Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

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.

Alan Jackson will release Precious Memories, Volume II on Tuesday (March 26th), following up the hugely successful first volume from 2006. Originally, the Georgia native recorded the collection as a Christmas present for his mother, but he was encouraged by his friends and record label to release it to the public. The original Precious Memories has sold more than two-million copies.

“It’s just really overwhelming how many people have enjoyed this album. So, of course, ever since I made the first one, they’re like, ‘When [are] you going to make another one?,'” he laughs. “We had so many songs, of course, that we didn’t get to do on the first one , but…Denise sat down and helped me pick out some more this time, and…that’s where we’re at. We tried to just go in and do it just like the first one – just heartfelt and simple.”

Precious Memories, Volume II will hit stores next Tuesday.

Precious Memories Volume II Track List:
1. “Amazing Grace”
2. “He Lives”
3. “Just As I Am”
4. “Love Lifted Me”
5. “O How I Love Jesus”
6. “Only Trust Him”
7. “There Is Power In The Blood”
8. “Precious Memories”
9. “Sweet Hour of Prayer”
10. “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder”
11. “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go”

Alan Jackson explains why he chose to record and release Precious Memories Volume II.

AJ (Precious Memories 2) OC: …heartfelt and simple. :34
“It’s just really overwhelming how many people have enjoyed this album. So, of course, ever since I made the first one, they’re like, ‘When [are] you going to make another one?’ (laughs) That’s all I’ve heard now for…(laughs) ‘When [are] you going to make another one?’ We had so many songs, of course, that we didn’t get to do on the first one , but…and Denise sat down and helped me pick out some more this time, and…that’s where we’re at. I just…we tried to just go in and do it just like the first one – just heartfelt and simple.”

Kacey Musgraves performs her Top 10 hit, “Merry Go Round,” on NBC’s Today Show on Tuesday (March 19th). Check out the performance below.

Kip Moore released the official music video for his latest single, “Hey Pretty Girl,” exclusively to the Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, and it premiered on last night. Check it out below.  

Nashville – March 18, 2013 – ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee and co-host Luke Bryan headlined the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ this past Saturday night before a crowd of 75,242 fans. This was Luke’s second performance at the Rodeo, his first as a headliner, and the largest crowd of his career. At the close of this Saturday’s show, the rodeo also reported this was the second-largest crowd in their history.

“I may have said it last year,” Luke said from the rodeo stage, “but I grew up dreaming of playing the Houston Rodeo. To sell this place out on a Saturday night is a country boy’s dream!”

In additional touring news, Luke’s headline tour, the “Dirt Road Diaries Tour,” will continue this week with shows in Florence, South Carolina, Fayetteville, North Carolina, Charlottesville, Virginia and Morgantown, West Virginia.

Kacey Musgraves releases her debut album, Same Trailer, Different Park, on Tuesday (March 19th). The Texas native co-wrote and co-produced every song on the album, including her Top 10 hit, “Merry Go Round,” and her latest single, “Blowin’ Smoke.” Kacey says she hopes folks who pick up a copy of her album will identify with all of the songs. “Hopefully, when people hear Same Trailer, they will…obviously love it, but also I hope they walk away with just knowing that I’m influenced by so many different kinds of things, and I hope they just connect in some way,” says Kacey. “I mean, if I can make somebody feel something then I feel like I’ve done my job as a songwriter. So, that’s my favorite part — just being inspired by something I went through and seeing other people say, ‘I get it, like I went through that, too.’”

Catch Kacey on NBC’s Today Show on Tuesday (March 19th) or on tour with Kenny Chesney and his No Shoes Nation Tour.

AUDIO: Kacey Musgraves expresses hope that people will connect with the songs on her debut album, Same Trailer, Different Park.

