Fan voting for the ACM New Artist of the Year semi-finalists runs from Jan. 16-30, 2012!

Eight of country music’s most talented newcomers — each competing for the Academy of Country Music’s New Artist of the Year honor – will be featured on ACM Showcase, Monday, January 16 at 8/7c on GAC, check schedule for more times. The 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be held Sunday, April 1, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Host Storme Warren will interview Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, JT Hodges, Scotty McCreery, Justin Moore, David Nail, Jerrod Niemann and duo Thompson Square, catching up with each on the remarkable year they’ve had. These eight semi-finalists were chosen by the first round of ACM professional membership voting and the fans will help choose the three finalists. Online voting is now open at gactv.com/acm and closes Monday, January 30 Noon ET and fans may vote once per day. When the three final nominees are chosen, online voting for the New Artist of the Year honor begins Monday, March 19, at 3pm ET by logging on to VoteACM.com.

“We’re pleased to once again partner with the Academy of Country Music to offer fans the chance to help make country music history by casting their vote for New Artist of the Year,” said GAC VP/Programming, Suzanne Gordon. “Our strong platform of new artist specials gives viewers an opportunity to find out more about these hot young performers.”

The three finalists will then be featured on ACM New Artist of the Year, a performance special premiering Monday, March 19, 9/8c on GAC. The winner of the New Artist of the Year honor will be announced on the 47th ACM Awards telecast LIVE on Sunday, April 1, 2012.

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Trevor Brazile photo courtesy of PRCA, photo credit Photo by Tom Donoghue.

The sun comes up in the morning, the moon rises at night and Trevor Brazile is the World Champion All-Around Cowboy.

Some things are inevitable.

Brazile clinched his record ninth world all-around championship and his 16th gold buckle overall – which ties him with Jim Shoulders for second all-time in Pro Rodeo history. Only steer roper Guy Allen (with 18) has more.

The win was assured during Round 4 of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center on Sunday afternoon in front of 17,094 fans. Virtually assured of winning the title, it was just a matter of how soon Brazile would officially earn the gold buckle. To clinch it in Round 4, he needed to win $17,385 in go-round earnings, and that was only if bull rider Shane Proctor was able to win each of the final seven rounds, plus the average. Brazile got off to a great start with a second-place finish in the team roping with partner Patrick Smith. The cowboys earned $14,135 apiece for their 4.7-second run, and left Brazile sitting within a fifth-place finish in the tie-down roping of clinching the all-around crown.

A miss on his first loop took Brazile out of the money in tie-down roping, but he clinched the title anyway when bull rider Proctor bucked off later in the round. Proctor, who also rode saddle bronc horses in 2011, was the lone cowboy with a mathematical shot at catching Brazile for the all-around going into Round 4.

“It’s a totally different feel, because everything was around 7 my whole life, then to beat that last year…those were milestones that I’d set for myself,” Brazile said. “It’s an uncharted territory, and I’m just thrilled to have such a blessed year this year again. To clinch it this early, it kind of lets a guy let his hair down in the single events.”

Brazile now sets his sights on Allen for the most world titles in ProRodeo history.

“When I came into this game, I was one of the guys that was saying those records would never be broken,” Brazile said. “To talk about Jim Shoulders, I said that’s not going to happen in this new era of rodeo. It doesn’t even seem real to me to reach that 16th title. My career has been more than I could ever dream it would be at this point. I’m loving it. I’m living the dream, actually. I didn’t dare to dream this stuff, I’ll be honest.”

With his second-place check on Sunday, Brazile topped $300,000 for a record-sixth consecutive year. He sits at $305,581 four rounds into the NFR, with Proctor a distance second in the all-around standings at $137,774.

While Proctor bucked off, three-time defending champion J.W. Harris turned in his second qualified ride of the week – an 88-point ride on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Bailey Hou – to win the round and his second check of the week. However, he suffered a fractured right foot as he dismounted from the bull.

