WHAT:  The fourth annual ACM digital press conference, hosted by the Academy of Country Music, CBS Television and dick clark productions via ACM social media channels to announce the nominees for the 50^TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, Country Music’s Party of the Year®.

Hosted by four-time ACM Award winners Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan, the ACM Awards will be broadcast LIVE from AT&T Stadium in North Texas on Sunday, April 19th, 2015 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

WHEN:        Friday, January 30, 2015 at 8:30AM ET / 7:30 AM CT / 5:30AM PT  

WHERE:  ACM Facebook Page:     www.facebook.com/AcademyOfCountryMusic

                   ACM Instagram Page:    www.instagram.com/ACMawards

                   ACM Twitter Feed:         www.twitter.com/ACMawards

A full list of nominations for the 50^th ACM Awards will be revealed immediately following the nominations announced via social media on www.acmcountry.com.

MORE:   About the Academy of Country Music Awards

The 50th 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 broadcast LIVE from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, R.A. Clark and Barry Adelman are executive producers.  Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

The first round of fan voting for New Artist of the Year is underway at VoteACM.com and voteacm.CMT.com and will close Tuesday, February 10th at 6:00pm ET. The final three nominees will be announced in the coming weeks and will move on to compete in the final round of voting for the New Artist category at VoteACM.com. The final round of fan voting begins April 8th and will close on April 19th.

Hitting Every State Over 46 days, Thousands Will Carry the Flame of Hope Lighting the Way to a Future of Inclusion and Respect for People with Intellectual Disabilities

ESPN and ABC to Showcase Story of Historic Relay Leading up to the 2015 Special Olympics World Games

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Special Olympics and Michelle Kwan announced today on ABC’s Good Morning America that registration has opened for the first-ever Special Olympics Unified Relay Across America presented by Bank of America. The Unified Relay will give anyone in the country a chance to carry the Flame of Hope that will be lit in Athens, Greece and help deliver it to Los Angeles for the Special Olympics World Games – now only six months away. Over the course of 46 days, in a hand-to-hand exchange, over 20,000 participants will run, walk or bike a segment of the relay in this team and individual fundraising event as it passes through all 50 states.

The relay will culminate at the Opening Ceremony of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles onJuly 25, 2015. ESPN, the official broadcaster of the World Games, will produce the Opening Ceremony live as well as a nightly highlights program throughout the nine-day event.

“In a time when there is so much dividing people, our World Games offer an opportunity for our nation to come together to celebrate differences and unify in the spirit of respect and inclusion,” said Special Olympics CEO Janet Froetscher.  “With so many people coming to the U.S. for the World Games, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for every citizen to carry the Flame of Hope through their communities where it will light the caldron that burns during the Games. As the torch makes its way across our country it will bring us together in a unique way that will open hearts and minds.”

The U.S. portion of the Unified Relay will begin on 26 May, where it will be split into three simultaneous routes starting in Augusta, Maine; Miami, Florida; and Washington, D.C. Traveling west, all three routes will become unified in Los Angeles on 10 July. Along each route, welcoming ceremonies and community celebrations will take place nightly with musical performances, celebrity guests and Unified Sports Experiences.

In its role as presenting sponsor, Bank of America will provide significant financial and volunteer support to the Unified Relay. In addition, the company will use its deep connections in local communities to encourage participation among individuals, families and businesses.

“By putting our scale and resources behind the Unified Relay, we’ll help bring a message of unity and inclusion to an incredibly large audience, and hopefully break some fundraising records along the way,” said Anne Finucane, Bank of America global chief strategy and marketing officer and a member of the Special Olympics Board of Directors.

When the three relays arrive in Los Angeles, the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg Team, comprised of law enforcement officers representing 36 countries, along with 10 Special Olympics athletes, will accept the torches and continue the Flame of Hope’s journey to communities throughout California, including Host Towns where Special Olympics World Games delegations from more than 170 countries will participate in pre-Games cultural exchanges.