Kacey Musgraves (fans will hopefully identify with album) OC: …that, too. :25
“Well, hopefully when people hear Same Trailer, they will…obviously love it, but also I hope they walk away with just knowing that I’m influenced by so many different kinds of things, and I hope they just connect in some way. I mean, if I can make somebody feel something then I feel like I’ve done my job as a songwriter. So, that’s my favorite part — just being inspired by something I went through and seeing other people say, ‘I get it, like I went through that, too.’”

George Strait is gearing up to release his 40th studio album – titled Love is Everything – on May 14th. The Country Music Hall of Famer was planning on writing songs over the Christmas break for the new album, but it doesn’t necessarily mean every song he writes will make the cut. “I’ve always thought that whether I’m writing or not, I’ve got to pick the best songs,” says George. “I’m not gonna sing ‘em just because I wrote ‘em. I’ve got to find the best songs to make the best album I can make.”

George’s latest single, “Give It All We Got Tonight,” is the first release from his upcoming album, Love is Everything.

AUDIO: George Strait talks about picking the best songs he can find, no matter if he wrote them or not.

George Strait (picking best songs) OC: …can make. :11
“You know, I’ve always thought that whether I’m writing or not, I’ve got to pick the best songs. I’m not gonna sing ‘em just because I wrote ‘em. I’ve got to find the best songs to make the best album I can make.”

ENCINO, CA (March 18, 2013) – The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions announced today that Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum and Little Big Town are scheduled to perform as part of the 48^th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS. This is the second round of artists announced as performers on this year’s broadcast. 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.

These artists join previously announced performers Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait and The Band Perry, as well as the 3^rd Annual ACM Fan Jam, headlined by Brad Paisley 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. LL Cool J has also been tapped to make a special appearance during this year’s ACM Fan Jam, emcee’d by Storme Warren.

Eric Church leads with seven ACM award nominations, including Male Vocalist of the Year and his second consecutive nod for Album of the Year and Video of the Year. He is twice nominated for Song of the Year for “Springsteen,” as both artist and composer. Church also earned nominations for Single of the Year for “Springsteen” and for Vocal Event of the Year for “The Only Way I Know” with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. His third album, “CHIEF,” reached Platinum and received several end-of-the-year “top album” accolades from NPR, Rolling Stone, SPIN, iTunes and the Los Angeles Times. Church is a three-time GRAMMY nominee including a nod for Best Country Album, and his second and third single releases, “Drink In My Hand” and “Springsteen,” reached #1 on the country radio charts. Church’s forthcoming live album release, “Caught In the Act: Live,” is currently available for pre-sale and will be released on April 9.

Lady Antebellum is an ACM award-winning trio comprised of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood. The band recently received their fifth ACM Award nomination for Vocal Group of the Year, an award they have won for three consecutive years. The seven-time GRAMMY-winning trio’s current single, “Downtown” is the lead single off of their upcoming fourth Capitol Nashville release Golden, scheduled to come out May 7. The track hit big out of the gate, becoming the trio’s highest-charting debut on the Country radio charts.

Little Big Town leads ACM award group nominations with four nods, including their seventh nomination for Vocal Group of the Year. They are also nominated for Album of the Year, Single Record of the Year for “Pontoon” and Video of the Year for “Tornado.” The Grammy-winning country group, consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook, first entered the music scene over thirteen years ago, and their fifth studio album, Tornado, debuted at the top of the Billboard Country Chart where it stayed in the #1 position for five consecutive weeks. The album produced by Jay Joyce, includes two-time platinum-selling #1 hit single “Pontoon,” and follow-up single and title-track “Tornado,” which also peaked at the #1 position. The foursome has played in front of over 4 million people to-date and is currently headlining their Tornado Tour across the US and Canada. They will join Keith Urban on tour later this summer.

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.

Luke Bryan debuted at the top of the Billboard Album Chart with his Spring Break…Here to Party album last week, marking his first time at the top of the overall chart. He took time from his Spring Break shows in Panama City to tape a video thanking you, the fans, for making it the number-one album! Check out the clip below!