GAC To Re-Air ACM Awards
Great American Country (GAC) will present an encore presentation of the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday May 31 at 8 PM/CT. This year, GAC and GACTV.com expanded their longstanding partnership with the Academy of Country Music by hosting the first-ever fan vote for nominees in the Top New Artist categories.
In addition to the May 31 premiere, the ACM Awards will also re-air June 1 and at various other times throughout the year. “GAC historically devotes many hours of time both on-air and online to shine a spotlight on ACM-nominated artists and their music,” said Sarah Trahern, Senior Vice President of Programming at GAC. “This programming creates excitement and anticipation for the ACM awards, and makes GAC’s encore presentation much more robust for our viewers and fans.”
Two big releases due April 7 — from Lyric Street’s Rascal Flatts and Broken Bow’s Jason Aldean — could bring a welcome boost to 2009 country sales. Fresh from their seventh consecutive ACM Vocal Group of the Year win, Rascal Flatts will celebrate the release of their sixth album, Unstoppable, with a day-of-release appearance on NBC’s Today followed by guest spots on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 13 and The Late Show with David Letterman on April 16. “Here Comes Goodbye,” the debut single from Unstoppable, has already hit the top of the MusicRow CountryBreakout chart.
Platinum-selling artist Aldean will release his third studio album, Wide Open. Already riding high on the momentum of the album’s debut single, “She’s Country,” the singer will visit eight cities in eight days. Highlights from his cross-country promotional trip include an April 10 appearance on NBC’s Today, followed by an appearance at the opening game of the Atlanta Braves home season, where Aldean will throw out the first pitch and sing the National Anthem. He will also be featured on a one-hour GAC special titled Jason Aldean: Wide Open, also premiering April 7. On May 1, Aldean will play Jimmy Kimmel Live’s outdoor concert series.
Ronnie Gilley Entertainment’s BamaJam Music & Arts Festival has announced a cross-promotional partnership with Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway. The partnership is designed to cross-promote the spring 2009 Talladega Superspeedway races and the BamaJam Music & Arts Festival, scheduled for June 4-6 in Enterprise, Ala. BamaJam Music & Arts Festival will have a prominent presence at the three Talladega Superspeedway races to be held the weekend of April 24-26. Prior to the races, the BamaJam bus will make its official entry with pit stops at local truck stops Race City Travel in Lincoln, Ala. and Rookies, in nearby Oxford, Ala. During the 3-day race event, the BamaJam bus will be at the Superspeedway making tickets available for purchase. Fans can also participate in a bean bag toss competition and enter to win prizes including an autographed guitar by BamaJam performing artists, a “Richard Petty Driving Experience” prize package and more. In addition, LoCash Cowboys, official spokespersons for the BamaJam Music & Arts Festival, will perform at the Superspeedway on Saturday, April 25 at 9:00 PM/ET.
GAC’s Headline Country added a new component to coverage of Sunday’s ACM Awards. Show host Storme Warren was on the orange carpet providing live updates via the online social network, Twitter. Additionally, Warren plucked a fan from the bleachers to the orange carpet to file the Twitter updates visible at www.twitter.com/headlinecountry.
Warner Bros. artist John Rich and Crown Royal Canadian Whisky are teaming up to offer one winner a “special mentorship experience.” The For Every King, A Mentor contest includes a trip for two to Nashville for a behind-the-scenes look into Rich’s performing, producing and songwriting career; a tour of the mansion where his CMT show Gone Country is filmed and a personally-signed guitar. Rich will also conduct a tour of some of his favorite Nashville hangouts. Fans of legal drinking age can enter the contest by visiting 
Founders of CMT Camp Nashville, the first-ever multi-artist fantasy camp for country music, have reduced the $7999 price of the camp by nearly 40% for anyone who registers before April 15. The $1000 spouse packages will be discounted by 50%. CMT Camp Nashville will provide campers with five days in the role of a country superstar where they’ll have the opportunity to learn, hang and perform with country stars including John Rich, Ronnie Milsap, Darryl Worley, Andy Griggs, Bo Bice, Rhett Akins, Deana Carter, Jessica Harp and Henry Paul and industry leaders such as world-renowned vocal/image coach Renee Grant Williams. The camp will culminate with a Final Showdown, where bands will compete in concert at the Wildhorse Saloon on Memorial Day (5/25). The competitors will share the stage with Phil Vassar and Lady Antebellum. One Camp Experience will be sold to the highest bidder on CMTauctions.com to fund tornado relief for Boys & Girls Club of Rutherford County.
Lyric Street kingpins Rascal Flatts will release their sixth studio album, Unstoppable on Tuesday (4/7), two days after their ACM Awards appearance, and they’re not stopping there. The hitmaking trio will appear on NBC’s Today Show on April 7, followed by guest spots on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 13 and The Late Show with David Letterman on April 16. Prior to all these performances the band will attend the Hannah Montana: The Movie world premiere this Thursday (4/2), at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Rascal Flatts makes a cameo appearance in the movie performing their songs “Bless The Broken Road” and “Backwards. Unstoppable is the band’s first studio album since 2007’s multi-platinum Still Feels Good.
ACM Top New Artist nominees Zac Brown Band, along with Bonnaroo Music Festival and CMT have announced The Bonnaroo Music Festival Flyaway with Zac Brown Band Sweepstakes. The winner, along with a guest, will receive a prize package that includes a five-day/four-night Bonnaroo getaway, including flights, hotel, two tickets to the Festival and the opportunity to meet and record a song with Zac Brown Band at a mobile studio backstage. The contest is open for entries until 11:59:59 PM CT on May 22. Full details and eligibility are available 
With first week sales being projected to total somewhere in the lofty neighborhood of 150,000, Keith Urban’s Defying Gravity does indeed seem to have wings. The album appears likely to top the country charts its first week out and if predictions based upon first day sales from chart watchers at Billboard and Hits magazines pan out, Urban has a good shot at topping Billboard’s Top 200 chart in the coming week as well. Challenging Urban will be Prince who is also projected to have a strong chance at the No. 1 spot.