Each Unified Relay route will be led by a group of co-captains, including media personalities, actors, musicians, athletes and Special Olympics athletes.  Co-captains will serve as spokespeople for the Special Olympics movement and the Unified Relay, encouraging participation through registration, fundraising and spectatorship.

Special Olympics today announced the following as Unified Relay co-captains:  Damian Lillard, Special Olympics Global Ambassador and American professional basketball star, Elena Delle Donne, Special Olympics Global Ambassador and American professional basketball star, Joe Haden, Special Olympics Global Ambassador and American professional football star, Maria Menounos, Special Olympics Global Ambassador and journalist, Aloe Blacc, American singer and songwriter, Josh Turner, American singer and actor, Special Olympics North Carolina athlete Zach Commander, Special Olympics Pennsylvania athlete Johanna Schoeneck and Special Olympics Iowa athlete Corey Leonhard.

Lauren Alaina, David Nail, Eric Paslay, Jon Pardi, Canaan Smith and Mickey Guyton will help carry the Flame of Hope as Torchbearers. “The Special Olympics are very dear to my heart. You should be a part if it,” says Lauren. “Being involved has changed my life.”

“The flame of the torch is inspirational, in a way that few symbols can match. And I’m thrilled to be part of the announcement of what promises to be the greatest and biggest Torch Run in United States history,” said Michelle Kwan, Olympic figure-skating legend and Special Olympics International Board Member.  “A Run that will not only touch every state in the Union, every corner of this country but also engage and inspire every American.  The Unified Relay Across America is going to unify the entire world in one giant celebration of the spirit of Special Olympics.”

Supporters will have the opportunity to run with the Flame of Hope by signing up as an individual torchbearer or as a team of torchbearers for a half-mile walk or run segment or a five-mile bike segment in an area of interest across the United States. Funds raised from the Unified Relay will go to Special Olympics to provide sports training, competition opportunities and additional programming that empowers people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Participants can find out more information and sign up for the Unified Relay Across America presented by Bank of America atwww.unifiedrelay.org.

ESPN and ABC are the Official Media Partners of the Unified Relay Across America presented by Bank of America. ESPN is a long-time supporter of Special Olympics and is also the Official Broadcaster of the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games. Their local and national support of the Unified Relay will lead into the 25 July World Games Opening Ceremonies, televised on ESPN’s networks.

Throughout the 46 days, ESPN and ABC media will tell the story of the relay across its multiple media platforms, covering and promoting each of the three routes as they cross the country. It will include national coverage on ESPN and ABC programs at select stops throughout the relay, local coverage on relevant ABC-owned stations and affiliates along the routes, a “torch tracker” and “Countdown to LA2015” clock on ESPN.com and select ABC digital media, and promotion across ESPN web sites and radio stations as well as ABC affiliate stations – letting people know when the torch is coming to their town and where they can go to support the torch bearers.

Additionally, employees from ESPN and ABC will participate as torchbearers.

“We are extremely proud of the relationship we have with Special Olympics Unified Sports, the Unified Relay Across America and the upcoming LA2015 World Games,” said Russell Wolff, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, ESPN International. “We can’t wait to tell the many amazing stories of this relay and the Games this summer.”

Additional corporate supporters of the Unified Relay Across America presented by Bank of America include Microsoft, Toyota and Homeaway.

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. We empower people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all.  Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance.  Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries.  With the support of more than 1.3 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and more than 81,000 games and competitions throughout the year.  Special Olympics is supported by individuals, foundations and partners, including the Christmas Records Trust, the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics®, The Coca-Cola Company, The Walt Disney Company and ESPN, Lions Clubs International, Mattel, Microsoft, P&G, Bank of America, Essilor Vision Foundation, the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation, Finish Line, The Safeway Foundation, and Safilo Group. Visit Special Olympics atwww.specialolympics.org.  Engage with us on: Twitter @specialolympics; fb.com/specialolympics;youtube.com/specialolympicshq, instagram.com/specialolymics and specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com.

