Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan will host the ACM Awards on April 6, 2014.
Nominations for the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards were revealed this morning (Jan. 29) via a digital press conference on the Academy of Country Music’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Miranda Lambert and
Tim McGraw earned seven nominations each, followed closely by
Keith Urban with six nods. Scoring five nominations apiece were
Lee Brice, Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton and
Taylor Swift. Tallying nods in four categories were
Florida Georgia Line and
Lady Antebellum, while
Luke Bryan and
Darius Rucker earned three each. Many of the stars slotted nods for producing their projects.
Awards show co-hosts Shelton and Bryan are both nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year. Bryan is the reigning Entertainer of the Year. Shelton is also nominated for Song and Vocal Event. The ACM Awards, Country Music’s Party of the Year®, will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 8:00 PM live ET on the CBS Television Network.
Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw lead the ACM Award nominations with seven each.
Reigning Female Vocalist Lambert earned her eighth consecutive nod in that category and third nomination for Entertainer of the Year. She was nominated for Single, Song and Video for “Mama’s Broken Heart,” and twice for Vocal Event for “We Were Us” with Keith Urban, and “Boys ‘Round Here” Shelton’s hit featuring
Pistol Annies).
McGraw’s nominations include Video of the Year for “Highway Don’t Care” featuring Swift & Urban. He is also nominated twice each in the Album, Single and Vocal Event categories as both the artist and producer.
Urban received six nominations, including Male Vocalist, Single Record and Video. In the Vocal Event category he is nominated for “Highway Don’t Care,” as well as nominated twice for “We Were Us” as the artist and producer.
Brice is nominated for five awards, including his first ever Male Vocalist and Video nominations, and fourth consecutive nod for Song of the Year. He is also nominated twice in the Single Record of the Year category as the artist and producer for “I Drive Your Truck.”
Musgraves earned five nominations, including her second consecutive nods for Female Vocalist and Video. She is also nominated for Song and nominated twice in the Album of the Year category, as the artist and producer for
Same Trailer Different Park.
Swift received five nominations, including her fifth consecutive nod for Entertainer and seventh consecutive nod for Female Vocalist. She also received nominations for Single, Video and Vocal Event for “Highway Don’t Care.”
Reigning New Artist of the Year Florida Georgia Line earned four nominations, including Vocal Duo, Album, Single Record and Vocal Event.
Darius Rucker’s hit featuring Lady Antebellum, “Wagon Wheel,” earned both acts nods for Single Record, Song and Vocal Event. Lady A picked up an additional nomination for Vocal Group.
First-time ACM nominees, slotting one nod each, include
Brandy Clark (Song of the Year),
Bob Dylan (Song of the Year),
Dan + Shay (Vocal Duo of the Year),
Nelly (Vocal Event of the Year), and
Pistol Annies (Vocal Event).
Participating in today’s announcement through pre-recorded video clips were Fox Sports broadcaster
Erin Andrews,
2 Broke Girls star
Beth Behrs, reigning ACM Songwriter of the Year
Dallas Davidson,
The Insider co-anchor
Kevin Frazier, singer and
Pretty Little Liars star
Lucy Hale,
CBS This Morning co-anchor
Gayle King,
Jerrod Niemann,
Entertainment Tonight co-anchor
Nancy O’Dell, nominee
Darius Rucker, and
The Talk hosts
Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler and
Sheryl Underwood.
Duck Dynasty stars
Willie and
Korie Robertson announced the Entertainer of the Year nominees, see the video below.
Fans will again help select the winner of Entertainer of the Year, and New Artist of the Year Presented By Kohl’s. Semi-finalists for New Artist will compete via the fan vote at GACtv.com, combined with the ACM professional membership vote, to determine the three nominees for the award. An additional combined fan and professional membership vote will determine the New Artist winner.
Entertainer of the Year
Luke Bryan
Miranda Lambert
Blake Shelton
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Lee Brice
Luke Bryan
Blake Shelton
Keith Urban
Female Vocalist of the Year
Sheryl Crow
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Vocal Duo of the Year
Big & Rich
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Love and Theft
Thompson Square
Vocal Group of the Year
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band
New Artist of the Year (previously announced semi-finalists)
Lee Brice
Brett Eldredge
Tyler Farr
Justin Moore
Kip Moore
Kacey Musgraves
Thomas Rhett
Parmalee
First round fan voting for New Artist of the Year is going on at www.VoteACM.com and www.GACTV.com/ACM through Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 3 pm ET. Final round fan voting begins on Monday, March 24 and will close on April 6, with the winner being announced live during the ACM Awards.
