ENCINO, CA (March 18, 2013) – The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions announced today that Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum and Little Big Town are scheduled to perform as part of the 48th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS. This is the second round of artists announced as performers on this year’s broadcast. The ceremony, which will be co-hosted by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, honors country music’s top talent, as well as the industry’s hottest emerging artists. It is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.
These artists join previously announced performers Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait and The Band Perry, as well as the 3rd Annual ACM Fan Jam, headlined by Brad Paisley along with special guests Dierks Bentley, Hunter Hayes, and New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s nominees Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer and Florida Georgia Line. LL Cool J has also been tapped to make a special appearance during this year’s ACM Fan Jam, emcee’d by Storme Warren.
Eric Church leads with seven ACM award nominations, including Male Vocalist of the Year and his second consecutive nod for Album of the Year and Video of the Year. He is twice nominated for Song of the Year for “Springsteen,” as both artist and composer. Church also earned nominations for Single of the Year for “Springsteen” and for Vocal Event of the Year for “The Only Way I Know” with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. His third album, “CHIEF,” reached Platinum and received several end-of-the-year “top album” accolades from NPR, Rolling Stone, SPIN, iTunes and the Los Angeles Times. Church is a three-time GRAMMY nominee including a nod for Best Country Album, and his second and third single releases, “Drink In My Hand” and “Springsteen,” reached #1 on the country radio charts. Church’s forthcoming live album release, “Caught In the Act: Live,” is currently available for pre-sale and will be released on April 9.
Lady Antebellum is an ACM award-winning trio comprised of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood. The band recently received their fifth ACM Award nomination for Vocal Group of the Year, an award they have won for three consecutive years. The seven-time GRAMMY-winning trio’s current single, “Downtown” is the lead single off of their upcoming fourth Capitol Nashville release Golden, scheduled to come out May 7. The track hit big out of the gate, becoming the trio’s highest-charting debut on the Country radio charts.
Little Big Town leads ACM award group nominations with four nods, including their seventh nomination for Vocal Group of the Year. They are also nominated for Album of the Year, Single Record of the Year for “Pontoon” and Video of the Year for “Tornado.” The Grammy-winning country group, consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook, first entered the music scene over thirteen years ago, and their fifth studio album, Tornado, debuted at the top of the Billboard Country Chart where it stayed in the #1 position for five consecutive weeks. The album produced by Jay Joyce, includes two-time platinum-selling #1 hit single “Pontoon,” and follow-up single and title-track “Tornado,” which also peaked at the #1 position. The foursome has played in front of over 4 million people to-date and is currently headlining their Tornado Tour across the US and Canada. They will join Keith Urban on tour later this summer.
About the Academy of Country Music Awards
The 48th 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 be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Allen Shapiro, Orly Adelson and R.A. Clark are executive producers. Barry Adelman is producer, and Bob Bardo is the executive in charge of production. Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.