About the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games
With 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing 177 countries, along with 30,000 volunteers and an anticipated 500,000 spectators, the 2015 Special Olympics World Games – being staged in Los Angeles July 25 – August 2, 2015 – will be the largest sports and humanitarian event anywhere in the world in 2015, and the single biggest event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games. The 2015 Special Olympics World Games, with the unparalleled spirit, enthusiasm, teamwork, joy and displays of courage and skill that are hallmarks of all Special Olympics events, will feature 25 Olympic-style sports in venues throughout the Los Angeles region. The Opening Ceremony, to be held July 25, 2015 in the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games, is expected to attract 80,000 spectators. For more information on the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, including volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.LA2015.org and on social with #ReachUpLA on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram.

About Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 48 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 4,800 retail banking offices and approximately 15,800 ATMs and award-winning online banking with 31 million active users and approximately 17 million mobile users. Bank of America is among the world’s leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in more than 40 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange

About The Walt Disney Company
Disney, together with its businesses and affiliates, including ESPN and ABC, have long supported the Special Olympics. Last year, Disney became a Founding Champion of the LA2015 World Games. Being a good corporate citizen is a time-honored Disney tradition. Through contributions, collaborations with local organizations, in-kind gifts and volunteering, Disney helps to brighten the lives of kids and families in need and strengthen communities around the world. In 2013, the Company donated nearly $370 million in cash, in-kind support and products, and Disney VoluntEARS gave over 667,000 hours of service. For more information visit, thewaltdisneycompany.com/citizenship or twitter.com/disneycitizenship.

About ESPN
ESPN’s relationship with Special Olympics spans more than 30 years.  ESPN is the official media partner of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles — bringing coverage of the world’s largest sports and humanitarian event – to millions of fans around the world. Additionally, in September 2013, Disney and ESPN announced a global two-year, multi-million dollar financial and in-kind investment supporting the Special Olympics Unified Sports initiative, which leverages the power of sports to promote social inclusion and acceptance, by uniting people with and without intellectual disabilities. ESPN has been entertaining sports fans for nearly 35 years and strives to be a responsible corporate citizen. The corporate citizenship program of ESPN encompasses our multi-faceted community initiatives, including employee volunteerism, charitable giving and cause marketing, while also utilizing our diverse media assets. ESPN strives to have a positive impact on our employees, fans and communities worldwide.

About Disney | ABC Television Group
Disney | ABC Television Group is composed of The Walt Disney Company’s (NYSE: DIS) global entertainment and news television properties, cable networks, owned television stations, and radio stations. This includes ABC Entertainment Group, ABC News, ABC Owned Television Stations, Disney Channels Worldwide, and ABC Family, as well as Disney | ABC Domestic Television and Disney Media Distribution. With Disney | ABC Television Group programming reaching millions of viewers each week, the networks are ideal platforms to inspire viewers to drive positive change in their communities. Additionally, Disney | ABC employees across the globe continue to contribute their time and efforts to the local neighborhoods in which they work and live.

It’s Jennifer Nettles‘ first backstage vlog at Chicago and she’s just getting warmed up with her last week of rehearsals before starting her run as Roxie Hart in the Tony-winning blockbuster. Check it out here!

This Sunday (February 1st), millions of people around the world will be tuning in to the Super Bowl (the Big Game), including some of your favorite country artists. Some will be rooting for the Seattle Seahawks, while others will be pulling for the New England Patriotsto win the Big Game. Canaan Smith, Darius Rucker, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Easton Corbin, Kip Moore, Keith Urban, Sam Hunt and Little Big Town are definitely fans of football…Check out all the action at the University of Phoenix stadium on Sunday at 6:30pm ET on NBC.

A handful of artists will be out in Phoenix for events preceding Sunday’s game.

Dierks Bentley returns to his home state to perform at the annual Night Before concert, along with Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line. The show takes place January 31^st at the US Airways Center.

