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  • THE ACM AWARDS NOMINATIONS 2021 HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!

    Audio
    Brothers Osborne / Carrie Underwood / Caylee Hammack / Chris Stapleton / Dierks Bentley / Eric Church / Keith Urban / Lauren Alaina / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Maddie & Tae / Mickey Guyton / Parker McCollum / Reba McEntire / Travis Denning

    With six each, Chris Stapleton and Maren Morris lead the list of nominations at this year’s ACM Awards.

    Chris earned nods in the categories for Entertainer, Male Artist, Song (for “Starting Over”) and Album of the Year (Starting Over) as artist, songwriter and producer.

     


    Brothers Osborne     and Kelsea Ballerini, along with ET‘s Rachel Smith revealed the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards nominees today (February 26th) on CBS This Morning.

    The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Eric Church earned three category nominations for Entertainer, Male Artist and Music Event of the Year for Luke Combs’ “Do to Me.”

     

     

    Luke Bryan picks up a pair of nominations for Entertainer of the Year and Album of the Year for Born Here Live Here Die Here, while Dierks Bentley also is nominated for two including Male Artist of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “Gone.”

     

     

     

     

    Brothers Osborne are nominated for both Duo of the Year (an award they’ve won twice before) and Album of the Year for Skeletons. Keith Urban also picks up two nods…in the same category – Music Event of the Year for both “Be a Light” with Thomas Rhett, Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin, as well as his latest single, “One Too Many” with P!nk.

     

     

    Carrie Underwood earned a nod in Music Event of the Year with John Legend for “Hallelujah,” while Lauren Alaina is also nominated in Music Event of the Year for Hardy’s “One Beer,” along with Devin Dawson.

     

     

    Little Big Town picks up a nomination for Group of the Year, while Maddie & Tae scored a nomination for Duo of the Year.

     

     

     

    Mickey Guyton and Caylee Hammack are both nominated for New Female Artist of the Year, while Travis Denning and Parker McCollum are up for New Male Artist of the Year.

     

     

     

     

    The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from Nashville April 18th beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on the Paramount+.

    Entertainer of the Year

    Luke Bryan
    Eric Church
    Luke Combs
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton

    Female Artist of the Year

    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Ashley McBryde
    Maren Morris
    Carly Pearce

    Male Artist of the Year

    Dierks Bentley
    Luke Combs
    Eric Church
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton

    Duo of the Year

    Brooks & Dunn
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan + Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    Maddie & Tae

    Group of the Year

    Lady A
    Little Big Town
    Old Dominion
    The Cadillac Three
    The Highwomen

    New Female Artist of the Year

    Ingrid Andress
    Tenille Arts
    Gabby Barrett
    Mickey Guyton
    Caylee Hammack

    New Male Artist of the Year

    Jimmie Allen
    Travis Denning
    Hardy
    Cody Johnson
    Parker McCollum

    Album of the Year

    Born Here Live Here Die Here, Luke Bryan
    Mixtape Vol. 1, Kane Brown
    Never Will, Ashley McBryde
    Skeletons, Brothers Osborne
    Starting Over, Chris Stapleton

    Single of the Year

    “Bluebird,” Miranda Lambert
    “I Hope,” Gabby Barrett
    “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
    “More Hearts Than Mine,” Ingrid Andress
    “The Bones,” Maren Morris

    Song of the Year

    “Bluebird,” Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby
    “One Night Standards,” Ashley McBryde, Nicolette Hayford, Shane McAnally
    “Some People Do,” Jesse Frasure, Matt Ramsey, Thomas Rhett, Shane McAnally
    “Starting Over,” Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson
    “The Bones,” Jimmy Robbins, Maren Morris, Laura Veltz

    Video of the Year

    “Better Than We Found It,” Maren Morris
    “Bluebird,” Miranda Lambert
    “Gone,” Dierks Bentley
    “Hallelujah,” Carrie Underwood and John Legend
    “Worldwide Beautiful,” Kane Brown

    Songwriter of the Year

    Ashley Gorley
    Michael Hardy
    Hillary Lindsey
    Shane McAnally
    Josh Osborne

    Music Event of the Year

    “Be A Light,” Thomas Rhett f/Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban
    “Does To Me,” Luke Combs f/Eric Church
    “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
    “Nobody But You,” Blake Shelton f/Gwen Stefani
    “One Beer,” Hardy f/Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson
    “One Too Many,” Keith Urban f/P!nk

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton, who is nominated for 6 ACM Awards including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year (among others), talks about the theme of his latest album, Starting Over.

