The trailer for Carrie Underwood‘s HBO Max television special, “My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood,” has been released.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NObiAGDeBPA&feature=youtu.be

“For Christmas I feel like it was always about us just being together,” says Carrie. “So, more than anything, I wanted to make this album (My Gift) full of so much love and so much heart, and we wanted to bring it to life in a visual way. I can’t wait for everyone to see it!”

In the Max Original, Underwood performs a combination of beloved traditional favorites celebrating the joy and hopefulness of the holiday, such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “O Holy Night,” as well as new original material from her first ever full-length Christmas album “My Gift,” which was released earlier this fall. In the special, she is accompanied by her band, as well as a live orchestra and choir, conducted by Underwood’s longtime friend, Emmy® Award-winning musical director Rickey Minor.

The special features many heartfelt moments and performances, including a duet with John Legend, singing “Hallelujah,” an original song he co-wrote with Toby Gad, which appears on her “My Gift” album. Viewers will also get an inside look behind the scenes of Underwood recording “Little Drummer Boy” with her five-year-old son Isaiah.

“My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood” is produced by Playtone (Tom Hanks) and will be available to stream starting Thursday (December 3rd) on HBO Max.

Jordan Davis started a Christmas tradition when he moved to Nashville a few years ago. He usually goes to the historic Belcourt Theatre to catch a viewing of the classic It’s a Wonderful Life. “They play it at a theater here in town, and it’s something that I really look forward to going and seeing that movie,” he says. However, he will most likely skip this particular tradition this year due to COVID-19.

As a young man, he and his brother Jacob asked for a specific present together. “Me and my brother asked for go-karts together, and I was actually worried that we weren’t going to get ‘em, because I knew my mom probably thought we were going to kill ourselves,” says the Louisiana native. “We woke up Christmas morning and me and Jacob, we run into the living room and don’t see a go-kart. I remember being like sad opening presents, and then my dad tells me he thought he heard some reindeer in the backyard. So, we jet to the back of the house and there’s two blue-and-white go-karts in the backyard. So, that’s the one I always remember. That was a great present.”

Jordan says the music that signals the Christmas season is anything by Nat King Cole. “My favorite Christmas song is Nat King Cole’s ‘Buon Natale.’ I don’t know the record it’s on it, [but] we would just play that song over and over and over. So, that’s by far my favorite, but anything by Nat King Cole. I mean Nat King Cole is Christmas to me, always playing, always having some type of Christmas music on. I remember growing up, my mom, she would start on Thanksgiving. We would start listening to Christmas music and anytime you’d walk into the house if Mom was home, there was Christmas music playing.”

Jordan is climbing the country charts with his latest hit, “Almost Maybes,” the follow-up to three consecutive No. 1 songs.

Priscilla Block is scorching up the airwaves with her major record label debut, “Just About Over You,” which is a true-to-life story about running into her ex-boyfriend at a local Nashville watering hole.

“It is so crazy how real this happened,” says Priscilla. “It was the weekend I was moving out (of my apartment), I basically got kicked out; I couldn’t afford my rent. We were like, ‘Let’s just go get a drink. This weekend has been too much. Let’s just go.’ Go to Losers, see my ex as soon as I walk in, and you know, it was just kind of one of those moments that I walked in, and I was like, ‘You know what? I’m good. Like I really am good.’ And then as the night goes on, the drinks start hitting a little bit, and I was like, ‘Dang, maybe I’m not.’ (laughs) The whole song is like a mental mind game. You’re like is it the alcohol? Do I really miss them? Am I just putting a band-aid over it? What is it? How am I actually feeling about this? You know, I had written that idea down, went back home, we talked to my mom about it and whatever, and a couple of days later, we ended up writing that song over Facetime with two of my girlfriends, just exactly how it happened.”

Written by the Raleigh, North Carolina native with Emily Kroll and Sarah Jones, the song was first released independently through the support of her dedicated fanbase who rallied together to finance the recording after hearing Priscilla play around with the song on her socials. Priscilla, astounded by the response, then saw the song shoot to the top of the iTunes all genre song chart within 12 hours.

Priscilla was recently featured in Billboard. Read the article here.

Brothers Osborne‘s latest single, “All Night,” has been hailed by critics and fans alike with All Access noting, “it’s an instant ear worm that has hooks for days and an immediately catchy chorus.” The guys had their fans in mind when writing and recording the song they co-wrote with friend Andrew DeRoberts.

“We wanted to write a song that just felt good. We didn’t want to think too hard about it,” says the duo’s John Osborne. “We wanted to write a song that no matter what happened we knew that our fans at our shows were gonna love to sing along to (it), and that’s what we did.”

Check out the behind-the-scenes making of the video for “All Night.”

“All Night” was the No.1 most added song at country radio upon its debut.

Three-time GRAMMY winner and recent CMA Awards host Darius Rucker has teamed up with Platinum-selling electronic artist and violinist Lindsey Stirling for a special performance of the classic Christmas carol “What Child Is This” for this year’s “CMA Country Christmas” television special, airing Monday (November 30t) at 9p ET/8p CT on ABC. The two superstars have also released the duet as a digital-only single; listen HERE.

“I was so honored when the CMA asked me to perform ‘What Child Is This’ and to be getting to do it with an amazing musician like Lindsey is just awesome,” notes Rucker, who also recently co-hosted the 54th annual CMA Awards and performed alongside Katy Perry on this past weekend’s American Music Awards.

“I was so excited to be a part of ‘CMA Country Christmas’ again this year,” adds Stirling. “Every year, they give me an amazing chance to sparkle in their spectacular show. This year was extra special since I got to collaborate with the amazing Darius Rucker. Hope everyone loves it as much as we do!”

Rucker also recently released an original holiday song with his Hootie & the Blowfish bandmates and talented young songstress Abigail Hodges, with heartfelt track “Won’t Be Home For Christmas” honoring the sacrifice of military members and their families, and his 2014 album Home For The Holidays remains in heavy rotation by fans and radio alike every holiday season. Meanwhile, his current feel-good single “Beers And Sunshine” is Top 15 and climbing at Country radio.

Darius is also poised to enter the Top 10 on the country charts with his latest smash, “Beers and Sunshine.”

For more information, visit www.DariusRucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.

Check out a new episode of “Pardi Time” with Jon Pardi, who is now a married man. In the show, he goes camping with his trusty sidekick, Jeremiah, and he goes beind-the-scenes of the Grand Ole Opry.

Jon is closing in on the top of the country charts with his latest hit single, “Ain’t Always the Cowboy.”

Multi-Platinum-selling artist Sam Hunt releases today the music video for his current country radio hit, “Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s.” Directed by Justin Clough, the video offers an element of somber gravity as it follows the story of a man just released from prison still haunted by the past and unsure of the path forward.

“Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90’s,” written by Sam Hunt, Chris La Corte, Zach Crowell, Ernest K. Smith and Josh Osborne, is the follow up to back-to-back No. 1 hits “Hard To Forget” and “Kinfolks” off Hunt’s chart-topping album SOUTHSIDE.

SOUTHSIDE debuted to critical acclaim earlier this year with Rolling Stone calling Hunt “an innovator who has remade country in his own image and also figured out how to reclaim its past.” Stereogum notes, “Whether goofing off or pouring his heart out, he [Hunt] maintains an easy conversational presence, the confident charm of a former star quarterback matched with the skills of a classic country craftsman.” The album also earned praise from American Songwriter, Associated Press, Billboard¸ Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Pitchfork, Slate, The New York Times and more. Listen to SOUTHSIDE HERE

For information on Sam Hunt, visit www.SamHunt.com.

The nominees for the 63^rd annual Grammy Awards were announced this week, and several UMG Nashville artists are in the running. Little Big Town picked up two nods for Best Country Album for Nightfall, as well as one for Best Country Duo/Group for “Sugar Coat,” along with Brothers Osborne for “All Night.”

There aren’t enough words to describe what these nominations mean to us. Beyond grateful and completely blown away. @RecordingAcad #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/tIV0hsjv01

— Little Big Town (@littlebigtown) November 24, 2020

John and TJ Osborne earn their six Grammy nod and they say they’re still surprised.

Still surprised the @recordingacademy would let us in the room. Even more surprised they would nominate us for a Grammy. Thanks for letting a couple of one stop light town brothers join some brilliant creators. Always a honor. pic.twitter.com/DDikteible

— Brothers Osborne (@brothersosborne) November 25, 2020

Eric Church’s “Stick That in Your Country Song,” Vince Gill’s “When My Amy Prays” and Mickey Guyton’s “Black Like Me” are nominated for Best Country Solo Performance.

Congratulations 63rd #GRAMMYs Best Country Solo Performance nominees: @ericchurch, @TheBrandyClark, @VGcom, @MickeyGuyton, and @mirandalambert: https://t.co/vmaSA9BCsf pic.twitter.com/xz92eeJBYb

— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) November 24, 2020

I haven't been able to put into words the emotions I feel. This #GRAMMYs nomination is for every black girl that felt unseen. That felt unheard. That felt like they weren’t enough. That felt shoved in a corner & completely unconsidered. This is for them. Thank you @RecordingAcad pic.twitter.com/3tvKWxOhQ0

— Mickey Guyton (@MickeyGuyton) November 25, 2020

Of significant note, Taylor Swift earned six nominations. Folklore, a follow-up to her Lover album, was nominated for best pop vocal album. The album’s lead pop single, “Cardigan,” was also recognized in the overall Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance categories. Her collaboration with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, “Exile,” received a nod in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. If that wasn’t all, the “betty” artist earned a nomination for best song written for visual media for her collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber on Cats’ “Beautiful Ghosts.”

The 63^rd Annual Grammy Awards will air live January 31^st beginning at 8pm ET. The pre-telecast ceremony will take place earlier in the day via streaming starting at 3pm ET.

Best Country Album

Lady Like, Ingrid Andress
Your Life Is a Record, Brandy Clark
Wildcard, Miranda Lambert
Nightfall, Little Big Town
Never Will, Ashley McBryde

Best Country Solo Performance

“Stick That in Your Country Song,” Eric Church
“Who You Thought I Was,” Brandy Clark
“When My Amy Prays,” Vince Gill
“Black Like Me,” Mickey Guyton
“Bluebird,” Miranda Lambert

Best Country Duo / Group Performance

“All Night,” Brothers Osborne
“10,000 Hours,” Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber
“Ocean,” Lady A
“Sugar Coat,” Little Big Town
“Some People Do,” Old Dominion

Taylor Swift, Aaron Dessner (The National), Jack Antonoff (Bleachers) and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) created an album that crossed genres — a musical journey that allows us to cry and laugh, and during these trying times, makes us feel like we’re not quite so alone. They recorded “folklore” thousands of miles apart from each other and had never been in the same room together…

…until now

“folklore: the long pond studio sessions” was filmed in upstate New York in September 2020 and will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on Wednesday, November 25, at 12:01AM PT. Taylor, accompanied by co-producers Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff along with a guest appearance by Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), performs each song in order of her critically adored, five star album, “folklore” and for the very first time, reveals the stories and secrets behind all 17 songs.

Well it’s 11/24 and 24-11=13 so I’ve got an announcement 🤓 You haven’t seen this film before ✨ folklore: the long pond studio sessions will be out tonight at midnight PST on @DisneyPlus! #folkloreOnDisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/BTWSRM0yaI

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 24, 2020

“folklore: the long pond studio sessions” was directed by Taylor Swift and filmed on 6 x Lumix S1H mirrorless cameras with Leica lenses embedded in the studio, along with a one Alexa LF with an Angenieux 24-290 on a Furio robotic camera with 30+ feet of curved track.

Twitter:  @DisneyPlus

Instagram:  @DisneyPlus

Facebook: @DisneyPlus

Hashtags: #DisneyPlus #FolkloreOnDisneyPlus      

Multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley will take latest single “Gone,” to The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday (November 24th). With his highest debuting radio single to date, Bentley “strikes again” (Music Row) as the “layered, guitar-driven production suits the disarray playing out in a tarnished romance,” (Billboard). “Gone” is available at all digital retailers here.

Bentley continues to be a dominant voice for the genre with over 6.4 billion streams. Reaching a new creative high while “making music designed to challenge” (New York Times), Bentley co-wrote 10 of 13 tracks on his last album THE MOUNTAIN, which earned him the highest debut sales of his career and became his seventh chart-topping release. Bentley has amassed countless nominations from the ACMs, CMAs, Billboard Music Awards and more while also earning 14 GRAMMY  nominations. He just recently celebrated his 15 year anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. For more information visit www.dierks.com