Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes & Scotty McCreery are the 2012 ACM New Artist of the Year Final Nominees.

The Academy of Country Music and Great American Country (GAC) announced today that Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes and Scotty McCreery have been named nominees for this year’s ACM New Artist of the Year Award, which will be given out during the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8 p.m. live ET/delayed PT on CBS.

Voting for New Artist of the Year will take place at www.VoteACM.com beginning March 19, 2012 at 12 noon ET/9 a.m. PT and will continue until 5 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 1, 2012 (before the LIVE show starts).  The New Artist of the Year final nominees were selected by a combined vote of the fans and professional members of the Academy of Country Music. Professional member votes will be combined with fan votes to obtain the winner of the category for the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS.

Leading up to the show, fans can watch interviews and exclusive performances with the three nominees on GAC’s “ACM New Artist of the Year” special, premiering Monday, March 19, 2012 at 9 p.m. ET and re-airing multiple times until voting closes on April 1. Additional air times and dates can be found at GACtv.com/ACM.

The winner of the New Artist of the Year category will be awarded on the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

About the ACM New Artist of the Year Nominees:

Brantley Gilbert
At the age of 27, Brantley Gilbert already has an impressive list of industry accolades. The deluxe version of the rising star’s sophomore album, Halfway to Heaven Deluxe, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart in September 2011. Collectively, the standard and deluxe versions of Halfway to Heaven have already sold almost 500,000 albums to date. Brantley’s first single on The Valory Music Co., “Country Must Be Country Wide,” recently scored the No. 1 spot at country radio. As a celebrated songwriter, Brantley also penned three No. 1 hits – “My Kinda Party,” “Dirt Road Anthem,” and most recently, “Country Must Be Country Wide.” In addition to playing his own headlining dates, Brantley is currently on the road with Eric Church for his The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour. For tour dates and more on Brantley visit: www.facebook.com/BrantleyGilbertMusic<http://www.facebook.com/BrantleyGilbertMusic>.

Hunter Hayes
Hunter Hayes is the only 2011 debut artist to play every instrument, write/co-write every song and co-produce his critically acclaimed self-titled debut album. This multi-instrumentalist garnered praise with recent national television appearances on CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.  Billboard calls Hunter “a prodigious talent…drawing on modern pop and country sounds – including Keith Urban, John Mayer, Rascal Flatts and Jason Mraz.” USA Today raves “if this Louisiana singer is as good as this single [Storm Warning], he’s about to be a big country star.” He has co-written songs for Rascal Flatts and Montgomery Gentry and has shared the stage with Trace Adkins, Lady Antebellum, Hank Williams, Jr., Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift and more. Hunter is currently on his first headlining Most Wanted Tour, with sold out dates across the country.

Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery’s debut album, Clear As Day, was certified platinum in just three months, and he was recently named No. 1 on Billboard magazine’s list of Top New Country Artists for 2011. Clear As Day debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts, making him the youngest man in history to open at the top of the all-genre chart with a debut release. It garnered the highest sales of any country solo album released last year and held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for six weeks. The album’s first single, “I Love You  This Big,” has been certified gold, and his current single, “The Trouble With Girls,” is approaching gold status. He is currently touring as part of Brad Paisley’s Virtual Reality Tour 2012 presented by Chevrolet.

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George Strait photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Congratulations to George Strait, who became a grandfather last week! George’s son Bubba and his wife Tamara welcomed their first child on Thursday, February 2. No word yet on if it was a boy or girl, but in this interview with GAC’s Storme Warren, George did tell Storme what the family thought it would be:

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Randy Travis photo courtesy of Webster & Associates.

According to NBCDFW.com, Randy Travis was arrested Monday morning in Sanger on a charge of suspicion of public intoxication.

Randy was spotted in front of the First Baptist Church in Sanger with an open bottle of wine, police said.

“A report of a suspicious vehicle was called in to Sanger police. Police go to investigate and find him smelling like alcohol and [he] had an open bottle of wine,” said Tom Reedy, with the Denton County Sheriff’s Department.

Reedy said Sanger officers took Randy to Denton, where he was booked into the county jail at 1:30 a.m. Monday and released a few hours later.

“They take you to jail for at least four hours, time to sober up,” Reedy explained about the Class C misdemeanor, for which Randy was cited.

“I apologize for what resulted following an evening of celebrating the Super Bowl,” Randy said through his publicist Monday afternoon. “I’m committed to being responsible and accountable, and apologize for my actions.”

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Carrie Underwood photo by James White, courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Last week Carrie Underwood announced she’ll release her new single, “Good Girl,” later this month. With today comes the news that her new CD will be released on Tuesday, May 1.  Produced by Mark Bright, the forthcoming album was featured in Entertainment Weekly’s recent “10 albums we can’t wait for.” This will be the fourth studio album on 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville for the five-time Grammy winner.

Carrie’s February schedule is already gearing up with numerous appearances, performances, and events.  Among those are an appearance at the 54^th Grammy Awards, Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, a performance at the Nordstrom Nashville Symphony Fashion Show, and the digital release of her new single, “Good Girl.”

Since releasing Some Hearts in 2005, Carrie has sold more than 14 million albums with Some Hearts, 2007’s Carnival Ride, and 2009’s Play On.  She’s amassed 14 No. 1 singles, six of which she co-wrote, and became the first country artist in history and the only American Idol winner ever to achieve 10 No. 1 singles from their first two albums.  Carrie is a current Grammy Award nominee and a five-time Grammy Award winner, a two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, a three-time Country Music Association and ACM Female Vocalist winner, and a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry.

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Trisha Yearwood, mom Gwen (l) and sister Beth (r) from the 2008 GAC special, Trisha Yearwood: From Our Kitchen To Yours. Photo by David Vespie.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Trisha Yearwood has signed a deal to star in a six-episode daytime cooking show for the Food Network.

In the as-yet-untitled series, set to air in April, Trisha will share recipes and family traditions from her kitchen, as she cooks her favorite meals and tells stories.

“I’m so grateful to Food Network for the opportunity to share my family’s favorite recipes and precious memories in this show,” Trisha said. “I’m having so much fun, it’s a very special experience.”

“Fans know Trisha best as a music powerhouse, and through her new Food Network show audiences will learn first-hand what her friends and family already know — that Trisha is a talented, passionate rock-star cook too,” Food Network GM and Senior VP of Programming and Production Bob Tuschman said. “We look forward to sharing this side of Trisha with viewers, showcasing an intimate, entertaining look at her personal recipes, family traditions and warm Southern hospitality.”

Ellen Rakieten Entertainment and RelativityREAL will produce the series, which is in now in production in Nashville and set to bow in April.

Fans may remember Trisha’s GAC special, Trisha Yearwood: From Our Kitchen To Yours, which aired in 2008 when her cookbook, Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen, was released. See photos from the special HERE >>

In 2010, Trisha released her second cookbook, “Cooking for Family and Friends.” Both books reached No. 1 on the New York Times’ best-seller list on the advice, how-to and miscellaneous category.

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Reba McEntire & Blake Shelton photo courtesy of the ACM.

If you’ve heard any rumblings this morning about Reba McEntire‘s death, don’t worry — it isn’t true! A website called “Global Associated News,” which seemingly makes a habit of publishing fake stories (according to the site’s disclaimer), reported that Reba died this morning in Austria while filming a movie.

As the story began being re-Tweeted and shared on Facebook, Reba’s label, The Valory Music Co., released this statement in response:

“Contrary to ludicrous reports, Reba has not passed away, nor was she even in Austria at the time of her alleged death. Global Associated News, who devised this latest celebrity hoax, is an entertainment site that generates ‘totally fake articles based on zero truth.’ Reba is alive and well, but would like to thank her loyal fans for their concern.”