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    Chris Stapleton (theme of Starting Over album) OC: …as humans. :54
    “I’ve never really looked at records necessarily as having a theme.  I’ve never made a record in that kind of a constraint necessarily. And there are a lot of great records that have this theme and this overlying thread that kind of runs through them.  Maybe the thread for me is just I’m singing. I wrote a bulk of the songs. It’s the same guys playing all the songs. If there’s a theme – if there’s a theme it’s hopefully there’s a theme of truth somewhere in it. And what I mean by that is hopefully we’re conveying in the songs some experiences that feel real and hopefully people can find themselves in those songs and in the album. And for me if I’m looking for a theme it’s that kind of, I don’t know, that thing that binds us all together as humans.”

    Audio / Eric Church, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, is nominated for Entertainer (among others) at this year’s ACM Awards. Backstage at last year’s CMA Awards, he talked about his first Entertainer of the Year win.

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    Eric Church (CMA 2020) 1 OC: …next year or two. :31
    “There’s not really been winners this year. I mean, nobody’s played. Nobody’s done the things we normally do. It’s been a year, to me, about losses. It’s about loss of life. It’s about loss of education for your kids. It’s about loss of time playing. It’s been a year of managing those losses. But I really meant what I said (during my acceptance speech) that we were in a room together as country music, and that’s not happened this year. So, I think that that was a win for country music, and I think it was a win for where we’re gonna go in the next year or two.”

    Audio / Before releasing his latest album in August of last year, Luke Bryan talked about what fans can expect on BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE.

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    Luke Bryan (fan expectations for BHLHDH) OC: …something for everybody. :37
    “I think fans can expect a little something of everything. They can expect a love song, a dancing song; obviously, ‘One Margarita’ being a big ole fun summer drinking song. And I think we have songs that will make you cry, touch your emotions, and I think, like I said there are songs that you can fall in love to out there. And there are songs that talk about the true meaning of life when you think about a song like ‘For a Boat,’ and you got a father teaching his son about the important things in life. So, I’m just proud of the way the album come together, and I feel like there’s something for everybody.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about his latest single, "Gone," for which the music video is nominated for an ACM Award.

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    Dierks Bentley (Gone) 2 OC: …would enjoy it too. :18
    “You know, the song, ‘cause I didn’t write it I can only brag on it, is just really well-written. It’s catchy, it’s fun. It’s metaphorical about what’s happening right now. It reminds me a little bit of some stuff we’ve had out in the past, but it feels like new territory in other ways and I don’t know, I just enjoyed it. I enjoyed singing it and I enjoyed playing it, and I wanted to put it out there and I thought our fans would enjoy it too.”

    Audio / KEITH URBAN TALKS ABOUT RECORDING “ONE TOO MANY” WITH P!NK.

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    Keith Urban (P!NK duet) OC: …it together. :29
    “This song was written as a duet, and I sent the song to her and luckily she loved it. I loved the song and I was really hoping she would love it, because she’s truly one of the great singers of our generation. So, to hear her voice on this song was phenomenal. We had such a great time getting to do that. I wish we could’ve done it in the same space, but you know with the situation we’re in, of course, we couldn’t do that. So, she recorded her vocal at her house and I did mine at my house, and we put it together.”

    Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD TALKS ABOUT THE SONG, “HALLELUJAH,” WHICH JOHN LEGEND WROTE AND IS FEATURED ON.

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    Carrie Underwood (Hallelujah) OC: …cool collaboration. :37
    “’Hallelujah’ is a song that touches on many different topics and feelings. It’s a love song, it’s a Christmas song, it’s a celebrating the time of year song. It’s you know, still wanting that joyfulness – it was written by John Legend and Toby Gad. When I listened to it, it had John’s voice on it, and it’s just beautiful. I knew I wanted to sing it – we asked if John, you might want to sing it with me. The perfect song, the perfect person, John Legend sounds amazing on it and I was like wow, I can’t believe that this just all came together like this, and just kind of a really cool collaboration.”

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about being nominated for his first ACM Award…for New Male Artist of the Year.

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    Parker McCollum (1st ACM Nomination) OC: …So grateful. :36
    “What does it mean to be nominated for an ACM Award? I can’t even explain it. I’ve watched these awards shows from the time I can remember listening to country music or watching television. It’s been my whole life. And so to be nominated for an ACM, something like New Male Artist of the Year – an absolute honor and a dream come true and so cool to see how proud my family is of me getting nominated for something like this. It’s just, there are no words, man. So grateful.”

     

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  • REBA MCENTIRE SET TO RELEASE ALL THE WOMEN I AM CONCERT SPECIAL EXCLUSIVELY ON YOUTUBE.