“It shouldn’t affect me at all; it’s just my foot, and I don’t use my foot to ride bulls, so I’ll just get another pair of boots to ride in and the (Justin) sports medicine people will find a way for me to keep going,” Harris said. “It’s on from here and I’m gunning for the lead; if I get bucked off one, it’s not going to be because of lack of effort. It’s a whole new game.”

Proctor is just sixth in the average race now, but still holds a commanding lead in the bull riding world standings. He’s more than $30,000 ahead of Harris, who is fourth in the average.

GAC is celebrating the union of rodeo, country music and Wrangler in December by broadcasting the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo live, December 1-10 at 10/9c each night. Plus, eight-time All-Around Champion, Trevor Brazile plays host to Suzanne Alexander and Joe Nichols on his ranch, deep in the heart of Texas in our special, Inside the WNFR 2011. Whether you are new to the sport or a die-hard fan, this must-see show gives you the 4-1-1 on all the rodeo event categories from Steer Wrestling and Barrel Racing, to the death-defying Bull Riding event.

Watch streaming highlights from each round of the WNFR here »

Check out our WNFR photo gallery, updated daily with photos from each round »

Shifting to an afternoon performance for Round 4 wasn’t enough to slow Jason Miller. The Lance Creek, Wyo., bulldogger won checks in each of the first three rounds and added a first-place check on Sunday.

“It’s nice and sunny out this afternoon, and with the cool weather we’ve had, it’s a nice little change to be out in the sun,” Miller said. “We’ve enjoyed it.”

He stopped the clock in 3.3 seconds to win $17,885 and push his NFR earnings to $49,038 as he climbed within $3,000 of Luke Branquinho for the top spot in the world standings. Miller is also second to Branquinho in the average race.

Two-time Wrangler NFR qualifier Jesse Wright won his second straight round on Sunday afternoon with an 89.5-point ride aboard Bar T Rodeo’s Eight Ball. He was 4.5 points better than second-place Wade Sundell on a day when only four of 14 saddle bronc riders made the eight-second whistle – Cody DeMoss sat out the round with an injury suffered in Round 2.

Wright picked up wins on that horse twice this year.

“I knew he was going to buck like he did, and I knew I really had to be ready to ride,” Wright said. “He’s usually pretty antsy (in the chute) and he’s hard to saddle, but today he was nice and didn’t give me any trouble until I nodded.”

After no-times in the opening two rounds, defending Wrangler NFR average champions Luke Brown and Martin Lucero got their Finals headed in the right direction with a third-place finish in Round 3. They followed with a win in Round 4 when they stopped the clock at 4.3 seconds to earn $17,885 each.

“I missed the first two steers, which was a real disappointment to me,” Brown said. “I feel like I let a lot of people down. I told myself to settle down and make our run, and if that’s not fast enough to place, I’ll tip my hat and go on to the next round. We didn’t like that steer tonight; he was really tough in the first round. I expected him to run harder, but I got a good start and he was right there in front of me quick.”

The chance to take yet another victory lap at the Thomas & Mack Center is a driving force for Lucero.

“Taking that victory lap in this arena is probably my favorite thing to do. It’s a real thrill,” Lucero said. “When you sit down there and watch 10 or 12 teams go that all have a chance to beat you, it seems like the round will never end.”

They had to team up to do it, but the bareback riders finally knocked Kaycee Feild from the top spot in Round 4. Steven Dent – who thought he had the round won on Saturday night, only to fall a point short – tied with Cody DeMers for the round win on Sunday.

Dent topped Three Hills Rodeo’s Peaches & Cream, while DeMers bested Harry Vold Rodeo’s Hypnotic, with each cowboy scoring 87 points to collect checks worth $16,010 each.

“That horse, she came here in 2008 and she was 4 years old. They won second and first in the rounds on her,” Dent said of his ride on Peaches & Cream. “She was just like she was today; that horse is great every time. That’s her ride every day. All you have to do is set your feet and she usually gets you a check.”

DeMers was just as happy with his draw.

