George Strait, who was the most added at country radio this week with his latest song, “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar,” just released the lyric video for the song. Check it out below:

Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry will be featured in a new half-hour American Idol special on ABC to air ahead of the 91^st Oscars on Sunday (February 24th). In American Idol: A New Journey Begins, Seacrest sits down with judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie to discuss the Season 2 return of the series and share a preview of this year’s crop of new talent. The panel also will answer fan questions and share behind-the-scenes secrets. It will air at 4pm ET Sunday. In addition, ABC will air a musical performance featuring some of the auditionees from the upcoming premiere episode to air during the live broadcast. The new season of American Idol will premiere March 3rd at 8pm ET.

Speaking of the Oscars, don’t forget to tune-in on Sunday to watch Kacey Musgraves present at this year’s Oscars. The 91st Academy Awards will air live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday (February 24th) at 8pm ET/5pm PT on ABC.

Kip Moore will be featured in a new special on the Audience Network on DirecTV/UVerse on March 1st, which will include performances from his show at L.A.’s Wiltern Theater, as well as footage from his Journey to Slowheart documentary. The special will air at 9pm ET/PT.

Darius Rucker has been announced as the recipient of the Music Business Association’s Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award for his years of charitable contributions, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and MUSC Children’s Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina (Darius’ hometown). He will accept the honor during the annual Music Biz 2019 Awards & Hall of Fame Dinner May 7th in Nashville. Previous recipients of the Humanitarian Award include Martina McBride, Melissa Etheridge, Annie Lennox and Bonnie Raitt, among others.

Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Lauren Alaina, Clare Dunn and Kassi Ashton are among the artists playing the first annual Hometown Rising Country Music & Bourbon Festival September 14th and 15th in Louisville, Kentucky. Tim McGraw, Dwight Yoakam, Brett Young and Jake Owen will also perform. For ticket information, go to hometownrising.com.

Kassi Ashton, Travis Denning, Clare Dunn and Caylee Hammack are on the bill for the “Next From Nashville” stage at this year’s Country LakeShake Festival in Chicago June 21st-23rd.

Brothers Osborne’s latest song, “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You),” came out of what their co-writer Shane McAnally told them during a writing session.

“It started the first tag (sings) which was an idea Shane had. He showed up that day and goes ‘I don’t remember my life before I had my babies.’ He said, ‘I literally can’t think of who I was. I don’t remember who I was before [my] husband Michael.’ And we thought man, that is a really interesting thing. An incredible idea. I’m sure it’s been done to some extent, but I can’t really recall that subject being said that way,” says Brothers Osborne’s TJ Osborne. “We were all about it. We loved the idea and the concept, but when Jay [Joyce] heard it, he goes, ‘Man, I think it would be really cool to save the ‘before you’ till the end of the song and I instantly was like, ‘Man, I think that’s a killer idea.’ John and I were all about it. And so, it ends now (sings) it kind of goes in a turn around. You don’t know what the hell I’m talking about. ‘I don’t remember me,’ you keep hearing this, and then at the end is the reveal ‘I don’t remember me before you,’ which I think is great.”

John and TJ also co-wrote the song, from their 2018 album Port Saint Joe, with Matt Dragstrem.

Recently off of a sold-out three-night stay at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Brothers Osborne have four ACM nominations in three categories, including a nod for Duo of the Year. They are also nominated for Music Event of the Year for “Burning Man” with Dierks Bentley. Additionally, Brothers Osborne are nominated twice in the Video of the Year category for songs “Shoot Me Straight” and “Burning Man.” The 54th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 7th at 8pm ET on CBS.

Kip Moore is unleashing “The Bull,” as the next single from his third studio album SLOWHEART. With a take-no-prisoners attitude and a spiraling acoustic guitar lick, the song became a quick standout on the album, immediately resonating with Moore’s fierce fanbase during his energetic live performances. Co-written by Jon Randall and Luke Dick, the song marks Moore’s first-ever outside recording, available HERE.

“This song embodies who I am and what we’ve been doing on the road as a band for years,” said Moore. “I think ‘The Bull’ is for every common man and woman. It embodies the struggles that we all face in life, and it’s about getting up after you’ve been knocked down and going after whatever you believe in.”

Moore was also recently recognized for his global success and growth, with a nomination for CMA’s International Achievement Award. The nod follows the recent extension of his Room To Spare: Acoustic Tour, following a sold-out run last fall. Moore will head out on a stacked tour next month with shows scheduled in the U.S., Canada and The U.K. where tickets to all four dates of his upcoming U.K. shows in London, Glasgow, Birmingham, and Manchester sold out within minutes of going on sale. Moore has relentlessly poured his energy into nurturing his international fanbase, with Music Row highlighting “Moore is part of a groundswell of rising country artists with a focus on building their international presence, and with good reason.”

