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: Continue Reading

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Reba McEntire photo courtesy of The Valory Music Co.

Fans were devastated when Reba’s sitcom, Reba, was canceled after six seasons in 2007, but it looks like the Country Music Hall of Famer is making her way back to network television. According to The Hollywood Reporter (via the Huffington Post), ABC has ordered Malibu Country, a sitcom pilot written by and starring Reba.

If the show is picked up for a full season, it will follow Reba as a woman who moves herself and her children away from her cheating husband and their Nashville home to Malibu, where she looks to revive her singing career. “They’ve shot a few episodes for the pilot that will air and test. If it goes well, the show will tape additional episodes for the season,” a spokesperson from Reba’s label told Country Aircheck. Continue Reading

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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: Continue Reading

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As the ACM Nominations came in yesterday, the honored stars were quick to respond. Kenny Chesney leads the way with nine total nods, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year. Kenny received the news just as he learned his Brothers of the Sun Tour with Tim McGraw has already sold over half a million tickets.

“It’s an honor to receive so much love from the Academy of Country Music after all they’ve done to support my music over the years,” Kenny said. “I can’t wait to get back on the road with my good friend Tim and throw one big spring break party all summer long.”

Blake Shelton is nominated for Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. He learned of his ACM nominations a week after losing his father, Dick Shelton. “The support I have felt this week is overwhelming,” Blake said. “Thank you everyone for this honor.”

Jason Aldean took to video to thank his fans for all of their support after learning he’s nominated for six ACMs, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year.


Jason Aldean on WhoSay

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

Reigning ACM Top New Solo Vocalist Eric Church is nominated for Video of the Year for “Homeboy” and his latest album, Chief, is up for Album of the Year. He sees the Album of the Year nod as an especially high honor.

“I’ve never minced words about the fact that my passion is making great records for the sake of the music,” he said. “The fact that the ACMs have nominated us for the album category is quite the honor and frankly the one I revere the most. “Homeboy,” both musically and visually, is a song that tells a compelling story. I have a very special place in my heart for the video, and I’m very grateful that it is getting recognized. It’s been one hell of a year!”

Chris Young woke up on a tour bus en route to his next show on Miranda Lambert’s On Fire Tour to learn he’s nominated for both Single Record of the Year for his No. 1 hit “Tomorrow” and Male Vocalist Of The Year. He also recorded a video message to share his excitement with his fans.

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Have you ever watched the stars announce the nominees at an awards show press conference? Sure you have! But now, YOU could be one of the folks doing the announcing! Beginning today, you can visit the ACM YouTube Channel to learn how to post a video announcing the name of the artist or artists YOU would like to see receive an Entertainer of the Year nomination.

On Thursday, January 26, the ACM will host the first-ever ACM digital press conference (also hosted by CBS Television and dick clark productions) via the ACM social media channels, www.facebook.com/AcademyOfCountryMusic and www.twitter.com/ACMAwards.

The press conference will announce the nominees for the 47^th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, Country Music’s Party of the Year®, to be 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.

During the real-time digital press conference, you can watch to see if your video submission was chosen to announce your pick for the Academy’s biggest prize. If your video is selected, you’ll be in good company. Past participants in the ACM nominations press conferences have included Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood and many more!

Academy of Country Music Awards co-host Reba will participate in the nominees announcement, with more VIP surprise guests to announce categories via videos posted in real time to fans and media simultaneously.  The press conference will culminate with country music fans announcing the nominees for Entertainer of the Year.

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Luke Bryan & Eric Church.

Luke Bryan and Eric Church will headline the Fremont Street Experience during ACM Awards Weekend March 30-31. Luke will headline Friday, March 30, and Eric on March 31. The concerts will be part of ‘The Week Vegas Goes Country’  leading up to the 47^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

For the sixth year in a row, the ACM will hold free and open-to-the-public concerts starting at 6:30 p.m. on two stages in downtown Las Vegas. The weekend-long party is sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and features performances by headliners and emerging artists. Show times, additional performers and stage locations will be announced soon. Continue Reading

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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. Continue Reading

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Reba McEntire & Blake Shelton photo courtesy of the ACM.

Country Music’s Party of the Year®, the 47^th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, honoring country music’s best and introducing the industry’s hottest emerging talent, will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8 p.m. live Eastern/delayed Pacific on CBS. The show is produced by dick clark productions and will be hosted for the second consecutive year by Reba and Blake Shelton.