    Press
    Reba McEntire

    Country icon Reba McEntire is set to premiere her All The Women I Am concert special exclusively on YouTube this Friday, March 12, marking the first time the concert has been available digitally and in its entirety, including her signature “Fancy” encore. Filmed in 2011 at the Cajundome in Layfayette, LA, the recording features performances of Reba’s greatest hits including “Is There Life Out There,” “Turn On The Radio” and more. The special will premiere at 7:30pm CT and Reba will celebrate with fans through a chat on her YouTube channel HERE.

    In anticipation, Reba has released a special teaser trailer for the event which can be viewed HERE.

    “2011 was the last time we got to go out and play a big arena tour, and I’m so glad we captured this show on film. I know it’s not the same as being there in person, but I hope this gives my fans something to enjoy until we can get back out there on the road safely,” shares Reba.

    Recently, Reba returned to CBS’ breakout hit “Young Sheldon” as the fiery character June, Dale’s ex-wife. She will make her third guest appearance on the sitcom this Thursday, March 11 at 7pm CT in an episode title “A Pager, a Club and a Cranky Bag of Wrinkles.”

    Last year, Reba released two additional concert specials with YouTube, 1990’s Reba In Concert and 1994’s Reba: Live. The specials were a massive success with over 100,000 fans watching in just the first three days. The Country Music Hall of Fame member also re-released her legendary album, Rumor Has It, last year in celebration of the 30th Anniversary.

    About Reba McEntire:
    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide. Earlier this month, Reba received her 51st CMA nomination as well as her 60th Top 10 hit on the Billboard chart extending her record for the most among female artists. Reba has now collected Top 10 hits in five straight decades and is the fourth artist to achieve the feat alongside George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the six-season television sitcom Reba. Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and she was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign. Reba just launched her very first Spotify original podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, with her former Reba TV show co-star Melissa Peterman. Together with their guests including Dolly Parton, Leslie Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth and more they explore a variety of topics including aging, cancel culture, dating and more.

    Additional information can be found at: www.reba.com

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba, Darius, Kimberly, Vince, Luke and more

    Press
    Darius Rucker / Luke Bryan / Reba McEntire / Vince Gill

    Reba McEntire returns to reprise her role as “June” on the television show, Young Sheldon on Thursday (February 25th). Catch her in action beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS.

     

     

    Darius Rucker will perform his No. 1 hit, “Beers and Sunshine” on NBC’s “TODAY” Show on Friday (February 26th).

    Speaking of Darius Rucker and his Hootie & the Blowfish bandmates, Post Malone has released a cover of their 1995 hit song “Only Wanna Be With You” ahead of his performance at the Pokémon Day 25th-anniversary virtual concert on Saturday (February 27th).

     

    Little Big Town‘s Kimberly Schlapman appears on The Doctors on Thursday (February 25th). She will talk about the ACM Awards and their initiative ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund and the support it offers for those in the Country Music community financially impacted by the pandemic.  

     

    Vince Gill reunites with his longtime friend Lyle Lovett on Friday (February 26th) to share music, memories and more beginning at 9pm ET/8pm CT. Get your tickets here.

     

     

     

    Luke Bryan takes fans behind-the-scenes of the making of his video for “Down to One.” Check it out below.

     

     

     

     

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  • REBA McENTIRE’S “FANCY” WAS RELEASED 30 YEARS AGO TODAY.

    Audio
    Reba McEntire

    Reba McEntire is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of her song, “Fancy,” today (February 11th).

    She posted to socials this morning, saying, “When “Fancy” was released 30 years ago today, I had no idea that it would go on to become my most well-known and most requested song. That’s the power of a great story song!”

     

    Reba says she fell in love with “Fancy” when Bobbie Gentry originally released it. “I fell in love with that song when Bobbie Gentry had it out in the late ’60s,” says Reba. “It was a hit then, and it’s been a hit every time anybody listens to it. Everybody can relate to it; it’s a rags-to-riches song. I had wanted to do that song earlier, but not until I got with Tony Brown in 1990 to do this album (Rumor Has It), he had asked me, he said, ‘Are there any old songs you’d like to do a remake on?’ And I looked at him and said, ‘Yeah! Fancy!’ He said, ‘Omigosh! That’s my favorite song!’ So, we did this song, and it has just been with me forever. I just absolutely love it.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about "Fancy."

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    Reba McEntire (Fancy) OC: …always a hit. :41
    “I fell in love with that song when Bobbie Gentry had it out in the late ’60s. It was a hit then, and it’s been a hit every time anybody listens to it. Everybody can relate to it; it’s a rags-to-riches song. I had wanted to do that song earlier, but not until I got with Tony Brown in 1990 to do this album (Rumor Has It), he had asked me, he said, ‘Are there any old songs you’d like to do a remake on?’ And I looked at him and said, ‘Yeah! Fancy!’ He said, ‘Omigosh! That’s my favorite song!’ So, we did this song, and it has just been with me forever. I just absolutely love it. I’ve recorded it. I’ve performed it many times, done it on television shows, and it’s always a hit.”

