The members of Little Big Town are in Las Vegas this weekend for the ACM Awaryds, where they are nominated for four awards, including Vocal Group of the Year and Album of the Year for Tornado. When they’re in Las Vegas, you won’t catch them at the gambling tables or slots that much. “I’m kinda conservative with [gambling]. Like I’ll put a certain amount in my pocket, as I win, putting it back in my pocket to make sure I leave with some,” says LBT’s Jimi Westbrook. “That doesn’t always work out. We don’t go crazy on the gambling action.”

The group will also turn in an amazing performance, which is not surprising given their past awards show performances of their number-one hits, “Pontoon” and “Tornado.” So, make sure to keep it tuned into CBS on Sunday night (April 7th) to catch their performance. The 48^th Annual ACM Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena beginning at 8pm ET.

Little Big Town will start hitting the airwaves with their brand new single, “Your Side of the Bed,” on Monday (April 8th).

LBT (Gambling-Jimi) OC: (Jimi) …not my luck. [laughs] :31
JIMI: “I’m kinda conservative with it, like that. Like I’ll put a certain amount in my pocket, as I win, putting it back in my pocket to make sure I leave with some. That doesn’t always work out. We don’t go crazy on the gambling action.” PHILLIP: “We have a guy on our crew that wins, he’s just got the luck of the draw. He wins.” KIMBERLY: “Every time.” JIMI: “He wins on slot machines. He’ll win like $4,000 on a slot machine.” KAREN: “On a penny machine.” KIMBERLY: “It’s crazy.” JIMI: “Not my luck. [laughs]”

The ACM Red Carpet Live GAC-TV special is expanding to 90 minutes Sunday (April 7th).  The show is the only place to see the red carpet arrivals as the stars enter the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas just before the big ceremony begins. The ACM Red Carpet Live special starts at 6:30pm ET on GAC, and The 48th Annual ACM Awards follow at 8pm ET on CBS.

Easton Corbin, Jerrod Niemann and X Factor winner Tate Stevens are among the new artists added to the bill for the ACM Experience this weekend in Las Vegas.

Lady Antebellum has hit the top of the Canadian Country Music singles charts with their latest single, “Downtown.” The song, the first release from their forthcoming album Golden, is currently sitting at number-three on the U.S. charts.

Eric Church is among the 130 bands announced for this year’s Lollapalooza. The Killers, Mumford & Sons and The Cure will headline the three-day event in Chicago at Grant Park August 2nd-4th.

Luke Bryan will be one of the headliners at this year’s Summerfest in Milwaukee. Billed as the World’s Largest Music Festival, Summerfest will run for 11 days and feature more than 800 live performers, including Luke, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Jake Owen, Brantley Gilbert and Florida-Georgia Line. Summerfest will take place June 26th – 30th and July 2nd – 7th.

Shania Twain will return to the Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday for the first time in 10 years, according to Perez Hilton.

Shania is set to present the Entertainer of the Year award to Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton OR Taylor Swift. 

The 48th Annual ACM Awards air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday (April 7th) on CBS.

In the latest Webisode Wednesday, LADY ANTEBELLUM talk about their forthcoming album, GOLDEN, which hits stores and online May 11th. 

Dierks Bentley gets ready to head over to the ACMs in Las Vegas by brushing up on his flying in the latest episode of DBTV.

Tickets for Keith Urban‘s Light the Fuse Tour 2013 go on sale Friday (April 5th). The first leg of the much-anticipated trek kicks off July 18th in Cincinnati, and he’s bringing along Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch for the ride.

He’s taken Little Big Town on tour before, and he’s really thrilled to take along newcomer Dustin Lynch. “Dustin’s record I really love, so I think he’s going to do really well,” says Keith.

The second leg gets underway in Omaha before seventeen arena shows conclude in Louisville on December 8th.

The concerts will feature new music from the American Idol judge, expected out this spring, as well as an all-new production, the size and scope of which have become synonymous with Urban’s electrifying concert experiences.

For all official Keith Urban tour news and ticket information go to www.keithurban.net/tour.

AUDIO: Keith Urban talks about Dustin Lynch, who will be featured on the Light the Fuse Tour 2013.

Keith Urban (Dustin Lynch) OC: …really well. :07
“I want to make sure there’s good synergy between everybody, and Dustin’s record I really love, so I think he’s going to do really well.”

ENCINO, CA (April 3, 2013) – The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions announced today that 2 Broke Girls star Beth Behrs, Vegas star Michael Chiklis, Grammy award-winner Sheryl Crow, The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco, music star John Fogerty, omg! INSIDER co-anchor Kevin Frazier, San Francisco 49ers NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, country music artists Miranda Lambert, Scotty McCreery and Kacey Musgraves, Entertainment Tonight co-anchor Nancy O’Dell, country music artists Jake Owen, Reba and Keith Urban, and A&E’s Duck Dynasty stars Willie & Korie Robertson are scheduled to present as part of the 48^th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS. 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.

They join previously announced presenters Tori Kelly and LL Cool J. In addition, Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Jewel, Kelly Clarkson, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town and The Band Perry have been announced as performers at the 48^th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS. Brad Paisley will headline the 3^rd Annual ACM Fan Jam, 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.

About the Academy of Country Music Awards
The 48^th 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.

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013 – Country music fans everywhere can now experience performances from their favorite artists with today’s launch of “ACM Sessions<http://www.cbs.com/shows/academy_of_country_music/luke-bryan/>,” a new online concert series from the Academy of Country Music and CBS Interactive. The new series, available on CBS.com, brings fans year-round access to country music’s biggest stars with on-demand performances and interviews.

The first “ACM Sessions” performance launched today and features two-time ACM Award winner Luke Bryan. The performance was taped in front of a live audience at the legendary Whiskey a Go Go on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip and features Bryan performing some of his hits and songs off of his new album, Spring Break…Here to Party, along with a Q&A about his music and upcoming role as co-host of the “48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards,” which will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.

“ACM Sessions is a great addition to our wealth of music programming, including Live On Letterman, GRAMMYs, Last.fm Sessions, and more, and gives us an opportunity to bring fans regular access to the superstars we feature during the annual ‘Academy of Country Music Awards,’” said Marc DeBevoise, EVP and GM, Entertainment, News and Sports, CBS Interactive. “Working with the Academy of Country Music to extend our partnership into an ongoing music series is a great opportunity to continue our long-standing tradition of supporting musicians and grow our focus on music and performances.”

CBS.com will offer country music fans a host of other features and programming leading up to the “48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.” In addition to “ACM Sessions,”CBS.com will play host to the “Road to the ACM Awards<http://www.cbs.com/shows/academy_of_country_music/road-to-the-acms/>,” a web series chronicling Dierks Bentley, Eli Young Band and Hunter Hayes’ ACM journey, as well as photo galleries, contests – including the opportunity to win a trip for two to the 2014 ACM Awards or a 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 – and more. Fans can also vote for the ACM Awards’ two fan-driven categories<http://www.cbs.com/shows/academy_of_country_music/vote/>, Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year.

During ACM Weekend and the live broadcast, fans can follow CBS.com’s Social Media Ambassador, “The Young and the Restless” star Michelle Stafford, as she goes backstage, interviews this year’s performers and nominees, checks out rehearsals and hits the red carpet to bring fans VIP access to the ACM Awards. To follow Michelle, visit http://www.cbs.com/shows/academy_of_country_music/follow-michelle/ or follow her on Twitter @TheRealStafford<https://twitter.com/TheRealStafford>.

Fans can watch “ACM Sessions” on-demand on CBS.com at:http://www.cbs.com/shows/academy_of_country_music/luke-bryan/. Additionally, the show is available on-demand through CBS properties and select CBS Audience Network partners[1].

About Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan is a multiple ACM Award winner, winning Top New Solo Vocalist and Top New Artist, and currently is nominated for four awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for tailgates & tanlines, and Vocal Event of the Year for “The Only Way I Know” with Jason Aldean and Eric Church. Currently, he is headlining his first major tour, the “Dirt Road Diaries Tour,” and has earned five platinum singles.

Nashville, TN – Mercury Nashville singer/songwriter Kacey Musgraves will perform the television debut of next single “Blowin’ Smoke” on the Emmy Award-winning The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 10th. Check for your local listings for broadcast time and network.

“Blowin’ Smoke” was shipped to radio this week and is the follow-up single to the top-10 hit “Merry Go ‘Round.” Kacey co-wrote “Blowin’ Smoke” with Shane McAnally and Luke Laird. 

Kacey’s album Same Trailer Different Parkwas released on March 19^th and hit the #1 spot on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with sales of over 43,000. This makes her thefirst solo female artist in five years to accomplish this feat with a debut release, and just the seventh in the 22-year Nielsen SoundScan era. 

Catch Kacey this Sunday on the48^thAnnual Academy of Country Music Awards where she is nominated for FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR and VIDEO OF THE YEAR (“Merry Go ‘Round) for both artist and producer.