Album of the Year [Award To Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
Based On A True Story… – Blake Shelton
Producer: Scott Hendricks; Record Label: Warner Bros. Records
Crash My Party – Luke Bryan
Producer: Jeff Stevens; Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Here’s To The Good Times – Florida Georgia Line
Producer: Joey Moi; Record Label: Republic Nashville
Same Trailer Different Park – Kacey Musgraves
Producers: Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves; Record Label: Mercury Records
Two Lanes Of Freedom – Tim McGraw
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw; Record Label: Big Machine Records
Single Record of the Year [Award To Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
“Cruise” – Florida Georgia Line
Producer: Joey Moi; Record Label: Republic Nashville
“Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw Featuring Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw; Record Label: Big Machine Records
“I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice
Producers: Lee Brice, Kyle Jacobs, Matt McClure; Record Label: Curb Records
“Mama’s Broken Heart” – Miranda Lambert
Producers: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf; Record Label: RCA Nashville
“Wagon Wheel” – Darius Rucker Featuring Lady Antebellum
Producer: Frank Rogers; Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Song of the Year [Award To Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
“Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)” – Gary Allan
Songwriters: Gary Allan, Hillary Lindsey, Matthew Warren
Publishers: Always Alone Songs (ASCAP), Crystal Beach Music (BMI), Raylene Music (ASCAP)
“I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice
Songwriters: Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Jimmy Yeary
Publishers: Beattyville Music (BMI), EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI), Great Day At This Music (BMI), Happy Tears Music (ASCAP), Vistaville Music (ASCAP), Watch This Girl Publishing (BMI)
“Mama’s Broken Heart” – Miranda Lambert
Songwriters: Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves
Publishers: 351 Music (BMI), Crazy Water Music (ASCAP), Little Blue Egg (ASCAP), Songs of Parallel (ASCAP), Vista Loma Music (ASCAP), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)
“Mine Would Be You” – Blake Shelton
Songwriters: Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Deric Ruttan
Publishers: Doc and Maggie Music (ASCAP), EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI), Get A Load Of This Music (ASCAP), Great Day At This Music (BMI), Hopeless Rose Music (ASCAP), Vistaville Music (ASCAP), Watch This Girl Publishing (BMI), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)
“Wagon Wheel” – Darius Rucker Featuring Lady Antebellum
Songwriters: Bob Dylan, Ketch Secor
Publishers: Blood Donor Music (BMI), Special Rider Music (SESAC)
Video of the Year [Award To Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)] *(Off Camera Award)
“Better Dig Two” – The Band Perry
Producer: Eric Williams
Director: Declan Whitebloom
“Blowin’ Smoke” – Kacey Musgraves
Producer: Josh Goldstein
Director: Honey
“Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw Featuring Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
Producers: Tameron Hedge, Chandra LaPlume
Director: Shane Drake
“I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice
Producer: Karen Martin
Director: Eric Welch
“Mama’s Broken Heart” – Miranda Lambert
Producer: Reagan Rosson
Director: Trey Fanjoy
“Two Black Cadillacs” – Carrie Underwood
Producer: Steve Lamar
Director: P.R. Brown
Vocal Event of the Year [Award To Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] *(Off Camera Award)
“Boys ‘Round Here” – Blake Shelton Featuring Pistol Annies & Friends
Producer: Scott Hendricks; Record Label: Warner Bros. Records
“Cruise (Remix)” – Florida Georgia Line Featuring Nelly
Producers: Joey Moi, Jason Nevins; Record Label: Republic Nashville
“Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw Featuring Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw; Record Label: Big Machine Records
“Wagon Wheel” – Darius Rucker Featuring Lady Antebellum
Producer: Frank Rogers; Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