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  • CHRISTMAS 2020: Reba McEntire

    Audio
    Reba McEntire

    Reba McEntire has graced us with a couple of Christmas collections, including 1995’s Merry Christmas to You and 2006’s Secret of Giving: A Christmas Collection.

    She recalls one of her favorite Christmas memories when she was a young girl in Oklahoma. “The funniest thing I can always remember about Christmastime is my older brother Pake, when we were kids at home, he’d always be the first one to jump out of bed and run down the hall, and he’d just run down the hall with his underwear on,” she says. “And he’d say, ‘If y’all don’t hurry up and get up and get in here, I’m opening all the presents by myself.’ But he knew it was a standing rule we all had to be in there before anybody could open up a present, but I can still see Pake running down the hall.”

    When her son Shelby was just a little boy, she recalls one Christmas morning when he was so excited about what “Santy Claus” brought him. “I’ll never forget one (Christmas) morning I woke up and I was laying on my left side and I felt something, and I opened up my eyes, and Shelby was three inches away from my face. He said, ‘Mom, you’re not gonna beweive what Santy Claus weft for me.’ And so, he said you’ve got to come here. I got up out of bed and went in there and there was this little tractor trailer set that he had just fallen in love with at the store. He’s seen it, and he said, ‘I can’t beweive he bought this for me.’ He was so cute.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire grew up in Oklahoma along with her sister Susie and brother Pake. She recalls one of the family’s funniest Christmas memories.

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    Reba McEntire (Pake) OC: …down the hall.  :22
    “The funniest thing I can always remember about Christmastime is my older brother Pake, when we were kids at home, he’d always be the first one to jump out of bed and run down the hall, and he’d just run down the hall with his underwear on. And he’d say, ‘If y’all don’t hurry up and get up and get in here, I’m opening all the presents by myself.’ But he knew it was a standing rule we all had to be in there before anybody could open up a present, but I can still see Pake running down the hall.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire recalls a cute Christmas memory of her son Shelby when he was just a child.

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    Reba (Christmas memory of Shelby) OC: …he was so cute! :28
    “I’ll never forget one (Christmas) morning I woke up and I was laying on my left side and I felt something, and I opened up my eyes, and Shelby was three inches away from my face. He said, ‘Mom, you’re not gonna beweive what Santy Claus weft for me.’ And so, he said you’ve got to come here. I got up out of bed and went in there and there was this little tractor trailer set that he had just fallen in love with at the store. He’s seen it, and he said, ‘I can’t beweive he bought this for me.’ He was so cute.”

  • CHRISTMAS LINERS 2020

    Audio
    Adam Hambrick / Alan Jackson / Billy Currington / Brandon Lay / Brothers Osborne / Carrie Underwood / Caylee Hammack / Chrissy Metz / Darius Rucker / Dierks Bentley / Eric Church / Gary Allan / George Strait / Jon Langston / Jon Pardi / Jordan Davis / Josh Turner / Kacey Musgraves / Kassi Ashton / Keith Urban / Kip Moore / Kylie Morgan / Lauren Alaina / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Maddie & Tae / Mickey Guyton / Parker McCollum / Priscilla Block / Reba McEntire / Sam Hunt / Shania Twain / Travis Denning

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

     

    Audio / LINER Adam Hambrick (Christmas)

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    “Hey everybody! I’m Adam Hambrick, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

     

    Audio / LINER Adam Hambrick (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! I’m Adam Hambrick. Happy Holidays.”

     

    Audio / LINER AJ (Christmas)

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    “Hi! This is Alan Jackson, and I’m wishing y’all a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Billy Currington (Happy Holiday Season)

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    “Hi! Billy Currington here, wishing you and your family a safe and Happy Holiday Season.”

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is T.J., and I’m John, and we are Brothers Osborne, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Christmas)

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    “Hi! I’m Carrie Underwood, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Christmas) 2

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    “Hey, it’s Carrie Underwood. From our house to yours – Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Christmas) 1

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    “Hey y’all, this is Caylee Hammack, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Christmas) 2

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    “Hey y’all, this is Caylee Hammack. Merry Christmas!”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Caylee Hammack. Happy Holidays, everybody!”

    Audio / LINER Chrissy Metz (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! This is Chrissy Metz, wishing you Happy Holidays.”

