Scotty McCreery photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Nominations for the 2012 Billboard Music Awards were recently announced. Scotty McCreery received two nominations — one for the all-genre Top New Artist Award and one for Top Country Album, for Clear As Day. Also up for Top New Artist are Bad Meets Evil, Big Sean, Foster the People and Wiz Khalifa. In the Top Country Album category, Scotty is joined by Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Luke Bryan and Lady Antebellum.

“This is amazing!” Scotty said. “It’s exciting that my name is listed with these other talented artists. I am honored that Billboard would recognize me for my debut country album. I’m also excited about the Top New Artist nomination because it recognizes artists from all genres of music. I’ve been overwhelmed by everything that has happened to me in the last year and I’m grateful to the fans who made all of this possible.”

The Billboard Music Awards will be held May 20 in Las Vegas. They will air live from the MGM Grand on ABC at 8/7 PM CT.

Billboard Music Awards Country Nominees:

Top New Artist (All-Genre):
Bad Meets Evil
Big Sean
Foster The People
Scotty McCreery
Wiz Khalifa

Top Duo/Group (All-Genre)
The Black Eyed Peas
Coldplay
Lady Antebellum
LMFAO
Maroon 5 Continue Reading

ShareThis

Nan Kelley & Keith Urban backstage at the We're All For The Hall benefit concert, Wednesday, April 11, 2012.

This week on GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown, Nan Kelley joined Keith Urban at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for his annual We’re All For The Hall benefit concert and learned about the importance of preserving country music’s history straight from Keith! Some of the special guests invited by Keith to perform also stopped by to discuss their involvement in the event, which raises money for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Besides chatting with Keith and his famous friends, Nan also counted down this week’s Top 20 videos! Miss Friday night’s premiere? Check the schedule for re-airs throughout the weekend! Check the full schedule »

On the charts this week, Hunter Hayes’ latest video, “Wanted,” debuts on the countdown at No. 1 while Carrie Underwood’s “Good Girl” falls to No. 2 after spend the past couple of weeks in the top spot. Jason Aldean’s new video, “Fly Over States,” also debuts on the countdown this week at No. 18.

This Week’s Chart:

1. Hunter Hayes – “Wanted”
2. Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl”
3. Alan Jackson – “So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore”
4. Lauren Alaina – “Georgia Peaches”
5. Miranda Lambert – “Over You”
6. Keith Urban – “For You”
7. Josh Turner – “Time Is Love”
8. Luke Bryan – “Drunk On You
9. Lady Antebellum – “Dancin’ Away With My Heart”
10. Thompson Square – “Glass” Continue Reading

ShareThis

Country music stars sure love Twitter! This week, the legendary Merle Haggard joins Twitter – sending a few interesting tweets! – and a member of his management team shares the photo of him sending his very first Tweet. Plus, Lee Brice celebrates his first No. 1, Jake Owen celebrates his engagement to Lacey Buchanan and Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley welcome Keith Urban to the Grand Ole Opry family. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/stevenhaddad.

Steven Haddad, Artist Manager – StevenHaddad: Helping the Legend Merle Haggard send his very first Tweet! #merlehaggard #cma #cmchat #nashville #countrymusic #tourlife #livinglegend

Merle Haggard – MerleHaggard: Greetings all participators, especially all you sweet potaters. There’s always something new… Any songwriters find a rhyme for that?

Lee Brice – LeeBrice: Cheers y’all… My first number one single.. Can’t believe it, hope y’all are having one with me tonight..

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/taylorswift13.

Taylor Swift – TaylorSwift13: Recording the next album. So happy. Continue Reading

ShareThis

Country music stars sure love Twitter! This week, stars are still tweeting about the ACM Awards. Blake Shelton asks Reba for scheduling help while Reba tweets her excitement for Thompson Square’s Vocal Duo of the Year win and Kip Moore promises to add a little more bling to the next red carpet. Meanwhile, Kellie Pickler and Neil Perry of The Band Perry have their own conflicts with Siri. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/taylorswift13.

Taylor Swift – TaylorSwift13: Oh what a night….. (thank you, thank you, thank you!!!)

Blake Shelton – BlakeShelton: By the way @reba… Are we hosting the ACMs this weekend or next? Let me know when you get a chance. Thanks!!

Reba – Reba: 1st big win for Thompson Square last night! Sure would have been nice to see them win on stage during the show! I missed that!

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/RodneyAtkins.

Rodney Atkins – RodneyAtkins: Me & @KISSonline Only in Vegas! #ACMs #fb Continue Reading

ShareThis

Suzanne Alexander & Toby Keith backstage at the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 1, 2012.

GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown went to Vegas this week! Nan Kelley and Suzanne Alexander hit the red carpet and hung out backstage at Sunday’s ACM Awards to bring you all the glitz and glam straight from the stars themselves. See photos from the red carpet >>

Tune in tonight at 9/8 CT to countdown this week’s Top 20 videos and catch interviews from the red carpet and backstage at the ACMs with Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Scotty McCreery, Chris Young, Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton. Check the full schedule »

See photos, videos and more from the ACM Awards >>

If you missed the last few episodes of Top 20 or want to re-watch some of your favorite interviews, head over to our Top 20 section for videos, photos and more! You can also catch Top 20 Extras, cast your votes, and take a look at the current chart to see where your favorite videos land. Visit Top 20 » 

Remember, GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown is chosen by you, the viewers. Be sure to head over to our voting page and vote daily for your favorite videos!

ShareThis

Actor Ashton Kutcher, musicians Jay DeMarcus, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean and Jake Owen pose backstage at the 47th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 1, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for ACM)

Anyone strolling the halls backstage at the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday night might have thought they were experiencing April Fool’s Day visions. While walking down one hallway, they might have come face to face with the rock group KISS. Heading in another direction, they might have found rapper LL Cool J. Or they might have met actor Ashton Kutcher and singer Marc Anthony within the space of a few minutes. Or maybe they would’ve seen Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw casually chatting in the hallway with Taylor Swift and Martina McBride.

As Jason Aldean said when asked about that diversity, “This is a country awards show; it’s our show. But I think great music is great music. As an artist, you have a ton of respect for other artists, no matter what kind of music they play.”

Jason won Single of the Year and Vocal Collaboration of the Year with Kelly Clarkson for their duet “Don’t You Wanna Stay.” He continued with his assessment of the awards show as he spoke to reporters backstage in the ACM Awards Press Room. “I met LL at the GRAMMYs this year; he’s a really cool guy. I’d never met KISS and that was interesting. The great thing about music is crossing genres. Look at Kelly and I; she’s not a country act but we did this song together. It’s okay to like different things. You don’t have to like one style of music. I grew up listening to everything.  I love coming to these shows and getting to meet people like that and seeing people. It’s a cool thing. I think those meetings lead to collaborations. I think it’s great for the industry and great for music in general.”

KISS presented Group of the Year to Lady Antebellum.  “KISS was the coolest thing on the red carpet,” said Lady A’s Charles Kelley. “All we could focus on was them coming in because they looked larger than life. They had 12-inch heels on. We didn’t realize they were going to be giving our award to us tonight.”

Entertainer of the Year winner, Taylor Swift, shared the details of her busy weekend with the media backstage. “This weekend has been amazing. Yesterday I was at the Kids’ Choice Awards and I had never been there before. The First Lady (Michelle Obama) gave me the award for Charitable Contributions and Giving Back. I had never met her before, and I was so nervous. She’s a role model, and she was so cool and so nice! I met her daughter and it was an amazing time. Then I flew to Vegas and this happens. I’m really happy right now.”

Taylor also took time to acknowledge the role her fans had in her becoming Entertainer of the Year. “I am so amazed that they keep doing such incredibly nice things for me. They have done so much for me in the last couple weeks, it has been amazing. I just want to hug them all the time and thank them for everything. It really blows my mind.”

Eli Young Band took home Song of the Year for “Crazy Girl,” written by Lee Brice and Liz Rose. Lead singer Mike Eli admitted he wasn’t sure whether to get up when he heard the band’s  name called. “I kept waiting for someone to say April Fool,” he said with a laugh. “It is totally surreal for us, starting out as a grass roots band, just four guys making music in college bars. Now here we are.”

Lee admitted that receiving the award for Song of the Year was cool, but “it’s even cooler for the Eli Young Band.” The singer/songwriter explains that he and Liz wrote the song in 2002 or 2003. “It had been around awhile and I had wanted to record it myself, but the timing wasn’t right. Then these guys heard it and wanted it and I could see how sincere they were about it. I’m so happy for them.”

The win for Lee and the Eli Young Band was a first for both.

Toby Keith kept the party going all night, from the red carpet to the press room. He walked backstage to speak with the media, drinking his own brand of spirits, Wild Shot Mezcal – in a red solo cup, of course. Continue Reading

ShareThis

LAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 01: Singer Taylor Swift accepts the Entertainer Of The Year Award onstage at the 47th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 1, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Taylor Swift was named Entertainer of the Year for the second year in a row by fans during Sunday’s ACM Awards. Taylor took advantage of her time onstage to thank her fellow nominees and give a shout out to Kevin McGuire, the young man suffering from Leukemia who was supposed to be her date. Kevin was hospitalized and unable to attend.

“My date tonight was supposed to be a high school football player named Kevin McGuire, and he’s not here, but I promised to give him a shout out,” Taylor said. “So Kevin, all your family and friends — thank you for wanting to take me to the ACMs.”