“We Were Us” – Keith Urban And Miranda Lambert
Producers: Nathan Chapman, Keith Urban; Record Labels: Capitol Records Nashville, Hit Red Records, RCA Nashville
Off Camera Awards (to be presented during
the 8th Annual ACM Honors Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014 in Nashville)
Songwriter of the Year
Rhett Akins
Rodney Clawson
Ashley Gorley
Luke Laird
Shane McAnally
Industry Awards:
Nightclub of the Year
Billy Bob’s Texas—Fort Worth, TX
Bub City—Chicago, IL
Floore’s Country Store—Helotes, TX
The Dusty Armadillo—Rootstown, OH
Wild Bills—Duluth, GA
Casino of the Year – Small Capacity (maximum capacity 4,000 seats)
Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa—Rancho Mirage, CA
Deadwood Mountain Grand—Deadwood, SD
Mohegan Sun Wolf Den—Uncasville, CT
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort—Mount Pleasant, MI
The Joint at Hard Rock Casino—Catoosa, OK
Casino of the Year – Medium Capacity (capacity 4,001 seats to 11,000 seats)
Caesars Windsor Hotel & Casino—Windsor, ON, Canada
Casino Rama—Rama, ON, Canada
Mohegan Sun Arena—Uncasville, CT
Star of the Desert Arena—Primm, NV
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace—Las Vegas, NV
Venue of the Year – Small Capacity (maximum capacity of 4,000 seats)
American Music Theatre—Lancaster, PA
Cape Cod Melody Tent—Hyannis, MA
Georgia Theatre—Athens, GA
House of Blues—Boston, MA
The Moody Theater—Austin, TX
Venue of the Year – Medium Capacity (capacity 4,001 seats to 11,000 seats)
Amphitheater at The Wharf—Orange Beach, AL
Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion at Meadowbrook—Gilford, NH
Big Sandy Superstore Arena—Huntington, WV
Grand Ole Opry House—Nashville, TN
Red Rocks Amphitheatre—Golden, CO
Venue of the Year – Large Capacity (venues of any type, including casinos, with a minimum of 11,001 seats)
BOK Center—Tulsa, OK
Bridgestone Arena—Nashville, TN
Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion—Bangor, ME
Gorge Amphitheatre—George, WA
Hollywood Bowl—Hollywood, CA
Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
Billy Brill—Billy Alan Productions
Brock Jones—Global Spectrum
Nicole More—Neste Event Marketing
Fran Romeo—Romeo Entertainment Group
R.J. Romeo—Romeo Entertainment Group
Promoter of the Year
Brent Fedrizzi—AEG Live
Brad Garrett—Police Productions
Billy Minick—Billy Bob’s Texas
Brian O’Connell—Live Nation
Ron Sakamoto—Gold & Gold Productions
The Studio Recording Awards: (formerly the The Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist MBI Awards)
Bass Player of the Year
Mike Brignardello
Kevin “Swine” Grantt
Mark Hill
Michael Rhodes
Glenn Worf
Drummer of the Year
Chad Cromwell
Fred Eltringham
Shannon Forrest
Greg Morrow
Lonnie Wilson
Guitar Player of the Year
Jeff King
Troy Lancaster
Brent Mason
Rob McNelley
Jerry McPherson
Piano/Keyboards Player of the Year
Tony Harrell
John Jarvis
Charlie Judge
Tim Lauer
Gordon Mote
Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year
Glen Duncan
Larry Franklin
Jim Hoke
Danny Rader
Bryan Sutton
Steel Guitar Player of the Year
Dan Dugmore
Paul Franklin
Steve Hinson
Russ Pahl
Scotty Sanders
Audio Engineer of the Year
Derek Bason
Ben Fowler
Mills Logan
Steve Marcantonio
Justin Niebank
Producer of the Year
Mark Bright
Dann Huff
Michael Knox
Frank Liddell
Paul Worley
Radio Awards: (To be presented during the annual Radio Winners Reception held the day prior to the ACM Awards telecast, on Saturday, April 5 in Las Vegas.)
On-Air Personality of the Year – National
Bobby Bones, Amy, Lunchbox —
The Bobby Bones Show
Crook & Chase—
Crook & Chase Countdown
Kix Brooks—
American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks
Lia—
The Lia Show
Lon Helton—
Country Countdown USA
On-Air Personality of the Year – Major Market
Dave and Veronica; WQYK-FM—St. Petersburg, FL
Donna & “Muss”; KEEY-FM—Minneapolis, MN
Dr. Don Carpenter, Rachael Hunter, Grunwald, Jason the 300lb. Cowboy; WYCD-FM—Detroit, MI
Edwards & Lee – Chuck Edwards & Linda Lee; WYCD-FM—Detroit, MI
Paul Schadt and Meg Geof; WKKT-FM—Charlotte, NC
On-Air Personality of the Year – Large Market
Big Dave & Chelsie; WUBE-FM—Cincinnati, OH
Dave O’Brien; WLHK-FM—Indianapolis, IN
Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt & Kevin Freeman; WFMS-FM—Indianapolis, IN
Lisa McKay; WQDR-FM—Raleigh, NC
