The Academy of Country Music and Great American Country (GAC) announced today that for the second year, the three newcomer categories for the Academy of Country Music Awards— Top New Solo Vocalist, Top New Vocal Duo and Top New Vocal Group —will be opened up to interactive fan voting through VoteACM.com. As previously announced, the Top New Solo Vocalist category will take the place of the Top New Male Vocalist and Top New Female Vocalist categories.
Following is the list of final nominees in the Top New categories that the Academy announced today:
Top New Solo vocalist
Top New Vocal duo
Top New Vocal Group
Professional members of the Academy of Country Music select the final nominees in the Top New Solo Vocalist, Top New Vocal Duo and Top New Vocal Group categories. Professional member votes will be combined with fan votes to obtain the winners of the Top New categories of the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Fan voting for these three categories will begin at VoteACM.com on Friday, February 26, and will close on Friday, March 12. The winner in each category will be announced in mid-March and will move on to compete for Top New Artist. Voting for the Top New Artist category will begin at VoteACM.com on Thursday, April 1, and will close on April 18, with the winner being announced live during the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards broadcast on the CBS Television Network.
As part of this partnership, GAC will air several stand-alone specials, including a show featuring all the nominees from each of the three categories, as well as a show featuring the three winners who will compete for overall Top New Artist.
“GAC provides many new country music artists their first television exposure, and this special programming gives fans the opportunity to get to know the ACM new artist nominees even better,” said Sarah Trahern, Senior Vice President of Programming for GAC.
“The Academy’s partnership with GAC last year brought a lot of new faces to the forefront of country fans minds, and we hope to build on that success, exposing a brand new slate of newcomers to GAC viewers,” said Bob Romeo, Executive Director of the Academy of Country Music.
The first GAC special, hosted by reigning ACM Top New Male Vocalist Jake Owen, will feature the nine nominees, three from each newcomer category, and will premiere Thursday, February 25 at 10 p.m. ET. This special will re-air through March 12, when voting closes.
On March 23, GAC will tape a second special wherein the winner in each category will be named and presented with the award for Top New Solo Vocalist, Top New Vocal Duo, and Top New Vocal Group. Each winning act will perform on this special, which will air multiple times before the Academy of Country Music Awards. The premiere airdate of the special is Thursday, April 1 at 10 p.m. ET.
The winner of the new Top New Artist category will be awarded on the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 8 p.m. live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.
The complete list of nominees for the Academy of Country Music Awards will be announced in February.
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love Joey and Rory….very nice couple
I will be voting For Chris Young!! He is an amazing man with real talent! He puts on one heck of a show and he is just an all around nice guy! How many singers will stay at a venue til after closing time, just so he can hang out with his fans?? Chris does that every night he does a show! Even if he has to go to a different state the very next day. He cares deeply for each and every one of his fans!!
Luke Bryan — no contest.. He is the hands down winner… This guy ROCKS and is a great entertainer!
Chris, Chris, Chris YOUNG!
Steel Magnolia-if your unfamiliar with their music they can be found on youtube or myspace:steelmagnoliaCultivation—Judge for yourself before you count them out!! Love ya watch my driving ha ha
chris young all the way. and for all the people who say tweenies are the only ones who are gonna vote for him i am 40. he is an amazing performer who can SING.
my votes will be chris young. for as young as he is he sure can sing the classics. he is the only person in that category who is keppin country COUNTRY. then bombshell and the lost trailers.
Luke!!!! Love him…he is such a great entertainer, singer and songwriter! He deserves this more than anyone!!
Chris Young has three generations of fans in this family…going to be some major voting!! This man has such an amazing talent is so deserving:D
Jamey Johnson! EYB!
Are there even three new duos every year? Lame.
Jamey Johnson
Bombshell
Gloriana
thats who i am voting for……
Chris Young has my vote. It's hardto choose between him and Luke but imma have to go with Chris.
Chris Young has my vote
1. luke bryan
2.The Trailers
3. Joey + Rory
Voting for luke all the way
My votes go to Luke, Glorianna and Bombshell.
My votes would be:
Chris Young
Bomshel
Gloriana
–Bomshel is BY far the BEST in their category. Hands down, those girls are performers and excellent at that. If Joey & Rory win I think the end of the world has come lol. kidding of course.
Us over 40 crowd not going to let the tweenites let a high school popularity contest be the winner. Jamey Johnson is the only choice and we are going to make it happen.
My friends and I are in our 40's as well and we are voting for Chris Young!
lol…
What a joke, the ACM's should be ashamed, first its best new SOLO artist so there is NO females you could nominate. Save the fan voting for the CMT. Look at last year when fan voting got where is she now Julianne a win over Zac Brown Brown who is HUGE.
What a joke, the ACM's should be ashamed, first its best new SOLO artist so there is NO females you could nominate. Save the fan voting for the CMT. Look at last year when fan voting got where is she now Julianne a win over Zac Brown Brown who is HUGE.
Now the tweennites are going to vote Chris Young the winner when it is CLEAR Jamey Johnson should win. Lets see Jamey has sold over 700,000 copies of his album, Chris and Luke barely 200.000. Jamey had his songs nominated for Song of the Year and WON. If the fan voting doesn't give Jamey the win the ACM's should be ashamed. If that is all you can come up with for new duo just scrape it. Let's see Bombshel has not even had a hit single sold 25,000 copies of their CD. The other one has not even put out an album yet. What a joke.
This is a tough choice between Chris Young and Luke Bryan but I will probably vote for Luke Bryan since I know more of his hit songs.
I will also vote for Joey + Rory and The Lost Tractors.
Chris Young. I like that a guy at age 24, can sing old school like that. Great traditional voice.
luke bryan definately deserves to win. Hes a great singer
Bomshel all the way baby!!! wow can those girls sing!
Im going to have to go with the country man Luke Bryan!! He totally deserves it!
Chris Young has my vote for sure.He's amazing.
And he has an amazing voice.
Luke Bryan,Bomshel and Gloriana for me.
Im for Luke Bryan All the way…He DESERVES this!!! Love him
You mean Danny Gokey did not get into the Top New Solo Vocalist category? He is the best! But, for what you have listed, my vote would go to Chris Young.
My Picks Are Luke Bryan, Steel Magnolia, Lost Trailers
Oh my! Chris Young ALL the way! He makes my heart pitter patter with that beautiful voice! *sigh*
Jamey Johnson, Steel Magnolia, and Eli Young Band will get my votes.
I can't wait to vote for CHRIS YOUNG!!! He is the BEST!!!!!!!
Of course, JAMES OTTO should’ve been nominated, so since he isn’t I won’t be casting any vote.
Young has my vote.
Whoo-hoo! Love me some Chris Young! Yep, he has my vote!
Chris Young is inspiring! I would vote for him a million times if it would let me.
Cheers!
Chris Young has my vote!