“I’ve been on that horse before and had some success on that horse. I was excited to have that horse here today, and go at him and do the best I could,” he said. “There’s a lot of money still to be won. Still a lot of nerves to get in the way of things. I’m just going to nod my head the rest of the week and do the best I can and let things fall the way they want to.”

Idaho tie-down roper Matt Shiozawa turned in a 7.3-second run to top a tough round in which ropers had to finish in less than eight seconds to win a check. For Shiozawa, it was his first win and third check of the week, and it pushed him past the $1 million mark in PRCA career earnings.

“Yeah, it’s great,” he said. “I guess you could say it’s a milestone. I’m happy to be here, and I’m glad it’s going well, and it will be a fun experience tonight. But tomorrow’s a different set of calves. That’s going to take a lot of thought and preparation, as well.”

Texas barrel racer Carlee Pierce took the Round 4 win as she made her first clean run of the week and stopped the clock at 13.81 seconds. So far, it’s the fastest run of the week and allowed Pierce to pick up her first Wrangler NFR check.

“I know he can do it; he’s a phenomenal athlete,” Pierce said of 12-year-old Dillon, a horse she purchased from 2008 Wrangler NFR qualifier Annesa Self. “He was just waiting on me to get my stuff together.

53rd annual Wrangler National Finals Rodeo
Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nev.
December 4, 2011
Fourth round

Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb., on Three Hills Rodeo”s Peaches & Cream, and Cody DeMers, Kimberly, Idaho, on Harry Vold Rodeo Company”s Hypnotic, 87 points, $16,010 each; 3. Steven Peebles, Redmond, Ore., 83.5, $10,673; 4. (tie) Brian Bain, Culver, Ore., and Clint Cannon, Waller, Texas, 83, $6,058 each; 6. Jason Havens, Prineville, Ore., 82.5, $2,885; 7. (tie) Kaycee Feild, Payson, Utah, and Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas, 82 each; 9. Matt Bright, Azle, Texas, 81.5; 10. Royce Ford, Briggsdale, Colo., 80.5; 11. Bobby Mote, Culver, Ore., 79.5; 12. (tie) Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, and Ryan Gray, Cheney, Wash., 78.5 each; 14. Wes Stevenson, Lubbock, Texas, 77; 15. Casey Colletti, Pueblo, Colo., 75.5.

Steer wrestling: 1. Jason Miller, Lance Creek, Wyo., 3.3 seconds, $17,885; 2. Dean Gorsuch, Gering, Neb., 3.5, $14,135; 3. Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 3.8, $10,673; 4. Stockton Graves, Newkirk, Okla., 3.9, $7,500; 5. Billy Bugenig, Ferndale, Calif., 4.0, $4,615; 6. Shawn Greenfield, Lakeview, Ore., 4.2, $2,885; 7. Casey Martin, Sulphur, La., 5.1; 8. Seth Brockman, Wheatland, Wyo., 5.2; 9. Jake Rinehart, Highmore, S.D., 5.5; 10. Olin Hannum, Malad, Idaho, 6.2; 11. Trevor Knowles, Mount Vernon, Ore., 11.9; 12. Todd Suhn, Hermosa, S.D., 13.9; 13. Mickey Gee, Wichita Falls, Texas, 14.0; 14. Sean Mulligan, Coleman, Okla., 18.0; 15. Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., 18.4.
Jason Miller sound byte (.mp3) -Courtesy JSA Sports Network Ltd.