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Christmas)

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    “Hey y’all! What’s up? This is Darius Rucker, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Dierks Bentley, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

     

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! It’s Dierks Bentley, wishing you a very Happy Holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Christmas)

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    “Hey everybody! It’s Eric Church, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Gary Allan (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Gary Allan. Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER George Strait (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! This is George Strait, wishing you and your family a Happy Holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Christmas)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Jon Langston, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Jon Langston. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Merry Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Jon Pardi, wishing you a Merry Christmas!”

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Christmas)

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    “Hey! I’m Jordan Davis, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! I’m Josh Turner, wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Kacey Musgraves, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Christmas)

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    “Hi folks, this is Keith Urban, wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Holiday season)

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    “Hi everyone, this is Keith Urban, wishing you and all your family the very best this holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Christmas)

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    “Hey guys, this is Kip Moore, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Kip Moore. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Kylie Morgan (Christmas)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Kylie Morgan, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Lauren Alaina, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (Christmas)

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    “Hey! We’re Little Big Town, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! We’re Little Big Town. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Christmas)

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    “Hey! It’s Luke Bryan, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! It’s Luke Bryan. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Christmas)

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    “Hi! We’re Maddie & Tae, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hi! We’re Maddie & Tae. Happy Holidays.”

    Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (Christmas)

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    “Hey! It’s Mickey Guyton, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey, I’m Parker McCollum, and I’m wishing you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Christmas)

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    “Hey-Reba here-hoping you have a very Merry Christmas. Ho, Ho, Ho.”

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey, this is Reba, wishing you a Happy Holiday Season.”

     

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Christmas)

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    “Hey everybody! This is Sam Hunt, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! I’m Sam Hunt. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Shania Twain (Christmas)

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    “Hi! This is Shania Twain, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Taylor Swift (Happy Holiday Season)

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    “Hey, this is Taylor Swift, wishing you a very Happy Holiday Season.”

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! I’m Travis Denning. Happy Holidays.”

     

     

  • REBA McENTIRE AND DARIUS RUCKER ARE READY TO HOST THE 54TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS.

    Audio
    Darius Rucker / Reba McEntire

    Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker are set to host tonight’s CMA Awards. Country Music’s Biggest Night™ will take place from Music City Center in downtown Nashville and will feature some of the biggest artists and performances in Country Music. Darius joins the CMA Awards stage for the first time as host, while Reba returns for the fifth time.

    The two will also perform a special version of “In The Ghetto” in tribute to legendary songwriter Mac Davis who passed away in September at the age of 78. The song, which the pair recorded last month, will be available at all DSPs at midnight ET, tonight, following their CMA Awards performance.

    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, nine People’s Choice Awards, six CMA Awards, three GRAMMY Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide. Last month, Reba received her 51st CMA Awards nomination as well as her 60th Top 10 hit on the Billboard chart, extending her record for the most among female artists. Reba has now collected Top 10 hits in five straight decades and is the fourth artist to achieve the feat alongside George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun” and starred in the six-season television sitcom “Reba.” Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and she was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign. Reba just launched her very first Spotify original podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, with her former “Reba” TV show co-star Melissa Peterman. Together with their guests including Dolly Parton, Leslie Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth and more they explore a variety of topics including aging, cancel culture, dating and more.

    Three-time GRAMMY Award winner and Grand Ole Opry member Darius Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Hootie & the Blowfish, whose 2x Diamond-certified Cracked Rear View remains the seventh-highest selling studio album of all time. Since releasing his first Country album in 2008, which earned him the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year, Rucker has gained a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums and nine No. 1 singles at Country radio. His current of-the-moment single, “Beers And Sunshine,” was written via a Zoom session earlier this year and calls for slowing down to enjoy the simple things in life when the world feels out of control. A lifelong philanthropist, Rucker is a constant supporter of MUSC Children’s Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, SC and has raised more than $2 million dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through his annual Darius & Friends event.

    Check out all the action Wednesday night (November 11th) beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

    Audio / From "Good Morning America," Reba McEntire talks about hosting the CMA Awards tonight.

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    Audio / From "Good Morning America," Darius Rucker explains how he prepared to host the CMA Awards with Reba McEntire.

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  • THE 54TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS ARE SETTING THE STAGE FOR THIS WEDNESDAY.

    Audio
    Brothers Osborne / Carrie Underwood / Chris Stapleton / Darius Rucker / Eric Church / Jon Pardi / Kacey Musgraves / Keith Urban / Little Big Town / Maddie & Tae / Reba McEntire

    “The 54th Annual CMA Awards” take place on Wednesday (November 11th), and UMG Nashville will be represented in many of the night’s categories, including Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist, Male Vocalist, Album, Group, Duo, Music Video and more.