Randy Carroll and Jamie Martin; KAJA-FM—San Antonio, TX
On-Air Personality of the Year – Medium Market
Andy Ritchie, Alison West, Jimmy Holt; WIVK-FM—Knoxville, TN
Dan Brennan & Shelby Mitchell; WKSJ-FM—Mobile, AL
Kevin Richards; WGNA-FM—Schenectady, NY
Scott Wynn & Sue Wilson; WQMX-FM—Akron, OH
Steve Lundy and Gina Melton; KXKT-FM—Omaha, NE
On-Air Personality of the Year – Small Market
Bill Barrett, Tim Fox and Tracy Berry; KKNU-FM—Eugene, OR
Brian Gary, Todd Harding, and Susan Moore; KUAD-FM—Windsor, CO
Dex and Mo; WUSY- FM—Chattanooga, TN
Mark Ericson, Karen Kiley; WOKQ-FM/WPKQ-FM—Portsmouth, NH
Scotty Cox, Cara Denis; KCLR-FM—Columbia, MO
Radio Station of the Year – Major Market
KUPL-FM—Portland, OR
WIL-FM—St. Louis, MO
WKLB-FM—Boston, MA
WSOC-FM—Charlotte, NC
WXTU FM—Philadelphia, PA
Radio Station of the Year – Large Market
WCTK-FM—Providence, RI
WFMS-FM—Indianapolis, IN
WLHK-FM—Indianapolis, IN
WMIL-FM—Greenfield, WI
WQDR-FM—Raleigh, NC
Radio Station of the Year – Medium Market
KXKT-FM—Omaha, NE
WBBS-FM—Syracuse, NY
WCYQ FM—Knoxville, TN
WDXB-FM—Birmingham, AL
WKMK FM—Neptune, NJ
Radio Station of the Year – Small Market
KSJJ-FM—Bend, OR
WGSQ-FM—Cookeville, TN
WUSY-FM—Chattanooga, TN
WXFL-FM—Florence, AL
WYCT-FM—Pensacola, FL
Weekly Register: Grammys Boost Sales For Musgraves, Others
/by Michael_SmithRecap: The Grammys
Musgraves’ Grammy performance of “Follow Your Arrow”
Several stars are enjoying a rise in sales (primarily digital) following Sunday night’s Grammy Awards, which drew in millions of viewers and honored some of Country music’s finest artists. Sales for Kacey Musgraves’ Same Trailer, Different Park have surged 147 percent, rising from 3,900 units last week to 9,800 units this week. The double Grammy winner’s singles “Follow Your Arrow” and “Merry Go Round” have also received a boost in sales, rising 190 percent (9.7k units last week, 28k units this week) and 158 percent this week, respectively. In the past year, Musgraves’ popularity has soared; besides winning several accolades at MusicRow‘s 2013 Awards and Nashville Scene‘s Country Music Critic’s Poll, the singer-songwriter recently announced plans to open for Katy Perry’s Prismatic World Tour. The Grammys fueled album sales for other Country artists, including Taylor Swift (105 percent), Willie Nelson (48 percent) and Hunter Hayes (39 percent), in addition to track sales for Keith Urban (154 percent), whose single “Cop Car” rose from selling 7k units last week to 19k this week.
Albums
Jennifer Nettles’ That Girl (Mercury Nashville) remains the top Country album (No. 12 overall), selling 19k units this week (73k RTD). The top overall album is Frozen: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Various Artists, selling 93k this week (769k RTD). YTD, overall album sales are down 13.5 percent, while Country album sales are down 17.6 percent. Around the same time last year, Gary Allan’s Set You Free debuted at No.1 overall, selling 106k units.
Tracks
Luke Bryan’s “Drink A Beer” is the top Country track (No. 29 overall), selling 53k units this week. Bryan will undoubtedly perform his hit single at Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival in April.
Hayes’ “Invisible” is the top Country debut, ranking at No. 7 (No. 47 overall), with 35k units sold. The singer debuted his latest single at the Grammy’s Sunday night. Katy Perry and Juicy’s “Dark Horse” continues to reign as the top overall track, selling 293k units this week. YTD, overall track sales are down 11.7 percent, while Country tracks sales are down 16.7 percent. Around the same time last year, Allan’s “Every Storm” was the top Country track, selling 70k units.
Next week’s numbers will include Vince Gill and Paul Franklin’s Bakersfield: Deluxe Edition, Ronnie Milsap’s Summer #17 and North 40’s Sing Your Own Song.
Artist Updates (1/29/14)
/by Jessica NicholsonHank Cochran
On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the late Country songwriter and recording artist Hank Cochran was honored with a marker on the Mississippi Country Music Trail. The marker was unveiled on U.S. Highway 49W in Isola, Miss. One of Country music’s most prolific and revered songwriters, Cochran (1935-2010) was born in Isola, where he spent his early childhood years.