Team roping: 1. Luke Brown, Stephenville, Texas/Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 4.3 seconds, $17,885 each; 2. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas/Patrick Smith, Midland, Texas, 4.7, $14,135; 3. Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz./Kory Koontz, Sudan, Texas, 9.3, $10,673; 4. Chad Masters, Cedar Hill, Tenn./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., 9.8, $7,500; 5. Matt Sherwood, Pima , Ariz./Cory Petska, Marana, Ariz., 10.5, $4,615; 6. Turtle Powell, Stephenville, Texas/Jhett Johnson, Casper, Wyo., 13.0, $2,885; 7. Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont./Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 18.8; 8. Derrick Begay, Seba Dalkai, Ariz./Cesar de la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz., 18.9; 9. (tie) Spencer Mitchell, Colusa, Calif./Broc Cresta, Santa Rosa, Calif.; Jake Barnes, Scottsdale, Ariz./Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas; Brady Tryan, Huntley, Mont./Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kan.; Kaleb Driggers, Albany, Ga./Brad Culpepper, Poulan, Ga.; Brandon Beers, Powell Butte, Ore./Jim Ross Cooper, Monument, N.M.; Colby Lovell, Madisonville, Texas/York Gill, Memphis, Tenn., and Riley Minor, Ellensburg, Wash./Brady Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., NT.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Jesse Wright, Milford, Utah, 89.5 points on Bar T Rodeo”s Eight Ball, $17,885; 2. Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa, 85.0, $14,135; 3. Bradley Harter, Weatherford, Texas, 81.0, $10,673; 4. Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M., 76.5, $7,500; 5. (tie) Cody Wright, Milford, Utah; Jesse Bail, Camp Crook, S.D.; Heith DeMoss, Heflin, La.; Jacobs Crawley, College Station, Texas; Tyler Corrington, Hastings, Minn.; Chad Ferley, Oelrichs, S.D.; Ty Atchison, Jackson, Mo.; Chuck Schmidt, Keldron, S.D.; Sam Spreadborough, Snyder, Texas, and Jesse Kruse, Great Falls, Mont., NS.

Tie-down roping: 1. Matt Shiozawa, Chubbuck, Idaho, 7.3 seconds, $17,885; 2. Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla., 7.4, $14,135; 3. Clif Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 7.6, $10,673; 4. Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 7.7, $7,500; 5. (tie) Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., and Clint Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 7.8, $3,750 each; 7. Scott Kormos, Teague, Texas, 8.2; 8. Tyson Durfey, Colbert, Wash., 8.6; 9. (tie) Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, and Cody Ohl, Hico, Texas, 8.8 each; 11. (tie) Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas, and Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas, 9.5 each; 13. Jerrad Hofstetter, Portales, N.M., 9.7; 14. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 14.9; 15. Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas, 18.9.

Barrel racing: 1. Carlee Pierce, Stephenville, Texas, 13.81 seconds, $17,885; 2. Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., 13.90, $14,135; 3. Lindsay Sears, Nanton, Alberta, 13.95, $10,673; 4. Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 13.99, $7,500; 5. Brittany Pozzi, Victoria, Texas, 14.00, $4,615; 6. Sue Smith, Blackfoot, Idaho, 14.11, $2,885; 7. Jody Sheffield, Ogden, Utah, 14.12; 8. Jane Melby, Backus, Minn., 14.16; 9. Christina Richman, Glendora, Calif., 14.21; 10. Tammy Fischer, Ledbetter, Texas, 14.22; 11. Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 14.25; 12. Angie Meadors, Blanchard, Okla., 14.28; 13. Jill Moody, Letcher, S.D., 14.31; 14. Jeanne Anderson, White City, Kan., 14.46; 15. Britany Fleck, Mandan, N.D., 19.87.

Bull riding: 1. J.W. Harris, Mullin, Texas, 88.0 points on Mo Betta Rodeo”s Bailey Hou, $17,885; 2. Tyler Willis, Wheatland, Wyo., 84.0, $14,135; 3. Bobby Welsh, Gillette, Wyo., 73.0, $10,673; 4. Trevor Kastner, Ardmore, Okla., 68.5, $7,500; 5. (tie) Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash.; Jacob O”Mara, Prairieville, La.; Wesley Silcox, Santaquin, Utah; Clayton Foltyn, El Campo, Texas; Chandler Bownds, Lubbock, Texas; Clayton Savage, Cheyenne, Wyo.; L.J. Jenkins, Porum, Okla.; Tate Stratton, Kellyville, Okla.; Seth Glause, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Steve Woolsey, Payson, Utah, and Cody Whitney, Asher, Okla., NS.

Coverage and standings provided courtesy of the PRCA and ProRodeo.com.

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Jake Owen photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Jake Owen premiered his steamy new video for “Alone With You” on his Facebook page yesterday.  “Alone with You” is the second single from Jake’s third studio album Barefoot Blue Jean Night, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. This week, “Alone with You” broke into the Top 30 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart as well as Country Aircheck.

“I think a lot of people can relate to the lyrical content of ‘Alone with You,’” says Jake. “The line in the song ‘But you kiss me when you’re drunk’ is so real and the music video is true to the storyline of the song. Basically, it’s about not finding love…but comfort in someone’s arms who really isn’t the one for you and sometimes no one else knows about it but the two of you. The video also features a supporting role by my bulldog Merle. He should win an award.”

Watch Now:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Yesterday, Jake celebrated his No. 1 single “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” which is one of only six songs released in 2011 to reach Platinum status. “This song changed my life,” reflects Jake. “I’m so grateful to the songwriters, Eric Paslay, Terry Sawchuk and Dylan Altman, who have become really good friends of mine. Feeling the support of this amazingly talented community is hard to describe. It’s just awesome to be part of it. This has been the best year of my life.”

More With Jake

• Watch our Fan Q&A with Jake »
• Check out Jake’s Photo Gallery »

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Neil Perry, Kimberly Perry and Reid Perry of The Band Perry backstage at The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! Countdown to Music's Biggest Night at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on November 30, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Nominations for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards® were announced tonight by The Recording Academy®  on “The GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night®,” which aired live on CBS.  From the country category, fans got to see The Band Perry perform their new song “Independence,”  Jason Aldean took the stage with Ludacris to perform “Dirt Road Anthem,” and Sugarland joined forces with Lady Gaga to close out the show with a performance of “You And I.”

The Recording Academy changed up and whittled down the categories this year — here are the ones related to country music and few others you might be interested to see…

Best New Artist (all genres)

The Band Perry
Bon Iver
J. Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex

Best Country Solo Performance

“Dirt Road Anthem” — Jason Aldean
“I’m Gonna Love You Through It” — Martina McBride
“Honey Bee” — Blake Shelton
“Mean” — Taylor Swift
“Mama’s Song” — Carrie Underwood

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

“Don’t You Wanna Stay” — Jason Aldean With Kelly Clarkson
“You And Tequila” — Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter
“Barton Hollow” — The Civil Wars
“Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” — Thompson Square

Best Country Song

“Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”
Jim Collins & David Lee Murphy, songwriters (Thompson Square)
“God Gave Me You”
Dave Barnes, songwriter (Blake Shelton)
“Just Fishin’”
Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell & Ed Hill, songwriters (Trace Adkins)
“Mean”
Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
“Threaten Me With Heaven”
Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Will Owsley & Dillon O’Brian, songwriters (Vince Gill)
“You And Tequila”
Matraca Berg & Deana Carter, songwriters (Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter)

Best Country Album

My Kinda Party — Jason Aldean
Chief — Eric Church
Own The Night — Lady Antebellum
Red River Blue — Blake Shelton
Here For A Good Time — George Strait
Speak Now — Taylor Swift

Best Bluegrass Album

Paper Airplane — Alison Krauss & Union Station
Reason And Rhyme: Bluegrass Songs By Robert Hunter & Jim Lauderdale — Jim Lauderdale
Rare Bird Alert — Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers
Old Memories: The Songs Of Bill Monroe — The Del McCoury Band
A Mother’s Prayer — Ralph Stanley
Sleep With One Eye Open — Chris Thile & Michael Daves

Best Americana Album

Emotional Jukebox — Linda Chorney
Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down — Ry Cooder
Hard Bargain — Emmylou Harris
Ramble At The Ryman — Levon Helm
Blessed — Lucinda Williams