    Eric Church, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban are vying for Entertainer of the Year, alongside Luke Combs and Miranda Lambert.

    Keith earned three nods this year, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Musical Event of the Year for Thomas Rhett’s “Be A Light,” which features Keith, Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin.

    Eric Church and Carrie Underwood each earned two nods apiece – both have an Entertainer of the Year nomination, as well as Male Vocalist and Female Vocalist, respectively. Chris Stapleton is up against Church for Male Vocalist, but also has a Music Video nomination for his LEGO-themed “Second One to Know.”

    Jon Pardi is nominated in the Album of the Year category for the acclaimed Heartache Medication collection.

    Little Big Town is nominated for Vocal Group of the Year; Brothers Osborne and Maddie & Tae are up for Duo of the Year, while Kacey Musgraves is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year.

    Reba McEntire  is nominated alongside Keith Urban for Musical Event of the Year for Thomas Rhett’s “Be A Light,” which also features Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin.

    Caylee Hammack is also nominated in the Musical Event of the Year category for “Fooled Around And Fell In Love” with Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes.

    “The 54th Annual CMA Awards,” hosted by Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker, will be broadcast live from Nashville on Wednesday (November 11th) at 8pm ET on ABC.

     

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

    • Eric Church
    • Luke Combs
    • Miranda Lambert
    • Carrie Underwood  
    • Keith Urban   

     

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Artist and Producer(s) 

    • Heartache Medication – Jon Pardi
      Producers: Bart Butler, Ryan Gore, Jon Pardi 
    • Never Will – Ashley McBryde
      Producers: Jay Joyce, John Peets
    • Old Dominion – Old Dominion
      Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion
    • What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs
      Producer: Scott Moffatt
    • Wildcard – Miranda Lambert
      Producer: Jay Joyce

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    • Miranda Lambert
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Maren Morris
    • Kacey Musgraves  
    • Carrie Underwood   

     

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR  

    • Eric Church   
    • Luke Combs
    • Thomas Rhett
    • Chris Stapleton  
    • Keith Urban    

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

    • Lady A
    • Little Big Town  
    • Midland
    • Old Dominion
    • Rascal Flatts

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

    • Brooks & Dunn
    • Brothers Osborne  
    • Dan + Shay
    • Florida Georgia Line
    • Maddie & Tae

    SINGLE OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer

    • “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
      Producer: Dan Smyers
      Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano
    • “Beer Never Broke My Heart” – Luke Combs
      Producer: Scott Moffatt
      Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
    • “Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert
      Producer: Jay Joyce
      Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
    • “The Bones” – Maren Morris
      Producer: Greg Kurstin
      Mix Engineer: Greg Kurstin
    • “I Hope” – Gabby Barrett
      Producers: Ross Copperman, Zach Kale
      Mix Engineer: Buckley Miller

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Songwriters 

    • “Bluebird”
      Songwriters: Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert
    • “The Bones”
      Songwriters: Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz
    • “Even Though I’m Leaving”
      Songwriters: Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Ray Fulcher
    • “I Hope You’re Happy Now”
      Songwriters: Luke Combs, Randy Montana, Carly Pearce, Jonathan Singleton
    • “More Hearts Than Mine”
      Songwriters: Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland

     

    MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Artists and Producer(s) 

    • “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
      Producer: Dan Smyers
    • “Be A Light” – Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban
      Producer: Dann Huff
    • “The Bones” – Maren Morris with Hozier
      Producer: Greg Kurstin
    • “Fooled Around And Fell In Love” – Miranda Lambert (feat. Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes & Caylee Hammack)
      Producer: Jay Joyce
    • “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
      Producer: busbee

    MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Artist(s) and Director 

    • “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
      Director: Patrick Tracy
    • “Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert
      Director: Trey Fanjoy
    • “Homemade” – Jake Owen
      Director: Justin Clough
    • “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
      Director: Sam Siske
    • “Second One To Know” – Chris Stapleton
      Director: David Coleman 


    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

    • Jimmie Allen
    • Ingrid Andress
    • Gabby Barrett
    • Carly Pearce
    • Morgan Wallen

    MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

    • Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
    • Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar
    • Rob McNelley, Guitar
    • Ilya Toshinskiy, Guitar
    • Derek Wells, Guitar

     

    Audio / In 2019, Eric Church put on his amazing Double Down Tour in which he played 3 1/2 to 4 hours a night. He says loves performing live for his fans.