Sam Hunt will perform at the first-ever DIRECTV Super Fan Festival in Glendale, Arizona, along with the Zac Brown Band, Thomas Rhett and the Cadillac Three.

The members of Little Big Town are set to perform at this year’s Taste of the NFL Party With a Purpose Saturday in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s a strolling wine and food event featuring a chef from each NFL city serving their signature dish, alongside a current or alumni NFL player. All proceeds go to benefit food banks in every NFL city. “It’s a privilege to perform at this year’s Taste of the NFL event and to help raise funds and awareness for hunger relief,” says LBT’s Karen Fairchild. “Working together to support the fight against hunger is something that we are very passionate about. We are excited to help support local food banks and are eager to defeat hunger throughout the U.S.”

Four-time Grammy Award winner and two-time 2015 Grammy nominee Keith Urban has released the fifth single from his record breaking seventh studio album FUSE.  “Raise ‘Em Up” featuring Eric Church, follows in a line of FUSE #1s including “Little Bit of Everything”, “We Were Us” and Urban’s 17th #1 “Somewhere In My Car”.

“Eric and I have been friends for a couple of years,” said Urban.  “I was hoping we could figure out a song to do at some point and when ‘Raise Em Up’ came my way I knew I’d found the one. I sent it to Eric and he loved it. Nathan Chapman and I created the track, Eric came down and we both sang, and it was all done in half a day!”

“Raise ‘Em Up”, recorded in Nashville, was written by Jaren Johnston, Jeffrey Steele and Tom Douglas.  It was co-produced by Nathan Chapman and Urban.

FUSE is one of the most celebrated albums of Urban’s career.  Besides its #1 debut atop the all-genre charts in the U.S., Canada and Australia, a first for a male Country artist, it has received 20 Award show nominations including two for the 2015 Grammy Awards for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Raise ‘Em Up” and the other for Best Country Solo Performance for FUSE’s platinum-selling single “Cop Car.”

For more Keith Urban related news go to www.keithurban.net.

Sam Hunt launches his first headlining tour, the Lipstick Graffiti trek, in Los Angeles Thursday (January 29th) at the Troubadour. You may be wondering where the title came from, so we asked him how he came up with the tour name.

“The phrase Lipstick Graffiti comes from a song that I wrote a couple of years ago called ‘Vandalizer.’ The opening line from the song says ‘Lipstick Graffiti on the bathroom mirror,’” says Sam. “I was going through the lyrics of old songs and listening for just little phrases, buzz phrases, that caught my attention, and that was one that I wrote down and continued to look at it, er, look at that list of potential tour names over the next couple of weeks, and it kept standing out. When I look at that phrase, I feel like [it] captures what we’re going to be doing on this tour. It just fit.”

Sam’s latest single, “Take Your Time,” has hit the Top 25 on the country charts.

Eric Church is celebrating his fourth No. 1 hit, “Talladega,” as it tops the country charts this week. The song, which is from his latest album The Outsiders, was a song he knew would strike a chord with fans after he and Luke Laird co-wrote it.

“I knew it was one that would just resonate with people. It did with me, so I knew if it resonated with me, that it would probably resonate with other people,” says Eric. “It’s been neat to watch it continue to grow and to watch people gravitate to it, their stories, and attach their life to the song. That’s what it’s all about is getting them to attach their life to it.”

Eric is nominated for four Grammy Awards, including Country Album of the Year for The Outsiders, Country Song and Country Solo Performance of the Year for “Give Me Back My Hometown” and Country Group/Duo Performance of the Year for “Raise ‘Em Up” withKeith Urban.

“His voice is just incredible…it’s like caramel.”—Adele

“REAL music fans already know. So, mainstream: Chris Stapleton. Remember that name…”—Justin Timberlake

“One of the best singers on the planet. It’s ridiculous…so good. So good”—Little Big Town

“Stapleton’s writing is masterful, but his huge country/blues voice—think Gregg Allman by way of the Kentucky coal mines—is what will really blow your hair back and make you literally feel every word he sings.”—Rolling Stone

“Every once in a while you run into a singer here in Nashville who just blows you away, an artist who can create sound in an effortless manner and transport your soul out of this world. This morning that someone proved to be Chris Stapleton.”—Country Weekly

Nashville, Tenn. – Chris Stapleton’s highly anticipated solo debut album, Traveller, will be released May 5 on Mercury Records Nashville. As a special preview, a behind-the-scenes album trailer can now be viewed here.