For more information, visit kipmoore.net.

The nominations for this year’s ACM Awards have been announced and the reigning Male Artist of the Year Chris Stapleton leads the list (ties with Dan + Shay) with six nods, including Entertainer of the Year. He is also nominated twice, as both artist and producer, for Album of the Year for From A Room: Volume 2, which he won last year for From A Room: Volume 1. Plus, he’s nominated for Song of the Year twice, as both artist and songwriter, for “Broken Halos.” He’s also up for Male Artist of the Year. He’s won numerous awards over the past few years, and while he’s grateful for every single trophy he takes home, he has a special affinity for the Album categories.

“They are all significant and if you get one award for anything it’s a treat. But any of the awards that awarded the album, the album awards, because I really wanted to make an album that was good,” says Chris. “I wanted that to be a thing, again, more than I wanted it to be, ‘Well here’s the single and eight other songs.’ So, the album awards for me were important in that we did our job in a good way, you know. Just I have such an affinity for albums that I don’t know if I want those more or if they mean more, but they are all meaningful.”

Kacey Musgraves earned five nominations in three categories, including a nod for Female Artist of the Year. Additionally, she is nominated in the Album of the Year Category twice, as both artist and producer, for Golden Hour, as well as in the Song of the Year category twice, as both artist and songwriter, for “Space Cowboy.” Kacey, who took home four Grammy Awards a couple of weeks ago, most recently won an ACM in 2016 in the Video of the Year category for “Forever Country” and previously won in the Album of the Year category in 2013 for Same Trailer Different Park.

Dierks Bentley received four nominations, including his fourth nod for Album of the Year for The Mountain. Dierks is also nominated for “Burning Man” (featuring Brothers Osborne) in both the Music Event of the Year category and Video of the Year category. He is also nominated for Male Artist of the Year. If he were to win for Video of the Year this year, it would mark his third win in this category.

Reigning Duo of the Year and Video of the Year winners, Brothers Osborne earned four nominations in three categories, including a nod for Duo of the Year. They are also nominated for Music Event of the Year for “Burning Man” with Dierks Bentley. Additionally, Brothers Osborne are nominated twice in the Video of the Year category for songs “Shoot Me Straight” and “Burning Man.” The guys tweeted, “Unreal. Beyond grateful. Love y’all.”

4 @ACMawards nominations. Unreal. Beyond grateful. Love y’all. pic.twitter.com/jAeAcwbyxC

— Brothers Osborne (@brothersosborne) February 20, 2019

Luke Bryan has won a handful of ACM Awards over his career, including the New Artist of the Year Award in 2010 and following it up with two Entertainer Awards just a few years later. He tell us he is honored to be included in both the Entertainer and the Single of the Year categories. “The opportunity to go to the ACMs with two nominations – Entertainer of the Year and Single of the Year – is just a huge honor for me. When I was able to record ‘Most People Are Good,’ I just felt like it was a really, really important song for the world to hear, an important song for me to have in my live show and to put out on radio, and to have it nominated is so rewarding for me and I’m so happy for the songwriters. And also, to have an Entertainer of the Year nomination is a huge honor for me. It’s something that I really, really work hard at every year to try to be a better Entertainer, a better singer and a better performer.”

#ACMAwards pic.twitter.com/7dGVOgSriF

— Luke Bryan (@lukebryan) February 21, 2019

Keith Urban has a pair of nominations at this year’s ACM Awards, including Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. Keith picked up the CMA Award for Entertainer of the Year in November and says he is absolutely elated.”

PLAYED A SHOW IN VEGAS LAST NIGHT- GOT BACK TO NASHVILLE AT 4.30am THIS MORN- AND WOKE UP TO THESE INCREDIBLE ACM NOMS!!!!!!!!!!! THANK U THANK U ALL- #ELATED!!! – KU #ACMawards pic.twitter.com/EpGW9zEtPS

— Keith Urban (@KeithUrban) February 20, 2019

Maddie & Tae are looking forward to being in Vegas for this year’s ACM Awards where they’re nominated for Duo of the Year.

ACMs HERE WE COME 😍 #ACMawards pic.twitter.com/TyEAJEN7EX

— Maddie & Tae (@MaddieandTae) February 20, 2019

Jordan Davis, who was the most played new artist of 2018, is up for New Male Artist of the Year.

Pumped! Thanks for the support everybody. And congrats to @JimmieAllen, @lukecombs, @Michaelraymusic and @m10penny on the nomination! pic.twitter.com/xRnCdkOhOm

— Jordan Davis Music (@JordanCWDavis) February 20, 2019

The 54th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 7th at 8pm ET on CBS.

Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

Album of the Year
Dan + Shay — Dan + Shay
Desperate Man — Eric Church
From A Room: Volume 2 — Chris Stapleton
Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
The Mountain — Dierks Bentley 

Single of the Year
“Down to the Honky Tonk” — Jake Owen
“Heaven” — Kane Brown
“Meant to Be” — Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
“Most People Are Good” — Luke Bryan
“Tequila” — Dan + Shay

Female Artist of the Year
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

Male Artist of the Year
Dierks Bentley
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
LANCO
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion

Duo of the Year
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
LOCASH
Maddie & Tae

 Song of the Year
“Break Up in the End” (Cole Swindell) — Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill, Jon Nite
“Broken Halos” (Chris Stapleton) — Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton
“Meant to Be” (Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line) — David Garcia, Tyler Hubbard, Joshua Miller, Bebe Rexha
“Space Cowboy” (Kacey Musgraves) — Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves
“Tequila” (Dan + Shay) — Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers
“Yours” (Russell Dickson) — Casey Brown, Russell Dickerson, Parker Welling

Video of the Year
“Babe” — Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift
“Burn Out” — Midland
“Burning Man” — Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
“Drunk Girl” — Chris Janson
“Shoot Me Straight” — Brothers Osborne
“Tequila” — Dan + Shay

Music Event of the Year
“Burning Man” — Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
“Drowns the Whiskey” — Jason Aldean featuring Miranda Lambert
“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” — David Lee Murphy featuring Kenny Chesney
“Keeping Score” — Dan + Shay featuring Kelly Clarkson
“Meant to Be” — Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line

New Female Artist of the Year
Danielle Bradbery
Lindsay Ell
Ashley McBryde
Carly Pearce

New Male Artist of the Year
Jimmie Allen
Luke Combs
Jordan Davis
Michael Ray
Mitchell Tenpenny

New Duo or Group of the Year
High Valley
LANCO
Runaway June

Songwriter of the Year
Ross Copperman
Ashley Gorley
Shane McAnally
Chase McGill
Josh Osborne

If you happened to miss Lauren Alaina performing her latest song, “Ladies in the ’90s,” on Late Night with Seth Meyers, check her out below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRGHoXsdlss

King of Country Music George Strait’s brand new single “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar” debuts as the most-added single at country radio this week with 117 stations, landing the tune in the Top 20 on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart.

“This is Straight Up the best Country song that has crossed my desk in a long time.  The King still reigns supreme.”  – Bill Black, WKSJ (Mobile)

“The format’s standard is back! Tempo….a little two-step and all is well in the world! Great to have new music from The King of Country.” – Tom Hanrahan, WDXB (Birmingham)

“We love this new George single. It’s got tempo and exactly what we need on KMLE right now.” – Tim Richards, KMLE (Phoenix)

“George Strait, ‘The King,’ is back at it, asking everybody else to hold his beer while he delivers another solid performance.” – Danny Dwyer, KUPL (Portland OR)

“‘That ain’t country;’ ‘We don’t play new songs;’ ‘Too poppy;’ ‘No tempo.’ Yep, pretty much there is no excuse not to play this huge hit song from the icon in the format.” – Nate Deaton, KRTY (San Jose CA)

“Every Little Honky Tonk Bar,” written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and longtime collaborator Dean Dillon, is the first radio single to come from Strait’s upcoming 30^th studio album, Honky Tonk Time Machine, due out March 29 on MCA Nashville. “Every Little Honk Tonk Bar” is available now on all digital and streaming partners HERE, and album pre-order available HERE.

With an unmatched 60 singles hitting the top of the charts – more than any other artist in any genre – during the span of his 30-year career, Strait is the undeniable “King of Country Music.” He has collected 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, more than any country artist and ranking third across all genres behind only The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait is the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades and has sold nearly 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards, including induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

The Country Music Hall of Famer recently played his 21st and 22nd sold-out shows at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The “Strait to Vegas” series began with six shows in 2016 and extended with 10 more in 2017. In 2018, Strait headlined Bayou Country Superfest to a sold-out Mercedes-Benz Superdome crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana, two nights in Tulsa, Oklahoma and one night in Austin, Texas. This year, fans can catch Strait at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on March 30, Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on June 8, two additional engagements of “Strait to Vegas” at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on August 23 and 24, and Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas on November 22 and 23. For more information, visit www.GeorgeStrait.com.