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    Eric Church (performing energy) OC: …type of crowd. :40
    “Well, I think for me every night I try to empty the tank. There’s always that energy floating around. It’s a palpable thing, and it’s up to me to start that exchange and get the crowd to give it back to me and then watch it build on itself and just to have that experience. We have one night here in whatever city we’re in, you know, we’ve got this night. I’m not gonna see you for a while you’re not gonna see me for a while, you know? And I love being able to capitalize on that moment and trying to live in that moment and get as much energy exchange between myself and the crowd as we can. I love that. That’s my favorite part of what we do. I love being around people, I’m very passionate about my music, and I love people who are passionate about the music too and I love playing a show for that type of crowd.”

    Audio / In 2019, Carrie Underwood headlined the Cry Pretty Tour 360 with sold-out shows across the country. This year, she's put out a book, created a fitness app and released her first Christmas album. She says she loves performing live for fans.

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    Carrie Underwood (performing live on stage) OC: …a lot of fun. :35
    “I think my favorite thing about performing live is just getting kind of lost in the music and the show. I have as much fun as hopefully everybody sitting out in the audience is having. I get to connect with the fans. I get to see people. The people that are streaming music and downloading music and buying albums, they’re finally in front of me. To get to have that moment with them is so much fun. The lights and the costumes and getting to have moments with my band members on stage, I mean it’s all a lot of fun.”

    Audio / Keith Urban recalls winning his first CMA Entertainer of the Year Award in 2005.

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    Keith Urban (winning EOY in 2005) OC: …magical night. :43
    “What I remember about the Entertainer of the Year category in 2005 was that first feeling when people say it’s just an honor to be nominated, and I thought, ‘I know what that means! I know what that feels like,’ because for me it was a huge honor to be nominated so soon into my recording career. To be in that category, it just felt unbelievably quick for me. And then when they read my name out as the winner, I think I actually said, ‘I thought I was just rounding out the category,’ because [laughs] I thought you’ve got to have four or five people in the category. I truly did not expect that to happen. It was just such a magical night.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi talks about his nomination for CMA Album of the Year for his acclaimed Heartache Medication.

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    Jon Pardi (CMA Album of the Year nod) OC: …I can, again. :28
    “Having a CMA Album of the Year nomination is amazing. Just being acknowledged by my peers and all of the people in the industry is so awesome, and we worked so hard on this record and we’re still working hard on all our albums, and it’s just awesome. And so, as I get ready to make the fourth record, this is just telling me to stay on track. So, thank you for everybody for getting me this nomination, and it’s pretty awesome. And I will try to do the best fourth record I can, again.”

    Audio / BACKSTAGE AT THE CMA AWARDS, CHRIS STAPLETON SAID AWARDS MAKE HIS DREAM OF MAKING MUSIC AN EVEN BIGGER DREAM.

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    Chris Stapleton (realizing dream) OC: …larger dream. :15
    “It’s an unimaginable, fairy-tale of a thing really, and we’re so proud just to get to just make music and go out and play it for people and make records and that’s the dream. Then when you have all of these other things that people are nice enough to give you, that makes the dream an even larger dream.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton, who is up for two awards at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, including Male Vocalist and Music Video of the Year, says he’s always grateful for the moment of recognition.

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    Chris Stapleton (grateful for awards) OC: …grateful for the moment. :30
    “Well I’ll take ’em home with me I guess once they send ’em Yeah I guess you have to at some point, but it still is a very… I’m thankful for it and it’s very nice and there’s a lot of great people doing a lot of great things making a lot of great music and working really hard and so when you get this kind of a thing going, I don’t think anybody deserves it. It’s a lot of luck and a lot of stars lining up so, I’m grateful for the moment.”

    Audio / Backstage at last year's CMA Awards, Kacey Musgraves, who won the award for Female Vocalist, talked about celebrating women in country music.

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    Kacey Musgraves (CMA Female win) OC: …the beginning. :21
    “I think it does mean something a little bit extra special considering there are so many women in here that paved the way for me to be able to speak my mind and do the things that I do. That being said I think that every year in country music females should be equally as celebrated, because I think the female narrative is really important and it’s been the backbone of country music since the beginning.”

  • REBA McENTIRE AND DARIUS RUCKER SET TO HOST “THE 54TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS.”

    Audio
    Darius Rucker / Reba McEntire

    photo credit: CMA/ABC

    The Country Music Association has revealed that Country Music superstars and previous CMA Awards winners Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker will host “The 54th Annual CMA Awards” live from Nashville on November 11th (8:00-11:00pm ET) on ABC. Country Music’s Biggest Night™ will take place from Music City Center in downtown Nashville and will feature the biggest artists and performances in Country Music. McEntire and Rucker came together to announce the news live this morning on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

    “I’m thrilled to be back hosting the CMA Awards and even more thrilled that I get to share the stage with Darius Rucker,” says McEntire. “We’re looking forward to a night of celebrating great Country Music and hope you’ll tune in and watch!”

