Keith Urban now is probably making some of his favorite Christmas memories, especially with his two little girls – Sunday and Faith – to spoil during the holidays. The entertainer, however, remembers his Christmases as a child growing up in Australia, which usually involved spending time at the beach. ““Most of my memories of Christmas in Australia were loading up the station wagon and going to the beach,” recalls Keith. “The four of us – my brother and me and Mum and Dad – would all go to the beach, and there’d be families everywhere and we’d take a lunch with us. And a lot of times, we’d take a lot of the presents with us and we’d open ‘em up either on the beach or in the backseat of the car; usually in the car because we couldn’t wait ‘til we got to the beach.” One particular present stands out for the singer. ““I got a yellow Tonka truck when I was about 6, I think, and it’s probably still my favorite Christmas gift ever. Those things last forever, too.”

AUDIO: Keith Urban recalls Christmas memories of the beach when he was growing up in Australia.

Keith Urban (beach) OC: …memories of Christmas. :29
“Most of my memories of Christmas in Australia were loading up the station wagon and going to the beach, which sounds like a strange thing to do, unless you live in Florida, maybe. But that’s mostly what we did. The four of us – my brother and me and Mum and Dad – would all go to the beach, and there’d be families everywhere and we’d take a lunch with us. And a lot of times, we’d take a lot of the presents with us and we’d open ‘em up either on the beach or in the backseat of the car; usually in the car because we couldn’t wait ‘til we got to the beach. That’s most of my fond memories of Christmas.”

AUDIO: Keith Urban talks about one of his favorite Christmas gifts as a child.

Keith Urban (Christmas—yellow Tonka truck) OC: …forever, too. :09
“I got a yellow Tonka truck when I was about 6, I think, and it’s probably still my favorite Christmas gift ever. Those things last forever, too.”

Check out the video below on Kacey Musgraves, and get to know the “Merry Go ‘Round” singer!

AUDIO: Lady A’s Hillary Scott talks about her younger sister, who still experiences the magic of Christmas.

Lady A (Santa-Hillary) OC: …and sweet. :31
“My little sister, she’s almost 12 years old and this Christmas, she will be 12. Just that innocence of a child is so fun and so sweet to be able to wake up every Christmas morning and wonder what Santa brought you. And so I definitely want to carry on that tradition of that excitement and that child-like spirit of surprise and just everything that Christmas is. It was that way for me growing up and then being so much older than my sister, seeing that in her too has just been so amazing and sweet.”

Lady A (fake tree vs real tree) OC: (Charles) …the lights up. :47
DAVE/HILLARY: “Fake tree!”

CHARLES: “I would love to have a real tree, and we used to have it and I always wondered why I couldn’t breathe. [LAUGHS] Dave and I share, we’re allergic to everything in this world, so we have to have fake trees.”

HILLARY: “There not as messy. [CHARLES: “And who wants their house to burn down accidentally?”] They still kinda shed anyway like a real tree, but I don’t know, I just feel like the sap and everything, it gets on my floor.”

DAVE: “Which some people love! Most people … the cleanup and the smell, but for me it’s just a little too much maintenance at Christmas time. I’d rather focus on [HILLARY: “The family.”] presents, family, food [CHARLES: “And drinking.”], so then the tree just pops in the attic for good.”

HILLARY: [LAUGHS] “Pre-lit tree.”

CHARLES: “Omigosh, you’re going super laziness.”

DAVE: “You at least need to put some lights on.”

CHARLES: “At least string the lights up.”

Eric Church is set to wrap his Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour this weekend, with shows in Jacksonville and Sunrise, Florida. Not only has he enjoyed his first two number-one songs (“Drink in My Hand,” “Springsteen”), a platinum album (for Chief), his first headlining arena tour and his first CMA Award for Album of the Year, not to mention that his son, Boone, turned one this year. The North Carolina native is looking forward to a little time off to reflect back on his amazing year. “As the other stuff was going on professionally, there was a lot of firsts going on personally. A lot of it has been exhilarating, but equally it’s been a little draining,” says Eric. “You know, when you get to the end of the year, you just kind of want a little time to not even think about a guitar. You just want to process what’s happened, and then try to figure out what’s next.”

Eric is set to join Kenny Chesney for a handful of stadium shows on the No Shoes Nation Tour.

AUDIO: Eric Church is about to wrap up the biggest year of both of his professional and personal lives, and he’s starting to process everything that’s happened.

Eric Church (end of year) OC: …what’s next. :16
“As the other stuff was going on professionally, there was a lot of firsts going on personally. A lot of it has been exhilarating, but equally it’s been a little draining. You know, when you get to the end of the year, you just kind of want a little time to not even think about a guitar. You just want to process what’s happened, and then try to figure out what’s next.”

NASHVILLE, TENN. (December 13, 2012) – Kimberly’s Simply Southern, a one-of-a-kind cooking show featuring Little Big Town founding member Kimberly Schlapman, has been renewed for a second season on Great American Country (GAC).  New episodes begin airing in early spring. 

The debut season found Schlapman travelling the country while on tour with Grammy-nominated Little Big Town and taking every opportunity to seek out culinary customs and treasures from across America.  Once back in her Nashville kitchen she was joined by family and some of her famous friends to create authentic southern meals combining her traditional family recipes with what she learned during her travels. “I’m so thrilled that I’ve been given a second season of Kimberly’s Simply Southern,” said Schlapman. “This cooking show is a childhood dream of mine and I have to keep pinching myself to make sure it really has come true!  I look forward to many more adventures on the road and to more fun in the kitchen with my family and friends. Thanks for watching!” 

“Kimberly is as natural in front of the camera as she is in the kitchen,” said GAC SVP/GM Sarah Trahern.  “The audience loves her and we do, too.”  

Kimberly’s Simply Southern is produced by Al Roker Entertainment for Great American Country. For recipes and more information, log on to www.gactv.com/simplysouthern.

Keith Urban has already earned a Best Song nomination for a Critics’ Choice Award for the song, “For You,” which he wrote and recorded for the film, Act of Valor, and this morning (December 13th) it was announced he is up for a Golden Globe award, as well, for Original Song. “The most rewarding gift for me as a songwriter, is  knowing that the song has somehow made a connection,” says Keith in a statement issued Thursday. “I’ve been fortunate and moved to hear first-hand how it has impacted others’ lives. For that, and for this nomination, I’m so very grateful and honored.  To wake up to this news, as well as to Nic’s two nominations, is absolutely beautiful. What a way to start the day!!!!!”

Keith and his wife, Nicole Kidman, will be attending the Golden Globes ceremony together since they’re both nominees. Nicole is nominated for both Hemingway and Gellhorn, as well as The Paper Boy.

“We always look at these things as about us anyway. If Nic wins something, it’s us. If I win something, it’s us. So today it was just a literal way of feeling that joy,” Urban tells USA Today. “I feel so pleased to have the support I have from her, and she more than has it from me.”

The 70th Golden Globe Awards, hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, will air live Sunday, January 13th, 2013, on NBC at 8pm ET from the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

“For You” has also reportedly been submitted for consideration in the Original Song category for the 85th Annual Academy Awards. Those nominations will be announced on January 10th, the same day the Critics’ Choice Awards will be handed out.

Golden Globe Original Song Nominees:
“For You ” (music and lyrics by Keith Urban), Act of Valor
“Not Running Anymore” (music and lyrics by Jon Bon Jovi), Stand Up Guys
“Safe & Sound” (music and lyrics by Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams and T Bone Burnett), The Hunger Games
“Skyfall” (music and lyrics by Adele and Paul Epworth), Skyfall
“Suddenly” (music by Claude-Michel Schonberg and lyrics by Schonberg and Alain Boublil), Les Miserables

AUDIO: After seeing the Navy Seal film, Act of Valor, Keith Urban wrote and recorded “For You,” and said he could relate to the depth of conviction the Seals have for their families back home.

 Keith Urban (For You) 2 OC: …family. Absolutely. :21
“I can’t imagine what that level of dedication is to the degree that the [Navy] Seals live. But yeah, I absolutely, since finding my wife and since us having children, I definitely feel that sense of conviction and protectiveness and defensiveness for my family. Absolutely.”

Scotty McCreery is featured on the homepage of People.com, with his photo diary of his time spent in the nation’s capitol earlier this week to film TNT’s annual Christmas in Washington television special. Click here to check it out.

The TV show will air December 21st at 8pm ET/PT.

In the latest episode of Webisode Wednesdays, go backstage with Lady Antebellum at this year’s American Country Awards in Las Vegas.

AUDIO: Dierks Bentley didn’t have any white Christmases as a kid in Arizona, so that meant he and his family engaged in some Christmas Day activities that snowbound folks have never thought of.

Dierks Bentley (Christmas in desert) OC: …in Arizona. :32
“I grew up in Arizona, so we didn’t have like a white winter kind of deal. It’s kinda…once you experience that, it’s hard to go back and like celebrate Christmas in the desert but…for us, we would…me and my family and a couple other families would go out to the desert and bring a big turkey and just kinda have a cookout in the middle of the desert…and drink beers and ride four-wheelers and…well, I wouldn’t drink beers, but they would. We’d ride four-wheelers and horses and just kind of spend it out in the middle of the desert, which was kind of a cool way to spend Christmas. So whenever I think of Christmas, I always think of the desert, which is a little weird, but that’s just the way we did it out in Arizona.”

AUDIO: Dierks Bentley says having children brings back the magic of Christmas.

Dierks Bentley (Christmas is for kids) OC: …become one again. :33
“Between touring so hard and being so busy and being away from my family, Christmas didn’t lose any of its real meaning, as far as the religious meaning, you know, Jesus’ birthday. But as far as the whole tree and all the Christmas spirit stuff, the secular stuff, it kind of goes away, to be honest. But then you have a family, all of a sudden, it’s like I’m Clark Griswold out there decorating the tree, putting lights up around the house. It’s all those things you did as a kid and appreciated as a kid, you get a chance to do over again when you have kids, because you kind of become one again.”

AUDIO: Dierks Bentley talks about his youngest daughter, Jordan, being born on Christmas Day two years ago, and how that will affect the holiday in the future.

Dierks Bentley (Christmas-Jordan) OC: …get older! :31
“My daughter, Jordan, was born at 3 o’clock in the morning on Christmas Day. Some people tend to think that’s like a bad day to have as a birthday, because you’ve got to share it with Jesus and share it with Christmas and all the other presents, but I think it’s great. I mean, I think it was meant to be. Her name’s Jordan Katherine Bentley, so it all fits together. It was meant to be, and it’s going to be a very special Christmas this year. I’m sure down the road when she starts realizing that she’s having to share her birthday, she’ll want to change it. I already told my wife, she could have my birthday. She can take the 20th of November, and I’ll take Christmas as a birthday. Everyone will forget! I’ll never get older!”