The Academy of Country Music has announced the first round of performers for the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards. ACM nominees Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, and Thomas Rhett will perform. Bebe Rexha will make her debut appearance at Country Music’s Party of the Year®, performing the chart-topping collaboration “Meant to Be” with Florida Georgia Line.

As previously announced, Reba McEntire will return to host the awards, marking her 15th time leading the ceremony.

The 53rd ACM Awards will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.

David Lee Murphy is gearing up for the release of his brand new album No Zip Code on April 6. Murphy co-wrote 11 songs on the new project, including the Top 20 debut single, “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” a duet with Kenny Chesney which is currently climbing the charts. Chesney co-produced the album with Murphy and Buddy Cannon. Among the writers contributing tracks to the album are Jamey Johnson, Phil O’Donnell, Dean Dillon, and Jesse Murphy, Murphy’s son, who co-pens two songs on the new CD.

“I’ve been friends and written songs with Kenny for years,” reflects Murphy. “I sent him some songs for one of his albums a couple of years ago, and he called me up. He goes, ‘Man, you need to be making a record. I could produce it with Buddy Cannon, and I think people would love it.’ It’s hard to say no to Kenny Chesney when he comes up with an idea like that. Kenny was really influential in the songs that we picked. Over the course of the next year or so, we got together, talked about it and picked out songs. We wanted to make the kind of album that you would listen to if you were camping or out on a lake fishing, or anywhere just having a good time.”

No Zip Code is available for pre-order now at iTunes, Amazon and GooglePlay.

No Zip Code Track Listing:
1. “Way Gone” (David Lee Murphy & Marv Green)
2. “No Zip Code” (David Lee Murphy, Shane Minor & Jesse Murphy)
3. “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright (with Kenny Chesney)” (David Lee Murphy, Chris Stevens, Jimmy Yeary)
4. “I Won’t Be Sorry” (David Lee Murphy, Paul Jenkins & Jason Sellers)
5. “Haywire” (David Lee Murphy & Jimmy Yeary)
6. “As the Crow Flies” (David Lee Murphy, Dean Dillon, Jamey Johnson & Phil O’Donnell)
7. “Winnebago” (David Lee Murphy)
8. “Get Go” (David Lee Murphy, Brett Beavers & Jim Beavers)
9. “That’s Alright” (David Lee Murphy, Shane Minor & Jesse Murphy)
10.“Voice of Reason” (David Lee Murphy)
11.“Waylon And Willie” (David Lee Murphy & Billy Burnette)

The SOURCE Hall of Fame Awards will celebrate its 16th anniversary this year of honoring women who have made a significant impact on the Nashville entertainment industry. This year’s awards will take place Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018 at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in the Municipal Auditorium.

The organization was founded in 1991 by Shelia Shipley Biddy, Judy Harris and Pat Rolfe, and is the longest-running organization for females in the music industry in Nashville. The nonprofit is dedicated to fostering relationships and opportunities for its members through continuous education, networking, and community service initiatives.

The SOURCE awards were established in 2003 to honor and pay respect to the women who helped shape and build upon Nashville’s entertainment industry.

Hearts of Glass, a new album by Beth Nielsen Chapman, will be released in the United States on April 27. The celebrated songwriter issued the project in the United Kingdom in February prior to a four-week tour there.

Produced by Sam Ashworth, Hearts of Glass includes a couple of early songs recorded by Waylon Jennings (“Old Church Hymns & Nursery Rhymes”) and Willie Nelson (“If My World Didn’t Have You”). Rodney Crowell provides background vocals on “If I Didn’t Have You,” and Ruby Amanfu sings on five of the album’s 11 tracks. Hearts of Glass is Chapman’s 13th studio album and her first release since her 2016 induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Hearts of Glass marks the first time in a long time she has not been at least a co-producer. Inspired to create an album with clarity and space, in the same vein of the Civil Wars, Chapman contacted Charlie Peacock, their producer. Peacock embraced her vision. However, when their schedules did not align, Peacock set up an introductory meeting with his son and fellow producer, Sam Ashworth. After initial conversations with Ashworth, Chapman felt confident that this partnership would work and turned production completely over to him.

For Hearts of Glass, Chapman refreshed five songs that have appeared on her past albums: “Rage on Rage,” “All for the Love,” “Child Again,” “Life Holds On” and “Dancer to the Drum.” Ashworth approached the new recordings with minimal touches of production, occasionally moving the accompaniment from piano to acoustic guitar.

“Creatively this was an interesting new dynamic for me,” Chapman says. “Handing over so many of the decisions and trusting the process, while trying to quiet my inner control freak. By doing so, I ended up, not only with something I loved, but I learned a lot about myself and the places you can go when you let someone else drive.”

Chapman’s songwriting catalog includes “Down on My Knees” (Trisha Yearwood), “Five Minutes” (Lorrie Morgan), “Happy Girl” (Martina McBride), “Here We Are” (Alabama), “Nothing I Can Do About It Now” (Willie Nelson), “Strong Enough to Bend” (Tanya Tucker), and “This Kiss” (Faith Hill).

Other country artists who have recorded her songs include Suzy Bogguss, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Terri Clark, Holly Dunn, Sara Evans, the Forester Sisters, Lee Greenwood, Andy Griggs, Emmylou Harris, Ty Herndon, Highway 101, Barbara Mandrell, Kathy Mattea, Jamie O’Neal, Marie Osmond, Pam Tillis, and Don Williams.