    “I look forward to the CMA Awards every year because of the incredible performances and the opportunity to celebrate the year in Country Music,” says Rucker. “To be invited to host this year’s awards alongside Reba — are you kidding me?! — it is an absolute honor. Even though this year will look a little different than normal, I know that we’re all eager for a night of musical celebration, and this year’s show definitely won’t disappoint!”

    Rucker joins the CMA Awards stage for the first time as host, while McEntire returns for the fifth time.

    “We are beyond thrilled to welcome Reba and Darius as this year’s CMA Awards hosts,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Their playful chemistry and genuine warmth are exactly what we know our viewers want to see this year. We look forward to bringing fans a night of celebration, live performances and a television experience unlike any other. We cannot wait to share more details about our show in the coming weeks.”

    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, nine People’s Choice Awards, six CMA Awards, three GRAMMY Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide. Last month, Reba received her 51st CMA Awards nomination as well as her 60th Top 10 hit on the Billboard chart, extending her record for the most among female artists. Reba has now collected Top 10 hits in five straight decades and is the fourth artist to achieve the feat alongside George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun” and starred in the six-season television sitcom “Reba.” Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and she was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign. Reba just launched her very first Spotify original podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, with her former “Reba” TV show co-star Melissa Peterman. Together with their guests including Dolly Parton, Leslie Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth and more they explore a variety of topics including aging, cancel culture, dating and more.

    Three-time GRAMMY Award winner and Grand Ole Opry member Darius Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Hootie & the Blowfish, whose 2x Diamond-certified Cracked Rear View remains the seventh-highest selling studio album of all time. Since releasing his first Country album in 2008, which earned him the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year, Rucker has gained a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums and nine No. 1 singles at Country radio. His current of-the-moment single, “Beers And Sunshine,” was written via a Zoom session earlier this year and calls for slowing down to enjoy the simple things in life when the world feels out of control. A lifelong philanthropist, Rucker is a constant supporter of MUSC Children’s Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, SC and has raised more than $2 million dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through his annual Darius & Friends event.

    Nominations for “The 54th Annual CMA Awards” were revealed last month and can be found at CMAawards.com. Winners of “The 54th Annual CMA Awards” will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting CMA members. The third and final ballot is open now and closes Tuesday, Oct. 27 (6:00 PM/CT).

     

    photo credit for profile photo: Alysse Gafkjen/ABC

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Brothers Osborne, Reba, Sam, Shania, Little Big Town and more

    Press
    Brothers Osborne / Little Big Town / Reba McEntire / Sam Hunt / Shania Twain

    Brothers Osborne will perform from the Sofar Listening Room on Thursday (October 15th) beginning at 3pm ET/2pm CT. The duo just released their brand new album, Skeletons, last week and are currently making their way up the country charts with their latest single, “All Night.”

    Reba McEntire will reportedly star in a television adaptation of “Fried Green Tomatoes” with legendary producer Norman Lear at the helm as executive producer, according to Variety. The hour-long drama, possibly airing on NBC, is described as “a modernization of the novel and movie that explores the lives of descendants from the original work. When present-day Idgie Threadgoode (McEntire) returns to Whistle Stop after a decade away, she must wrestle with a changed town, estranged daughter, faltering cafe and life-changing secret.” Reba is also said to be one of the executive producers, as well.

    Reba McEntire, Brothers Osborne and Little Big Town are among the artists performing at various venues around Nashville for the virtual Save Our Stages Festival, taking place October 16th – 18th. The three-day event will also include performances by Kelsea Ballerini, Dave Matthews, Marshmello, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Jason Mraz, Foo Fighters, Leon Bridges and many more. This benefit will raise awareness and money for the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund to support independent music venues across the nation during this devastating pandemic. Check out all the information on times, venues and performances right here.

    Sam Hunt has been added to the list of performers at this year’s CMT Music Awards. Sam is up for Male Video of the Year for “Hard to Forget,” and he’s also nominated for CMT Performance of the Year for his cover of Reba McEntire’s iconic hit, “Fancy,” at the 2019 CMT Artists of the Year ceremony. He joins previously announced performers Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Kane Brown, Dan + Shay and Ashley McBryde on the main stage. Also performing are Gabby Barrett and Morgan Wallen, as well as several performances from the the Ram Trucks Side Stage featuring Caylee Hammack, Mickey Guyton, Travis Denning, Ingrid Andress, Hardy and Riley Green. Shania Twain will also make an appearance at the CMT Awards ceremony, her first since 2011. The 2020 CMT Music Awards will air October 21st beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT.