From GACTV.com:
As reigning ACM Top New Artist, Scotty McCreery knows exactly how Florida Georgia Line, Brantley Gilbert and Jana Kramer feel as they vie for this year’s ACM Top New Artist Award. Scotty will host the ACM Top New Artist special, premiering Monday, March 25th at 8pm ET on GAC where each of the finalists will receive their individual category trophy from Scotty.
“Winning the ACM award was a huge stepping stone for me and is kind of cool for me and my fans,” Scotty said. “Even those who maybe weren’t fans were made aware of me through that show.”
Florida Georgia Line was named the ACM Top New Duo or Group and will perform their hits “Cruise” and “Get Your Shine On” during the special. “This has all happened so fast, I just think we’re the luckiest guys in the world to get to do music for a living,” Brian Kelley said. “What’s cool about it is that if we don’t win, we know one of our friends is going to win so it’s kind of just a win/win situation,” Tyler Hubbard added.
Brantley Gilbert took home the ACM Top New Male trophy and is up for New Artist for the second consecutive year. He’ll perform “More Than Miles” and “Kick It In The Sticks” on the special. He says his fans aren’t, well, fans.
“I’ve never considered them fans, we consider them friends,” he said. “I don’t sing anything I don’t write and I don’t write anything I hadn’t been through so I think a friend is someone who knows you and if you listen to any of my records, you got a pretty good idea of who I am, good or bad.”
Jana Kramer, named Top New Female Artist, is enjoying a second successful career as a singer. She formerly starred on the hit series One Tree Hill. She’ll perform “Why Ya Wanna” and “Whiskey” while cracking jokes that regardless of whether she or fiancé Brantley Gilbert wins, the trophy will come home to the same house.
Final round fan voting for the New Artist category will begin at VoteACM.com on March 25 and will close April 7, with the winner announced live during the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Co-hosted by Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan, the ACM Awards air live on CBS on April 7 at 8/7c.
