Dierks Bentley continues to balance “robust record sales and heavy radio play with acclaim from even those critics who had seemed allergic to Nashville’s output in the past” (Esquire) as all three singles released from his eighth studio album BLACK (Capitol Records Nashville) have now received certifications from the RIAA. Bentley’s chart-topping PLATINUM certified hit “Somewhere On A Beach” is joined by the Billboard Music Award, GRAMMY and ACM nominated plus CMA award-winning “Different For Girls” as back to back PLATINUM certified No. One hits. The “king of the breakup song” (Noisey), has also struck GOLD for current Top 10 single ”Black,” as the three singles alone have seen more than 389 million digital streams.

As “a staple on the airwaves” (Des Moines Register) Bentley’s thought-provoking single “Black” has been called one of “the sexiest songs of his career” by the Associated Press and Rolling Stone. He “continues to take risks that pay off,” (USA Today) as BLACK, the “most fully-formed LP of his career” (TIME), has garnered nine nominations from the ACM, CMA and GRAMMY Awards and debuted at the No. One position on Billboard’s all-genre Top Albums Chart and Top Country Albums chart.

Bentley continues to throw the party of the summer headlining Stagecoach for the first time on Friday (4/28) after having “steadily worked his way up the Stagecoach lineup” (LA Times), which included surprise performances with Elle King, Cole Swindell and Jon Pardi. He continued the weekend with “ferocious live performances” (Fresno Bee) in Fresno, CA and Reno, NV. Bentley launches the next leg of his 2017 WHAT THE HELL WORLD TOUR with special guests Cole Swindell and Jon Pardi on May 19 in Columbia, MD. With “lyrics that are compassionate and purposeful” (The Post-Standard) he has “had the audience singing along at top volume” while “working the crowd with the charismatic brand of showmanship that’s made him one of Country music’s most exciting entertainers” (Arizona Republic). For more information and a full list of tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

Keith Urban leads the list of nominees with four for this year’s CMT Music Awards, tying with Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini for most nominations. He’s up for Video of the Year for “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” as well as Male Video, Collaborative Video for “The Fighter” featuring Carrie Underwood and Social Superstar.

Voting is now open and continues until June 5^th at CMT.com.

The CMT Music Awards, featuring performances from Luke Bryan and many others, will air live from Nashville’s Music City Center on Wednesday, June 7th at 8pm ET.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

Artists of Then, Now & Forever “Forever Country”

Brad Paisley “Today”

Brett Eldredge “Wanna Be That Song”

Carrie Underwood “Church Bells”

Cole Swindell “Middle Of A Memory”

Dierks Bentley and Elle King “Different For Girls”

Florida Georgia Line “H.O.L.Y.”

Jon Pardi “Dirt On My Boots”

Keith Urban “Blue Ain’t Your Color”

Kelsea Ballerini “Peter Pan”

Little Big Town “Better Man”

Luke Bryan “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day”

Miranda Lambert “Vice”

Thomas Rhett “Star of the Show”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

Carrie Underwood “Church Bells”

Kelsea Ballerini “Peter Pan”

Lauren Alaina “Road Less Traveled”

Maren Morris “80s Mercedes”

Miranda Lambert “Vice”

Reba McEntire “Back To God”

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

Blake Shelton “Came Here To Forget”

Eric Church “Record Year”

Jason Aldean “Lights Come On”

Keith Urban “Blue Ain’t Your Color”

Luke Bryan “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day”

Thomas Rhett “Star of the Show”

DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

Big & Rich Feat. Tim McGraw “Lovin’ Lately”

Brothers Osborne “21 Summer”

Dan + Shay “How Not To”

Florida Georgia Line “H.O.L.Y.”