Fans can see Reba on Sunday, April 1 when she co-hosts the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards with Blake Shelton, live on CBS at 8/7c.

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Around-the-clock security will be present as the current stage is dismantled and the oak planks are moved to an off-site location. An announcement on future plans for the historic planks will be made at a later date.

The last performance on the current stage will take place on Friday, Feb. 3 when the Grand Ole Opry closes its annual winter run at the Ryman. That night, Keith Urban will perform for the first time since his vocal surgery.

The project will close the stage for two weeks beginning Saturday, Feb. 4, but self-guided daytime tours will remain open throughout the project at a $10.00 special rate.

The Band Perry will be the first public performance exhibiting the new stage for their sold-out headlining Ryman debut on Feb. 20.

“To play the Ryman is to step into country music’s rich history and we are honored to perform there,” said The Band Perry. “Now, as the venue makes plans for its future, we promise to inaugurate the new stage with all the respect and reverence it deserves.”

The current oak plank stage will be replaced with Brazilian teak certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, the same type of wood used to replace the Grand Ole Opry House stage after the 2010 flood. The size of the stage will remain unchanged at 60.5’ by 36.5’, but new cross-beams and the existing hickory support beams will be bolstered to enhance weight capacity from 40,000 pounds to 120,000 pounds.

Installed in 1951, the current stage reflects the wear and tear of hosting artists of all genres, including the Grand Ole Opry, the filming of The Johnny Cash Show, The Carter Family, Dolly Parton, Minnie Pearl, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen, and countless others.

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Danny Gokey and wife Leyicet Peralta. Photo courtesy of sophiasheart.org.

Congratulations to Danny Gokey, who married model Leyicet Peralta yesterday. People magazine reports the couple said their vows among family and friends.

“We are so thankful to have found each other and now be able to spend the rest of our lives together,” the newlyweds told People in a statement. “We pray our gratitude grows more every day because there is so much for us to do now.”

In lieu of gifts, the couple asked their approximately 100 guests to make donations to Sophia’s Heart, the children’s charity founded by Danny to honor his late wife, Sophia, who died in 2008 after a routine surgery for congenital heart disease.

The American Idol alum and his new bride kept things low key, according to People. “We wanted a smaller, more intimate wedding of just friends and family,” the couple said. “The theme of the wedding was romance and love.”

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Kenny Chesney photo by Danny Clinch, courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Nominations were announced today for the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards­, a star-studded event produced for television by dick clark productions broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8 p.m. live ET/delayed PT on CBS.

Nominees were announced online via the first-ever ACM digital press conference this morning on the Academy’s Facebook and Twitter pages.  Awards co-host Reba participated with a video message to kick things off and entertainment superstars Lionel Richie, who will be honored during a special taping of ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends In Concert in April (to air at a later date on CBS), Beth Behrs (2 Broke Girls), Nancy O’Dell (Entertainment Tonight), Michael Ausiello (TVLine.com) announced batches of nominations in video postings during the approximately 20 minute online event which culminated in music fans announcing the nominees for the Academy’s biggest prize, Entertainer of the Year, a privilege fans embraced for the first time ever by submitting videos naming their favorite artist.   Fans from around the country announced Entertainer of the Year nominees Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift.

As previously announced, Blake Shelton will join forces with country music star Reba to host the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards for the second consecutive year.

For the fifth year, fans will select the winner of the Academy’s most prestigious honor, Entertainer of the Year, and for the fourth year, the New Artist of the Year category will also be opened up to fan voting. Nominees for New Artist of the Year were not announced in the press conference today because fan voting for those semi-finalists will close on January 30. The winners of Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year will be announced live during the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

Kenny Chesney leads with nine nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, a category he has won four times since 2004.  He is nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, a category he has been nominated in nine times previously.  He is twice nominated for Album of the Year for Hemingway’s Whiskey, as both artist and producer, and also earned double nominations for Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year as both artist and producer for “You And Tequila” with Grace Potter. Kenny is also nominated for Song of the Year for “You And Tequila” with Grace Potter.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF ACM AWARDS ARTIST NOMINEES HERE >>

Jason Aldean is nominated for six awards, including his second consecutive nods for Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year.  He is nominated for Album of the Year for My Kinda Party, and has nominations for Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year for “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” featuring Kelly Clarkson.  He is nominated for Video of the Year for “Tattoos On This Town.”

