he was told that Ellen DeGeneres usually gives male artists Ellen underwear/boxers, Sam Hunt reveals he already has his own that he received as a present from a family member.

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    Sam Hunt (1st time on Ellen DeGeneres) 2 OC: …wear ‘em, actually. (laughs) :11
    “Actually, my aunt found out I was gonna be on the show, and for Christmas, she got me some Ellen underwear.    (laughs) I have some already that I may have to tell her that, or I may wear ‘em, actually.” (laughs)



  • SAM HUNT WILL PERFORM HIS LATEST SINGLE ON THE ELLEN DeGENERES SHOW NEXT WEEK.

    Press
    Sam Hunt

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Friday, January 16, 2015) – Sam Hunt stops by The Ellen DeGeneres Show for the first time to perform his latest radio single, “Take Your Time” – airing January 22nd, please check local listings for air times.

    “Take Your Time” follows Hunt’s No. 1 Platinum-selling hit “Leave the Night On” off his critically-acclaimed No. 1 debuting album MONTEVALLO, released on MCA Nashville.

    MONTEVALLO landed on multiple Best of 2014 lists including the Associated Press, Billboard, Country Weekly, NPR, Rolling Stone, SPIN Magazine, Village Voice and The Washington Post, and the debut album from Hunt also helped secure his place as a semi-finalist for this year’s ACM New Artist of the Year Award. The first round of fan voting runs Jan. 27 – Feb. 10 at VoteACM.com.

    Hunt kicks off his sold-out headlining Lipstick Graffiti Tour Jan. 29 in Los Angeles, Calif. The first-ever headlining tour for the country newcomer runs through this spring, when Hunt will continue on the Wheels Up 2015 Tour with Lady Antebellum and Hunter Hayes.

    For information, music, images, tour dates and more, visit www.SamHunt.com.

    www.SamHunt.com | facebook.com/SamHuntMusic | twitter.com/SamHuntMusic | instagram.com/SamHuntMusic

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Kip, Scotty, Darius, Sam, Little Big Town, Jennifer

    Video
    Jennifer Nettles / Kip Moore / Little Big Town / Sam Hunt / Scotty Mccreery

    Kip Moore and Scotty McCreery are among the artists announced as presenters for the American Country Countdown Awards. They’re joined by Kix Brooks, Sara Evans, Hunter Hayes, Chris Young, Thomas Rhett, Chase Rice, Cole Swindell and Maddie & Tae, along with Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Terry Crews, The Walking Dead’s Emily Kinney, NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev. The show will air live from Nashville’s Music City Center December 15th at 8pm ET on FOX.

    Darius Rucker will perform during this year’s Christmas in Washington special, airing December 19th at 8pm ET on TNT. Hunter Hayes, Rita Ora, Christina Perri and Aloe Blacc also are set to perform. Dwayne “The Rock“ Johnson will host the show.

    Sam Hunt is headed to the Super Bowl to perform during the DIRECTV Super Fan Festival. The three-day event will take place in Phoenix, Arizona and also include performances by Zac Brown Band, Thomas Rhett, The Cadillac Three, Imagine Dragons, Snoop Dogg and more.

    This year’s CMA Country Christmas, featuring performances by Little Big Town, Brett Eldredge, Hunter Hayes, Carrie Underwood, Michael W. Smith, Brad Paisley with Stephen Tyler, Dan + Shay, as well as the show’s host Jennifer Nettles and Idina Menzel, will re-air Saturday, December 20th at 9pm ET on ABC.

     

    Video / FROZEN - "Let It Go" | Idina Menzel & Jennifer Nettles | CMA Cou

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