Already a world-renowned songwriter, Stapleton has enjoyed five #1 hits including the five-week No. 1 “Never Wanted Nothing More” recorded by Kenny Chesney, George Strait’s “Love’s Gonna Make it Alright” and Luke Bryan’s “Drink A Beer,” which Stapleton recently performed with Lady Antebellum at the recent CMT “Artists of the Year” show (watch the performance here).

Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional production at The Castle and Blackbird Studio), Traveller was produced by Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) and recorded by Vance Powell (Jack White). In addition to renditions of Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove’s “Tennessee Whiskey” and Don Sampson’s “Was It 26,” the album features twelve original songs, including fan-favorite “Sometimes I Cry.” Last night, during a special album reveal party, Stapleton returned to RCA Studio A to record a new version of “Sometimes I Cry” live-to-tape in front of an audience—allowing a unique, once-in-a-lifetime glimpse inside the making of the album. The track is currently being mastered and will be added to the final track-listing very shortly.

Of his inspiration behind the record, Stapleton comments, “This record was made standing on the shoulders of friends, family, and heroes. I hope people enjoy listening to it as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.”

Over the course of his acclaimed career, Stapleton has penned over 170 album cuts, including songs recorded by Adele, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley, and has such notable co-writers as Vince Gill, Peter Frampton and Sheryl Crow among others. Additionally, Stapleton has shared the stage with such respected artists as Gill, Alison Krauss, Marty Stuart, Emmylou Harris and more. As lead vocalist for critically acclaimed bluegrass band The SteelDrivers, Stapleton earned three Grammy nominations including “Best Bluegrass Album,” as well as an International Bluegrass Music Association Award for“Emerging Artist of the Year.” He’s also won eight ASCAP Awards and has contributed to the soundtracks of several feature films including “Cars 2” and “Valentine’s Day.”

In celebration of the release, Stapleton will join Little Big Town on their Pain Killer Tour in March followed by a series of The Outsiders World Tour shows with Eric Church in May.

TRAVELLER ALBUM TRACKLIST:

1. Traveller (Chris Stapleton)

2. Fire Away (Chris Stapleton and Danny Green)

3. Tennessee Whiskey (Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove)

4. Parachute (Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers)

5. Whiskey And You (Chris Stapleton and Lee Thomas Miller)

6. Nobody To Blame (Chris Stapleton, Barry Bales and Ronnie Bowman)

7. More Of You (Chris Stapleton and Ronnie Bowman)

8. When The Stars Come Out (Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson)

9. Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore (Chris Stapleton)

10. Might As Well Get Stoned (Chris Stapleton and Jimmy Stewart)

11. Was It 26 (Don Sampson)

12. The Devil Named Music (Chris Stapleton)

13. Outlaw State Of Mind (Chris Stapleton, Ronnie Bowman and Jerry Salley)

TBD Sometimes I Cry (Chris Stapleton and Clint Ingersoll)

The nominations for this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards will be revealed on Tuesday (January 27th), and one artist who hopes his name will be among those called is the 2013 ACM Entertainer of the Year,Luke Bryan.

“When the nominations come out, they’re always something you’re very excited about. I mean, it’s a huge awards show [with] a lot of implications,” says Luke. “The ACMs have been amazing to me in getting me here and showcasing who I am as an artist. So, I’ll be biting my nails and see what happens.”

The 50th Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live – for the first time — from the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas April 19th at 8pm ET on CBS. Luke and Blake Shelton return as co-hosts.

Luke’s latest single, “I See You,” is sitting inside the Top 3 on the country charts.