LOCASH “I Know Somebody”

GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

Eli Young Band “Saltwater Gospel”

Lady Antebellum “You Look Good”

Little Big Town “Better Man”

Midland “Drinkin’ Problem”

Old Dominion “Song For Another Time”

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

Brett Young “In Case You Didn’t Know”

Jon Pardi “Dirt On My Boots”

Kane Brown “Used to Love You Sober”

Lauren Alaina “Road Less Traveled”

Luke Combs “Hurricane”

Raelynn “Love Triangle”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

Artists of Then, Now & Forever “Forever Country”

Chris Young Feat. Vince Gill “Sober Saturday Night”

Dierks Bentley Feat. Elle King “Different for Girls”

Florida Georgia Line Feat. Tim McGraw “May We All”

Keith Urban Feat. Carrie Underwood “The Fighter”

Kenny Chesney With Pink “Setting the World on Fire”

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR:

Jason Aldean “Hicktown (From CMT Concert of the Summer)”

Jason Derulo and Luke Bryan “Want to Want Me (From CMT Crossroads)”

John Mellencamp and Darius Rucker “Pink Houses (From CMT Crossroads)”

Alicia Keys and Maren Morris “80s Mercedes (From CMT Crossroads)”

Meghan Trainor, Jill Scott and Kelsea Ballerini “You’re Still the One/Any Man of Mine/Man I Feel Like a Woman (From CMT Artists of the Year)”

Nick Jonas and Thomas Rhett “Close (From CMT Crossroads)”

SOCIAL SUPERSTAR:

Brett Eldredge

Jake Owen

Keith Urban

Kelsea Ballerini

Lauren Alaina

Thomas Rhett

Before Lady Antebellum launches their YOU LOOK GOOD WORLD TOUR presented by NABISCO, the multi-PLATINUM trio will share weekly exclusive content with Rolling Stone Country leading into its kickoff in Bakersfield, CA on May 26th. Beginning today (5/01), the multi-PLATINUM trio will prepare for 65 shows across six different countries with behind the scenes moments from tour rehearsals, a candid group interview and more alongside openers Kelsea Ballerini and Brett Young.

The series begins with an off-the-wall video installment as Lady Antebellum puts Ballerini and Young through the ringer in their mock-up boot camp. To watch, visit Rolling Stone here: http://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/see-lady-antebellum-train-for-upcoming-tour-in-goofy-video-w479709

As “Lady Antebellum has taken the music industry by storm for the last decade…they continue to dominate” (Albuquerque News Journal) even after taking time to pursue solo projects last year. The trio’s “renewed energy” (People) will be heightened on the road during their YOU LOOK GOOD WORLD TOUR, as “Lady Antebellum has a new spring in their step” (The Augusta Chronicle). They will also propel their universal appeal when they trek to South Africa for the first time, along with monumental stops in Europe.

With a new sense of history and possibilities, Lady Antebellum’s sixth studio album HEART BREAK (Capitol Records Nashville), out June 9th, had Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott on a new mission — setting aside time to put themselves in new surroundings, and concentrate on writing and exploring musical endeavors with no distractions. Alongside producer busbee, their desire to shake things was made evident by the record’s debut lead track and current single, “You Look Good,” as the “soul-infused single makes good use of horns,” (Washington Post). Additionally, the trio had a hand in writing eleven songs on HEART BREAK, resulting in their most intimate and heartfelt work to date. The new music follows more than 18 million units, nine No. One hits, ACM and CMA “Vocal Group of the Year” trophies three years in a row, and countless other honors including Billboard Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards and Teen Choice Awards. For more information about new music and upcoming tour dates, visit www.ladyantebellum.com.

The only thing predictable about Eric Church is that he is unpredictable. He’s an artist that has built his career with tour stops coast-to-coast, not with dozens of television performances around each album cycle. When he takes to the stage, he damn-well makes sure it’s special. With his current Holdin’ My Own Tour—a 62-city, three-plus-hour marathon, featuring a  double-set, full-band show sans opener —currently underway, Church decided to do something different for ABC’s Good Morning America and showcase his unique live solo performance for the first time on national T.V. On August 18, he will perform stripped down from 8 to 9 a.m. ET as part of their Summer Concert Series in Iconic Central Park.