He wrote “Make the World Go Away,” “A Little Bitty Tear,” “She’s Got You” and “Don’t Touch Me,” and co-wrote “I Fall to Pieces.” A cohort of such classic Nashville writers as Harlan Howard and Willie Nelson, Cochran also enjoyed a successful recording career of his own, charting seven singles.
• • •
The Warren Brothers
Porter’s Call will hold the 5th annual “An Evening of Stories,” which will take place Wednesday, March 12, 2014, 7:30 p.m., at the historic Franklin Theatre. This year’s storytellers will include New York Times best-selling author Bob Goff, songwriters The Warren Brothers and writer-poet Minton Sparks. All proceeds from the event benefit Porter’s Call, a non-profit dedicated to providing counsel, support and encouragement for touring and recording artists and their families.
In years past, previous storytellers have included Vince Gill, Amy Grant, David Wilcox, Donald Miller, Ian Cron, Nichole Nordeman, Billy Collins, Becca Stevens, Andy Gullahorn and Andrew Peterson.
Tickets for this year’s event are $100 ($75-tax-deductible) and are available for purchase starting today at the Franklin Theatre’s box office and website: franklintheatre.com.
• • •
Kristian Bush
Kristian Bush launches a solo concert trek tonight (Jan. 29) in Asheville, N.C. at The Grey Eagle.
Additional concert dates include:
Jan. 30 – Greensboro, NC @ The Blind Tiger
Jan. 31 – Isle of Palms, SC @ The Windjammer
Feb. 1 – Atlanta, GA @ The Buckhead Theatre (a benefit for ACM Lifting Lives)
March 27 – Hopewell, VA @ The Beacon Theatre
March 28 – Charlotte, NC @ Visulite Theatre
April 11 – Onamia, MN @ Grand Casino Mille Lacs
June 1 – Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage
For more information, visit kristianbush.com.
• • •
Red River Entertainment recording artists Grits & Glamour (Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan) filmed their “I Am A Woman” music video to complement current sophomore single from their critically acclaimed album Dos Divas.
The compelling video, directed by Chuck Jones and Keech Rainwater, was shot at various Nashville locations, including Vanderbilt Medical Center, Trevecca University and Morgan’s home. The piece is a true-to-life portrayal through the eyes of strong women, surviving and thriving as wives, mothers, best friends, career professionals and brave souls.
Pictured (L-R): Trevor Metscher (cameraman), Pam Tillis, Lorrie Morgan
CMA Foundation Donates $1 Million To Metro Nashville Public Schools
/by Jessica NicholsonThe donation raises CMA’s support of music education in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools from $6.5 million to more than $7.5 million. This money has been used to build music labs and purchase instruments and supplies for all Metro Schools through a partnership with the Nashville Public Education Foundation.
“CMA is extremely proud of being able to provide access to instruments for every child in Metro Schools on behalf of our artist community,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “A thriving music education program is an investment in the future and provides important motivation to keep children engaged and in school.”
In 2006, the CMA Artist Relations Committee established the Keep the Music Playing program to give back to the community on behalf of the hundreds of Country artists who perform and make appearances at CMA Music Festival each year for free.
Eric Paslay
CMA Awards nominee and EMI Records Nashville recording artist Eric Paslay hosted the concert and was on hand for the donation announcement. Paslay has written No. 1 hits for Jake Owen, Love and Theft, and the Eli Young Band. His self-titled debut album will be released on Feb. 4. In addition to hosting the concert, Paslay performed “Less Than Whole,” with guitar students from Nashville School of the Arts.
“What an incredible night! I am so honored that I was able to be part of such a special night for CMA and music education through the Keep the Music Playing program,” Paslay said. “Performing with the students from the Nashville School of the Arts was amazing and I am in awe of their talents. I look forward to helping CMA continue to raise money and awareness for this empowering program for years to come.”
Lambert, McGraw Lead 2014 ACM Nominations
/by Sarah SkatesBlake Shelton and Luke Bryan will host the ACM Awards on April 6, 2014.
Nominations for the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards were revealed this morning (Jan. 29) via a digital press conference on the Academy of Country Music’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw earned seven nominations each, followed closely by Keith Urban with six nods. Scoring five nominations apiece were Lee Brice, Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift. Tallying nods in four categories were Florida Georgia Line and Lady Antebellum, while Luke Bryan and Darius Rucker earned three each. Many of the stars slotted nods for producing their projects.
Awards show co-hosts Shelton and Bryan are both nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year. Bryan is the reigning Entertainer of the Year. Shelton is also nominated for Song and Vocal Event. The ACM Awards, Country Music’s Party of the Year®, will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 8:00 PM live ET on the CBS Television Network.
Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw lead the ACM Award nominations with seven each.
Reigning Female Vocalist Lambert earned her eighth consecutive nod in that category and third nomination for Entertainer of the Year. She was nominated for Single, Song and Video for “Mama’s Broken Heart,” and twice for Vocal Event for “We Were Us” with Keith Urban, and “Boys ‘Round Here” Shelton’s hit featuring Pistol Annies).
McGraw’s nominations include Video of the Year for “Highway Don’t Care” featuring Swift & Urban. He is also nominated twice each in the Album, Single and Vocal Event categories as both the artist and producer.
Urban received six nominations, including Male Vocalist, Single Record and Video. In the Vocal Event category he is nominated for “Highway Don’t Care,” as well as nominated twice for “We Were Us” as the artist and producer.
Brice is nominated for five awards, including his first ever Male Vocalist and Video nominations, and fourth consecutive nod for Song of the Year. He is also nominated twice in the Single Record of the Year category as the artist and producer for “I Drive Your Truck.”
Musgraves earned five nominations, including her second consecutive nods for Female Vocalist and Video. She is also nominated for Song and nominated twice in the Album of the Year category, as the artist and producer for Same Trailer Different Park.
Swift received five nominations, including her fifth consecutive nod for Entertainer and seventh consecutive nod for Female Vocalist. She also received nominations for Single, Video and Vocal Event for “Highway Don’t Care.”
Reigning New Artist of the Year Florida Georgia Line earned four nominations, including Vocal Duo, Album, Single Record and Vocal Event.
Darius Rucker’s hit featuring Lady Antebellum, “Wagon Wheel,” earned both acts nods for Single Record, Song and Vocal Event. Lady A picked up an additional nomination for Vocal Group.
First-time ACM nominees, slotting one nod each, include Brandy Clark (Song of the Year), Bob Dylan (Song of the Year), Dan + Shay (Vocal Duo of the Year), Nelly (Vocal Event of the Year), and Pistol Annies (Vocal Event).
Participating in today’s announcement through pre-recorded video clips were Fox Sports broadcaster Erin Andrews, 2 Broke Girls star Beth Behrs, reigning ACM Songwriter of the Year Dallas Davidson, The Insider co-anchor Kevin Frazier, singer and Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale, CBS This Morning co-anchor Gayle King, Jerrod Niemann, Entertainment Tonight co-anchor Nancy O’Dell, nominee Darius Rucker, and The Talk hosts Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler and Sheryl Underwood. Duck Dynasty stars Willie and Korie Robertson announced the Entertainer of the Year nominees, see the video below.
Fans will again help select the winner of Entertainer of the Year, and New Artist of the Year Presented By Kohl’s. Semi-finalists for New Artist will compete via the fan vote at GACtv.com, combined with the ACM professional membership vote, to determine the three nominees for the award. An additional combined fan and professional membership vote will determine the New Artist winner.
Entertainer of the Year
Luke Bryan
Miranda Lambert
Blake Shelton
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Lee Brice
Luke Bryan
Blake Shelton
Keith Urban
Female Vocalist of the Year
Sheryl Crow
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Vocal Duo of the Year
Big & Rich
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Love and Theft
Thompson Square
Vocal Group of the Year
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band
New Artist of the Year (previously announced semi-finalists)
Lee Brice
Brett Eldredge
Tyler Farr
Justin Moore
Kip Moore
Kacey Musgraves
Thomas Rhett
Parmalee
First round fan voting for New Artist of the Year is going on at www.VoteACM.com and www.GACTV.com/ACM through Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 3 pm ET. Final round fan voting begins on Monday, March 24 and will close on April 6, with the winner being announced live during the ACM Awards.