The 2^nd Annual ACM Fan Jam, hosted by Zac Brown Band, will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Sunday, April 1, 2012. This live remote location gives country music lovers the ultimate fan-pass to be part of the 47^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards!  Throughout the three-hour Awards telecast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, there will be live ACM Fan Jam performances, via remote, from the Mandalay Bay Events Center by Zac Brown Band and other top-tier music acts, to be announced at a later date.

The ACM Fan Jam includes a profusion of entertainment, prizes and special giveaways only for attendees, including autographed guitars, trip packages to country music events and merchandise.  The ACM Fan Jam continues after the Awards telecasts ends, with performances by Zac Brown and friends. Details will be announced soon. The inaugural ACM Fan Jam, hosted by Sugarland, took place in 2011.

Additionally, the Academy and dick clark productions will tape an all-star concert special, ACM PRESENTS: Lionel Richie and Friends – A Lifetime of Hits, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Monday, April 2, 2012, to air at a later date on the CBS Television Network.  This country collaboration with the legendary Lionel Richie, featuring duets from his upcoming album Tuskegee along with solo performances, will include some of Richie’s greatest hits performed by Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers and many more. Tickets sales from ACM PRESENTS: Lionel Richie and Friends – A Lifetime of Hits will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, which works to improve lives through music. For more information, log onto www.ACMLiftingLives.org or www.ACMcountry.com. Continue Reading

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LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 05: Singer Jason Aldean poses in the press room with the awards for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Singer of the Year: Male, Single of the Year: Vocal Collaboration, Touring Artist of the Year and Music Video: Group or Collaboration at the American Country Awards 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 5, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Slow and steady wins the race and Jason Aldean is proof of the old adage. Ever since Jason’s self-titled debut in 2005, he has slowly been working his way up the ladder, scoring hit songs and platinum albums along the way. 2011 turned out to be his year, as his My Kinda Party album, released in November of 2010, catapulted him to new heights.

My Kinda Party went double platinum and was the top-selling country album of 2011. The album was named the CMA Album of the Year as well as iTunes’ Country Album of the Year and came in at No. 4 on Billboard’s all-genre Top 200 Albums of 2011 chart. It produced three consecutive No. 1 hits, including “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” “Dirt Road Anthem,” and “Tattoos On This Town.”

“When we did our annual holiday party, we had more to be thankful for and celebrate than we ever have before,” Jason said. “It’s really cool to be experiencing some of this stuff with a lot of the same guys who have been with me since I started in 2005. We’re definitely a family, and that has made the whole experience even more special.”

While industry awards have alluded Jason in previous years, 2011 changed that. He picked up two CMA Awards for Album of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson, won six American Country Awards, including Artist of the Year, and won the Breakthrough Award at the Billboard Touring Awards. Jason was nominated for 20 total awards in 2011, including three for the 2012 GRAMMYs.

One of his biggest accomplishments came in touring, however. Jason’s My Kinda Party Tour played to over one million fans and sold out more than 50 arenas and amphitheaters in advance. The tour was named to the Billboard Top 25 Tours of 2011 list, coming in at No. 24, one of just four country acts to make the cut. Continue Reading

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Taylor Swift accepts award for Entertainer of the Year at the 45th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on November 9, 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

Taylor Swift has been a force in the music industry since her self-titled debut in 2006. In 2011 alone, Taylor toured the world, tripped the 20 million mark on number of albums sold and won numerous awards, including two Entertainer of the Year trophies.

Taylor spent 2011 touring the world on her Speak Now World Tour. Taylor played shows in Asia, Europe, the United States and Canada in 2011 and will take the Broadway-inspired show to Australia and New Zealand in 2012. In total, the tour will have played more than 100 shows once the Australian leg wraps. The Speak Now World Tour was ranked as the fifth-biggest tour of the year by Billboard, behind the likes of U2 and Bon Jovi, grossing $97,368,416 and playing for 1,356,720 fans.

Before a show in London during the European leg of her tour, Taylor was surprised with a plaque commemorating more than 20 million albums sold world wide. Taylor also surpassed more than 40 million digital single downloads in 2011.

Watch our exclusive Taylor Swift videos >>

“I’m absolutely blown away by the 20 million records plaque,” Taylor told the Associated Press. “It’s just sort of beyond my comprehension to get a plaque like that. The fact that the fans have done that much for me in such a short period of time is just unreal and I’m so excited and so thankful.” Continue Reading

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