Best Song Written For Visual Media

“Born To Be Somebody” — (From Never Say Never)
Diane Warren, songwriter (Justin Bieber)
“Christmastime Is Killing Us” — (From Family Guy)
Ron Jones, Seth MacFarlane & Danny Smith, songwriters (Danny Smith, Ron Jones & Seth MacFarlane)
“I See The Light” — (From Tangled)
Alan Menken & Glenn Slater, songwriters (Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi)
“So Long” — (From Winnie The Pooh)
Zooey Deschanel, songwriter (Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward)
“Where The River” Goes — (From Footloose)
Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, Drew Pearson & Anne Preven, songwriters (Zac Brown)
“You Haven’t Seen The Last Of Me” — (From Burlesque)
Diane Warren, songwriter (Cher)

For a complete list of GRAMMY nominees in all categories, visit grammy.com.

The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on “GRAMMY Sunday,” Feb. 12, 2012, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and once again will be broadcast live on CBS from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

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Jennifer Nettles and Justin Miller at ACM Presents: Girls' Night Out: Superstar Women of Country concert on April 4, 2011

Congratulations to Jennifer Nettles who got married this past Saturday, Nov. 26 to long-time boyfriend Justin Miller.  In an article posted at People.com, the website is reporting that the couple quietly got married this past weekend during a  “small, sunset ceremony in Tennessee.”

The story went on to report that Jennifer wore an Alexander McQueen gown during the ceremony held at a chapel in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in front of an intimate group of close family and friends, including Sugarland bandmate Kristian Bush.

Justin Miller is an entrepreneur and former model who has been dating Jennifer for over two years. He appeared in the video for the band’s 2006 single, “Want To.”

You can catch Jennifer performing at the Grammy Nomination Concert Live this week, and she is also the featured host on the annual CMA Country Christmas  special airing this Thursday at 9/8c on ABC.

Check out photos from the CMA Country Christmas Special »

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It’s a cool performance, check it out here and let us know what you think!

Photos of Miranda Lambert at the 45th Annual CMA Awards »

Watch Miranda’s backstage interview with GAC host Storme Warren »

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The five finalists in the Waggin’ Train Tail Waggin’ Jingle Contest celebrate with Country Music star and contest judge Trace Adkins at the Hard Rock Café in Nashville, on November 8,2011.

Last summer we told you about a unique contest that Trace Adkins was involved in with Waggin’ Train brand dog snacks. Dog owners with a penchant for music were challenged to come up with  an original jingle, with lyrics that describe how they enjoy a “tail waggin’ good time” with their four-legged friend. Contestants then had to upload a 60-second video that showed them performing the jingle with their dog. The field was narrowed down to five finalists, who were flown into Nashville on Monday to perform their jingles in person, in front of Trace, for a chance to win the Grand Prize recording session.

Trace made the final call and selected Dewey Longuski of Mason, MI as the Grand Prize winner of the Waggin’ Train® Tail Waggin’ Jingle Contest. For his winning efforts, Dewey was immediately whisked off to a local Nashville recording studio where he and Trace put the finishing touches on a professional recording of the jingle. In addition to the recording session, Dewey received an autographed CD of his jingle, which may be featured on the Waggin’ Train brand’s website and Facebook page.

“I was really impressed by all of the finalists’ performances and the quality of the jingles they wrote to celebrate the good times they share with their dogs,” said Trace. “While it was a tough decision, Dewey’s jingle rose to the top because of its catchy lyrics and memorable melody that left me wanting to hear more.”

In addition to the trip to Nashville to perform in front of Trace, the five finalists each received tickets to attend The 45th Annual CMA Awards that airs live on ABC tonight, November 9 at 8/7c.

For more information about the contest and to hear the Grand Prize winner’s jingle, visit www.WagginTrainBrand.com.

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Dierks Bentley in his new video for "Home." Image courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Dierks Bentley just rolled out his new video for “Home” online at VEVO. The video, directed by Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, features Dierks performing in a field of corn at night while fireworks light the sky. Iconic, patriotic shots of America are weaved throughout the clip.