The Summer Concert Series is free and open to the public. Fans can learn more about how to attend here, gmaconcerts.com.

This isn’t the first time that Church has rocked a crowd solo: at the end of July in 2015 he opened Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater with two sold-out acoustic shows; and when his band and crew fell ill before a show in Salt Lake City back in January 2015, Church played acoustically rather than cancelling. In August of 2016, he solo-performed at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater for two consecutive nights. Most recently when a snow storm in Calgary threatened the weight of the dome’s roof, he stripped back production and performed his marathon three-hour set mostly solo.

Even in Church’s Holdin’ My Own Tour stops that kicked off in January, each night he takes a few moments throughout the night to play solo for fans. His tour has become the No. 1 most attended touring concert in the world thus far in 2017 according to Pollstar, giving fans nights of more than 35 songs. Church has sold out all stops to date including Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. The tour will wrap with two at-capacity nights in Nashville, Tennessee May 26 & 27.

Church recently announced after he wraps his Holdin’ My Own Tour that he will play eight more shows this year (not including GMA’s SummerStage), two of which will be with CMA and ACM Duo of the Year winners, Brothers Osborne, and singer/songwriter Ashley McBryde (with additional special guests for remaining shows announced soon).

Learn more and find tickets here, ericchurch.com/events.

Shania Twain entertained the crowd at the annual Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California over the weekend. She performed her new single, “Life’s About to Get Good,” which will be released next month. “I wrote this specific song about the good and bad in life and how important it is to have both,” she said. “We got to take the good with the bad, right? No pain, no gain.”

She also brought out a couple of special guests during her set, including Kelsea Ballereini for “Any Man of Mine.” “I really admire her talent. She is an incredible singer-songwriter,” Shania said of Kelsea.

She then introduced Nick Jonas, who helped her sing “Party of Two.” “Shania is the reason I’m in music today,” said the pop heartthrob.

Of her Stagecoach experience, she told the crowd, “This is the party of the year for me. I don’t get out much actually. I’ve been very busy in the studio making new music, being a mom, being a wife, all these other hats, so this is like my party tonight.”

Shania will return with a new album later this year.

Chris Stapleton appeared on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday (May 8th). He teamed up with Jimmy, the host of the show, and actor-musician Kevin Bacon for a sketch as ZZ Top titled “First Draft of Rock” in a remake of the trio’s hit, “Legs,” using alternate lyrics as sort of the first draft of the song.

“She’s got hands / She knows how to wave them / She’s got eyebrows / She knows how to raise them / She’s got nostrils / She knows how to flare them / She’s got a butt cheek / She’s actually got a pair of them.”

Chris also performed “I Was Wrong,” a song from his new album, From A Room, Volume 1. He also just released his new single, “Either Way,” which was the most added song at country radio this week.

Not only did Little Big Town perform the National Anthem, but Luke Bryan was in attendance watching the Nashville Predators win the third game in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the St. Louis Blues.

He even got caught on the jumbotron with what looks like 50 kids (exaggeration) who started dancing when Luke’s song, “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” came on in the Bridgestone Arena.

When your song comes on at the @PredsNHL game: @LukeBryanOnline #predswin pic.twitter.com/c3izeP2ph5

— Kelly Sutton (@tvkellysutton) April 30, 2017

What an INCREDIBLE experience, y'all! Can't wait for you to see @undercover_cbs on Friday night. Tune in at 8/7c on @CBS​! pic.twitter.com/jg7hklznRV

— Darius Rucker (@dariusrucker) May 8, 2017

The members of Little Big Town slayed the National Anthem prior to Game 3 of Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues.

The band follows Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan in performing the Anthem during the Preds Stanley Cup Playoff run.

The Preds got the ‘W’ to lead the series 2 to 1.  Game four takes place Tuesday night in Nashville.

So great to meet @demarcomurray today! Go preds! Titan up!#predspride #nashvsstl https://t.co/PSnqVXhFFG pic.twitter.com/RZBTmKJBwC

— Jimi Westbrook (@JimiWestbrook) April 30, 2017