Lady Antebellum leads group nominations with five nods, including Vocal Group of the Year, which they have won for two consecutive years.  They are also nominated for Album of the Year as artists and producers for Own The Night, and for Song of the Year and Video of the Year for “Just A Kiss.”

Reigning Male Vocalist of the Year, Brad Paisley, is nominated for four awards, including his fifth consecutive nomination for Entertainer of the Year and eighth nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, which he has won five times consecutively between 2006-2010.  He received two nominations in the Vocal Event of the Year category for “Old Alabama” with Alabama and “Remind Me” with Carrie Underwood.

Toby Keith received three nominations for “Red Solo Cup,” including Video of the Year, which he last won in 2003 for “Beer For My Horses.”  He also received a double nomination as artist and producer for Single Record of the Year for “Red Solo Cup.” Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill is also nominated for Nightclub of the Year (a nod that is not among Keith’s total nominations count, because it is awarded to the venue itself not its owners).

Reigning Entertainer of the Year, Taylor Swift, leads solo female nominees with three nominations, including her third consecutive nod for Entertainer of the Year.  If Taylor wins Entertainer of the Year, this will be her second consecutive win in that category. Taylor is nominated for the fifth time for Female Vocalist of the Year, and for the third time for Video of the Year for “Mean.”

First-time ACM nominee, Grace Potter, received three nominations for “You And Tequila” with Kenny Chesney, in the Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year categories.

Eli Young Band has three nominations including Vocal Group of the Year, as well as Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Crazy Girl.”

Dierks Bentley, Kelly Clarkson, Vince Gill, Miranda Lambert, Aaron Lewis, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood and Chris Young all received two nominations each.

The Academy of Country Music’s professional membership select the nominees and winners of the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, and select the final top five nominees of the Entertainer of the Year category and the eight semi-finalists in the New Artist of the Year category. Presenters and performers who will appear at the ceremony will be announced at a later date.

Fan voting for New Artist of the Year began at VoteACM.com and GACtv.com/ACM on January 16, 2012 and will close on Monday, January 30, 2012 at 12 noon ET/9 a.m. PT, after which nominees in that category will be announced separately.  Fan voting for New Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year begins on March 19, 2012 at 9 a.m. ET/12 noon PT at VoteACM.com. Fan voting for New Artist of the Year will close at 5 p.m. PT on April 1, 2012 (before the LIVE show starts) and fan voting for Entertainer of the Year will close during the third hour of the LIVE broadcast.

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Carrie Underwood photo by James White, courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Carrie Underwood fans, rejoice! Carrie will release her new single, “Good Girl,” to country radio on February 23.  The five-time Grammy winner’s new CD will arrive later this spring.

Carrie wrote the track with Chris DeStefano and Ashley Gorley, who co-wrote two of her No. 1 hits — “Don’t Forget to Remember Me,” and “All-American Girl.” Once again Carrie teamed up with Mark Bright, who produced her two previous albums as well as seven tracks from her debut album Some Hearts.

Since releasing Some Hearts in 2005, Carrie has sold more than 14 million albums with Some Hearts, 2007’s Carnival Ride, and 2009’s Play On.  She’s amassed 14 No. 1 singles, six of which she co-wrote, and became the first country artist in history and the only American Idol winner ever to achieve 10 No. 1 singles from their first two albums.

Carrie is a current Grammy Award nominee and a five-time Grammy Award winner, a two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, a three-time Country Music Association and ACM Female Vocalist winner, and a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Here’s a message from Carrie about “Good Girl”:

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