“Home means so many things to so many different people,” says Bentley.  ”For my Dad, who fought in World War II, it means one thing and for my daughter, it means something as simple as playing in the park with her friends. For this video, we wanted to incorporate iconic images of America, but also capture the spirit of our country and the things that make it great.”

Watch the video here:

You can vote for “Home” on GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown here »

“Home” is the latest single off his sixth Capitol Nashville studio project that is slated for release in early 2012.  This project has already scored one No. 1 hit “Am I The Only One.”

In related Dierks Bentley news, he was at the head of the pack for his 6th Annual Miles and Music charity ride and concert in Nashville this past Sunday, Oct. 16th.  Dierks was joined by special guests Charles Kelley from Lady Antebellum, Kevin Fowler, Craig Campbell, Bucky Covington, Colt Ford, Josh Thompson and others.  Proceeds from this event are going toward the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. In the last six years, the event has raised $1.6 million for children’s hospitals in Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Seattle and Columbus.

View photos from the Miles and Music ride here »

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Rodney Atkins photo courtesy of Curb Records.

From the time he was born, Rodney Atkins has had to fight obstacles to get where he is today. A sickly child, he was born with a respiratory infection and given up for adoption. While living in a small-town orphanage, Rodney was adopted by loving parents Allan and Margaret Atkins and raised in Harrogate, Tennessee. Rodney has never talked about his birth mother before, until now. He shared with the Associated Press that he met her in 2008, after becoming the spokesman for the National Council for Adoption.

“It hit me at that moment, walking in that room, getting to know her,” Rodney told AP. “She’s a wonderful, beautiful lady. I realized that the reason I needed to do that did not have anything to do with my parents. I’m glad I did that really, really, really for her. She’s been carrying that around, wondering what happened, and I could tell it was such a relief.”

Rodney says his birth mother got pregnant at 19 after what he described as a traumatic first date. She hid the pregnancy from her family and chose to give him up for adoption.

“I just wanted to tell her thank you, because she had some other alternatives to end that situation,” he tells AP. “I might not be here. So you don’t want to take it for granted. She kept saying, ‘I’m sorry.’ I kept saying, ‘Thank you.’”

GAC recently went back home with the talented singer for the special, Origins: Rodney Atkins. If you missed Wednesday’s premiere, you can still catch it this Saturday, Oct. 15 at 10/9c. Here’s a sneak peek below:

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Carrie Underwood helps Randy Travis celebrate 25 years as a Grand Ole Opry member. Photo by Chris Hollo, courtesy of Schmidt Relations.

Legendary country icon Randy Travis recently released his new album, Anniversary Celebration, which features duets with country music’s hottest stars.  Beginning today, fans can log on to GAC’s Facebook page for the Randy Travis Duets App. Fans can record and share their duet with Randy himself with available sing-alongs from Anniversary Celebration duets: “Is It Still Over?”, “A Few Ole Country Boys” and “Forever and Ever, Amen”.  Try it out and record your duet here »

Our very own Nan Kelley, host of GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown, couldn’t resist the temptation to try it out.  Watch this clip and see what happened:

Click here to view the embedded video.

This past Tuesday, Randy joined a star-studded line-up to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. Randy performed “Everything and All” along with performances with John Anderson, Connie Smith, Joe Stampley, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood and Gene Watson.  You’ll be able to catch highlights and performances from this incredible lineup when GAC airs the special on October 15 at 9/8c.  Complete Opry LIVE on GAC schedule here »

Also, this past week, Randy made the world premiere debut of the music video for his current single, “Everything and All” on GAC and GACTV.com.  Watch the video online now »

The music video is currently the  iTunes Country Free video of the week.  Download it here »

Randy’s Anniversary Celebration album includes  Zac Brown Band, Kristin Chenoweth, Kenny Chesney, Don Henley, Alan Jackson, Jamey Johnson, George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood among the list of acclaimed artists that join Travis on the duets CD. The album includes new songs, in addition to remakes of many of Travis’ megahits.

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