Just weeks after earning his 18th career No. One, multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley continues to reveal ambitious, complex sounds with lyrics reflective of his own personal journey over the last 18 months through the writing and the recording of his latest No. One album THE MOUNTAIN. With the release of “Living” to radio today, the “poignant” (Rolling Stone) track “offers up the album’s most easily likable vocal melody and some electric guitar crunch” (Paste) right on the heels of two back-to-back No. One hits from the record with “Woman, Amen” and “Burning Man.”

“The idea for this song started from being on the road and realizing how little ‘living’ we were actually doing out there,” said Bentley. “Whole days would go by where you never leave the bus and all you would see is the back parking lot of the arena. Going to Walgreens was a big deal! That is when the idea was born that there is a true difference between being alive and actually ‘living.’ This song is certainly about big moments in life and adventure…but it’s more about finding the beauty and that feeling in everyday moments. My goal for 2019 is to get outdoors and seek adventure whenever possible while also being fully present and living in even the ordinary moments…whether it be my son’s hockey practice and my girls’ theater performances or sitting around the table having dinner in catering with my band and crew.”

His introspective single “Living” not only serves as a standout on THE MOUNTAIN, but has also been dubbed as “a highlight of the show” (Country Aircheck) during his 2019 BURNING MAN TOUR, which will be on full display at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena this Friday (2/22). Critics alike agree as the track “provides lyrical content with depth beyond what’s normally on the charts” (Wide Open Country).

Pegged as “one of Country music’s most enviable brands, equal parts affability and authenticity” (Forbes), Bentley continues to be a dominant voice for the genre with over 8.6 billion overall digital streams. Reaching a new creative high while “making music designed to challenge” (New York Times), Bentley co-wrote 10 of his current album THE MOUNTAIN’s 13 tracks, which earned him the highest debut sales of his career and became his seventh chart-topping album. Known to deliver “the most thoughtful, complete collections in Country music” (USA Today) Bentley has amassed 18 career No. Ones, countless nominations from the ACMs, CMAs, Billboard Music Awards and more while also earning 14 GRAMMY  nominations. Bentley will make notable stops throughout the country on his 2019 BURNING MAN TOUR with special guests Jon Pardi, Tenille Townes and the Hot Country Knights. For more information visit www.dierks.com.

photo credit: Reid Long

This past weekend, EMI Nashville’s Brothers Osborne crossed a huge milestone off their career bucket list, headlining at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium for the first time. The reigning ACM and CMA Vocal Duo of the Year ended up selling out three shows in one week as part of their headlining world tour and continued to impress critics and fans alike with their dynamic live show. Rolling Stone praises, “a performance that emphasized their musical chops and improvisation country-rock that has made them consistent Award favorites.” To help celebrate the momentous occasion, the duo was surprised backstage with plaques for their Top 10 hit “It Ain’t My Fault” reaching Platinum Certification by the RIAA.

Throughout the three shows, the five-time GRAMMY nominees played hits such as “Stay A Little Longer” and “It Ain’t My Fault” in addition to fan favorites including “21 Summer” and “Pawn Shop”. Each night featured different special guests such as Dierks Bentley performing their No.1 hit “Burning Man,” Maren Morris singing “Greener Pastures,” which she co-wrote with the duo, as well as Lee Ann Womack for their duet “Loving Me Back.”  Additional special guests included Dan Auerbach for a cover of Don Williams’ “Tulsa Time” and Lucie Silvas for a cover of her song “Everything Looks Beautiful.”

Brothers Osborne recently debuted the music video for their current single “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You),” watch HERE. The sentimental video centers around a professional bull rider who struggles to get his life back on track as he battles with substance abuse and includes a surprise ending that will tug at your heartstrings.

The Maryland Natives will continue on their headlining world tour with upcoming sold out shows in Washington DC, Milwaukee and St. Louis. Later this year, the singer/songwriters will join Chris Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” tour.

For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit www.BrothersOsborne.com

American Idol returns March 3rd and with it, so do Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie as the show’s judges. While the bond between the three has solidified even more this season, Luke says the most important aspect of the talent competition is the contestants.

“It’s always about the contestants,” says Luke. “That’s what makes the show fun for us – the surprises, the talent, the youthfulness of the talent. I mean, we have so many 15, 16, 17-year-olds that are unbelievable, and watching them handle the pressure and have fun and the tears and the joy and the smile and all that. So, we’re loving it.”

The Georgia native and four-time Entertainer of the Year says he loves being a judge on the show and helping make dreams come true. “We love the role – me and Katie and Lionel and Ryan – we’re having a great time doing this. If we weren’t having a good time, it would change the whole dynamic. To be able to facilitate these kids’ dreams is very special.”

Luke is currently poised to hit the top of the country charts with his latest smash, “What Makes You Country.”

The new season of American Idol premieres Sunday, March 3rd at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.