See photos from the ACM Awards >>

It was also a big night for Miranda Lambert. She picked up her third Album of the Year trophy for her album Four The Record as well as her third straight Female Vocalist of the Year award. “I own every record in this category, and I’ve been listening and listening and thinking, ‘Man, I’m not gonna get it,’” Miranda said of her Album of the Year honor. “Every one of your records is amazing, and I’m so thrilled,” she said to her fellow nominees. “I will never take this trophy for granted. My albums are my babies.”

Jason Aldean and Eli Young Band also had good nights. Eli Young Band won their first ACM Award for Song of the Year for their hit “Crazy Girl,” co-written by Lee Brice and Liz Rose. Jason was surprised on GAC’s Live Red Carpet Special when Nan Kelley helped ACM CEO Bob Romeo present him with the award for Vocal Event of the Year for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson. The song was also named Single Record of the Year.

See the full list of ACM Awards Winners >>

One of the most talked about performances of the night came from Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw. The pair, who will be touring together this summer on the Brothers of the Sun Tour, debuted their new single, “Feel Like A Rock Star.” The rocking number is already available on iTunes.

Every wedding day is special, but it’s extra special when you’re getting married on live TV in front of country music’s biggest stars. That’s what happened during the ACM Awards for couple Christina Davidson and Frank Tucci. Martina McBride and Train’s Pat Monahan performed “Marry Me,” while a minister conducted their wedding ceremony, leaving few dry eyes in the house. Continue Reading

ShareThis

Taylor Swift photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

New Jersey high school senior Kevin McGuire will unfortunately have to miss the ACM Awards tonight. Kevin, who is fighting his second bout with cancer, gained attention when he asked Taylor Swift to the prom. Taylor couldn’t make it to the prom, but she in turn asked him to be her date for the 47th Annual ACM Awards.

USA Today reports that Thursday — the day before he’d planned to fly to Las Vegas – Kevin had a 103-degree fever and had to be taken to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said his mother, Vicki McGuire. Kevin’s mother added that in addition to his fever, his counts of blood cells and hemoglobin were too low for him to make Saturday’s 2,500-mile trip to Las Vegas.

Yesterday, Taylor tweeted, “Just talked to Kevin McGuire. He’s not well enough to join me at the ACMs. Please keep him in your thoughts. I’ll make it up to you, Kevin!”

Also on Saturday, Kevin’s sister Victoria posted this message on the “Taylor Swift take KEVIN MCGUIRE TO PROM!” Facebook page:

“I am so sorry to announce this devastating news, but Kevin was admitted to the hospital last night, and is unable to attend the Academy of Country Music Awards with Taylor Swift. As we should all live by the moto ” live for today” a cancer patient feels the impact of these words far too hard. We appreciate everything you have done for us, and we know you are all hurt from this too. … As for Taylor, Continue Reading

ShareThis

Jake Owen photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

The Academy of Country Music announced today that Marc Anthony, Ashton Kutcher, Jake Owen, LeAnn Rimes, Grace Potter, and Eli Young Band are scheduled to present as part of the 47^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards . The ceremony, which honors country music’s top talent as well as the industry’s hottest emerging artists, is produced for television by dick clark productions and will 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.

Anthony, Kutcher, Owen, Rimes, Potter, and Eli Young Band join previously announced presenters Beth Behrs, Zac Brown, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Liam Hemsworth, LL COOL J, KISS, Scotty McCreery, Nancy O’Dell, Lionel Richie, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, Sugarland, and Thompson Square.

Previously announced ACM Awards performers are Continue Reading

ShareThis

Nan Kelley visits Miranda Lambert on tour and interviews her for Top 20 Country Countdown. Photo by Meaghan Mitchell.

GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown was hot this week! Host Nan Kelley headed to Louisville to catch up with Miranda Lambert on her On Fire Tour and also got to chat with Chris Young and Jerrod Niemann. Plus, Rascal Flatts shared secrets from the set of their “Banjo” video, all while Nan counts down the Top 20 videos of the week! Miss Friday night’s premiere? Check the schedule for re-airs throughout the weekend!

On the chart this week, Carrie Underwood claims the top spot with her new video, “Good Girl.” Alan Jackson is the lone male in the Top 5, coming in at No. 2 while Lauren Alaina, Miranda Lambert and Katie Armiger round out the first five videos on the countdown. New videos from Love and Theft and Josh Turner make their debuts this week at No. 17 and No. 18 respectively.

This Week’s Chart:

1. Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl”
2. Alan Jackson – “So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore”
3. Lauren Alaina – “Georgia Peaches”
4. Miranda Lambert – “Over You””
5. Katie Armiger – “Scream
6. Keith Urban – “For You”
7. Lady Antebellum – “Dancin’ Away With My Heart”
8. Keith Urban – “You Gonna Fly”
9. Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars – “Safe & Sound”
10. Taylor Swift – “Ours” Continue Reading

ShareThis