Album of the Year [Award To Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
Based On A True Story… – Blake Shelton
Producer: Scott Hendricks; Record Label: Warner Bros. Records
Crash My Party – Luke Bryan
Producer: Jeff Stevens; Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Here’s To The Good Times – Florida Georgia Line
Producer: Joey Moi; Record Label: Republic Nashville
Same Trailer Different Park – Kacey Musgraves
Producers: Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves; Record Label: Mercury Records
Two Lanes Of Freedom – Tim McGraw
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw; Record Label: Big Machine Records
Single Record of the Year [Award To Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
“Cruise” – Florida Georgia Line
Producer: Joey Moi; Record Label: Republic Nashville
“Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw Featuring Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw; Record Label: Big Machine Records
“I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice
Producers: Lee Brice, Kyle Jacobs, Matt McClure; Record Label: Curb Records
“Mama’s Broken Heart” – Miranda Lambert
Producers: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf; Record Label: RCA Nashville
“Wagon Wheel” – Darius Rucker Featuring Lady Antebellum
Producer: Frank Rogers; Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Song of the Year [Award To Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
“Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)” – Gary Allan
Songwriters: Gary Allan, Hillary Lindsey, Matthew Warren
Publishers: Always Alone Songs (ASCAP), Crystal Beach Music (BMI), Raylene Music (ASCAP)
“I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice
Songwriters: Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Jimmy Yeary
Publishers: Beattyville Music (BMI), EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI), Great Day At This Music (BMI), Happy Tears Music (ASCAP), Vistaville Music (ASCAP), Watch This Girl Publishing (BMI)
“Mama’s Broken Heart” – Miranda Lambert
Songwriters: Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves
Publishers: 351 Music (BMI), Crazy Water Music (ASCAP), Little Blue Egg (ASCAP), Songs of Parallel (ASCAP), Vista Loma Music (ASCAP), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)
“Mine Would Be You” – Blake Shelton
Songwriters: Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Deric Ruttan
Publishers: Doc and Maggie Music (ASCAP), EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI), Get A Load Of This Music (ASCAP), Great Day At This Music (BMI), Hopeless Rose Music (ASCAP), Vistaville Music (ASCAP), Watch This Girl Publishing (BMI), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)
“Wagon Wheel” – Darius Rucker Featuring Lady Antebellum
Songwriters: Bob Dylan, Ketch Secor
Publishers: Blood Donor Music (BMI), Special Rider Music (SESAC)
Video of the Year [Award To Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)] *(Off Camera Award)
“Better Dig Two” – The Band Perry
Producer: Eric Williams
Director: Declan Whitebloom
“Blowin’ Smoke” – Kacey Musgraves
Producer: Josh Goldstein
Director: Honey
“Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw Featuring Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
Producers: Tameron Hedge, Chandra LaPlume
Director: Shane Drake
“I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice
Producer: Karen Martin
Director: Eric Welch
“Mama’s Broken Heart” – Miranda Lambert
Producer: Reagan Rosson
Director: Trey Fanjoy
“Two Black Cadillacs” – Carrie Underwood
Producer: Steve Lamar
Director: P.R. Brown
Vocal Event of the Year [Award To Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] *(Off Camera Award)
“Boys ‘Round Here” – Blake Shelton Featuring Pistol Annies & Friends
Producer: Scott Hendricks; Record Label: Warner Bros. Records
“Cruise (Remix)” – Florida Georgia Line Featuring Nelly
Producers: Joey Moi, Jason Nevins; Record Label: Republic Nashville
“Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw Featuring Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw; Record Label: Big Machine Records
“Wagon Wheel” – Darius Rucker Featuring Lady Antebellum
Producer: Frank Rogers; Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
“We Were Us” – Keith Urban And Miranda Lambert
Producers: Nathan Chapman, Keith Urban; Record Labels: Capitol Records Nashville, Hit Red Records, RCA Nashville
Off Camera Awards (to be presented during the 8th Annual ACM Honors Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014 in Nashville)
Songwriter of the Year
Rhett Akins
Rodney Clawson
Ashley Gorley
Luke Laird
Shane McAnally
Industry Awards:
Nightclub of the Year
Billy Bob’s Texas—Fort Worth, TX
Bub City—Chicago, IL
Floore’s Country Store—Helotes, TX
The Dusty Armadillo—Rootstown, OH
Wild Bills—Duluth, GA
Casino of the Year – Small Capacity (maximum capacity 4,000 seats)
Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa—Rancho Mirage, CA
Deadwood Mountain Grand—Deadwood, SD
Mohegan Sun Wolf Den—Uncasville, CT
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort—Mount Pleasant, MI
The Joint at Hard Rock Casino—Catoosa, OK
Casino of the Year – Medium Capacity (capacity 4,001 seats to 11,000 seats)
Caesars Windsor Hotel & Casino—Windsor, ON, Canada
Casino Rama—Rama, ON, Canada
Mohegan Sun Arena—Uncasville, CT
Star of the Desert Arena—Primm, NV
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace—Las Vegas, NV
Venue of the Year – Small Capacity (maximum capacity of 4,000 seats)
American Music Theatre—Lancaster, PA
Cape Cod Melody Tent—Hyannis, MA
Georgia Theatre—Athens, GA
House of Blues—Boston, MA
The Moody Theater—Austin, TX
Venue of the Year – Medium Capacity (capacity 4,001 seats to 11,000 seats)
Amphitheater at The Wharf—Orange Beach, AL
Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion at Meadowbrook—Gilford, NH
Big Sandy Superstore Arena—Huntington, WV
Grand Ole Opry House—Nashville, TN
Red Rocks Amphitheatre—Golden, CO
Venue of the Year – Large Capacity (venues of any type, including casinos, with a minimum of 11,001 seats)
BOK Center—Tulsa, OK
Bridgestone Arena—Nashville, TN
Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion—Bangor, ME
Gorge Amphitheatre—George, WA
Hollywood Bowl—Hollywood, CA
Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
Billy Brill—Billy Alan Productions
Brock Jones—Global Spectrum
Nicole More—Neste Event Marketing
Fran Romeo—Romeo Entertainment Group
R.J. Romeo—Romeo Entertainment Group
Promoter of the Year
Brent Fedrizzi—AEG Live
Brad Garrett—Police Productions
Billy Minick—Billy Bob’s Texas
Brian O’Connell—Live Nation
Ron Sakamoto—Gold & Gold Productions
The Studio Recording Awards: (formerly the The Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist MBI Awards)
Bass Player of the Year
Mike Brignardello
Kevin “Swine” Grantt
Mark Hill
Michael Rhodes
Glenn Worf
Drummer of the Year
Chad Cromwell
Fred Eltringham
Shannon Forrest
Greg Morrow
Lonnie Wilson
Guitar Player of the Year
Jeff King
Troy Lancaster
Brent Mason
Rob McNelley
Jerry McPherson
Piano/Keyboards Player of the Year
Tony Harrell
John Jarvis
Charlie Judge
Tim Lauer
Gordon Mote
Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year
Glen Duncan
Larry Franklin
Jim Hoke
Danny Rader
Bryan Sutton
Steel Guitar Player of the Year
Dan Dugmore
Paul Franklin
Steve Hinson
Russ Pahl
Scotty Sanders
Audio Engineer of the Year
Derek Bason
Ben Fowler
Mills Logan
Steve Marcantonio
Justin Niebank
Producer of the Year
Mark Bright
Dann Huff
Michael Knox
Frank Liddell
Paul Worley
Radio Awards: (To be presented during the annual Radio Winners Reception held the day prior to the ACM Awards telecast, on Saturday, April 5 in Las Vegas.)
On-Air Personality of the Year – National
Bobby Bones, Amy, Lunchbox —The Bobby Bones Show
Crook & Chase—Crook & Chase Countdown
Kix Brooks—American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks
Lia—The Lia Show
Lon Helton—Country Countdown USA
On-Air Personality of the Year – Major Market
Dave and Veronica; WQYK-FM—St. Petersburg, FL
Donna & “Muss”; KEEY-FM—Minneapolis, MN
Dr. Don Carpenter, Rachael Hunter, Grunwald, Jason the 300lb. Cowboy; WYCD-FM—Detroit, MI
Edwards & Lee – Chuck Edwards & Linda Lee; WYCD-FM—Detroit, MI
Paul Schadt and Meg Geof; WKKT-FM—Charlotte, NC
On-Air Personality of the Year – Large Market
Big Dave & Chelsie; WUBE-FM—Cincinnati, OH
Dave O’Brien; WLHK-FM—Indianapolis, IN
Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt & Kevin Freeman; WFMS-FM—Indianapolis, IN
Lisa McKay; WQDR-FM—Raleigh, NC
Randy Carroll and Jamie Martin; KAJA-FM—San Antonio, TX
On-Air Personality of the Year – Medium Market
Andy Ritchie, Alison West, Jimmy Holt; WIVK-FM—Knoxville, TN
Dan Brennan & Shelby Mitchell; WKSJ-FM—Mobile, AL
Kevin Richards; WGNA-FM—Schenectady, NY
Scott Wynn & Sue Wilson; WQMX-FM—Akron, OH
Steve Lundy and Gina Melton; KXKT-FM—Omaha, NE
On-Air Personality of the Year – Small Market
Bill Barrett, Tim Fox and Tracy Berry; KKNU-FM—Eugene, OR
Brian Gary, Todd Harding, and Susan Moore; KUAD-FM—Windsor, CO
Dex and Mo; WUSY- FM—Chattanooga, TN
Mark Ericson, Karen Kiley; WOKQ-FM/WPKQ-FM—Portsmouth, NH
Scotty Cox, Cara Denis; KCLR-FM—Columbia, MO
Radio Station of the Year – Major Market
KUPL-FM—Portland, OR
WIL-FM—St. Louis, MO
WKLB-FM—Boston, MA
WSOC-FM—Charlotte, NC
WXTU FM—Philadelphia, PA
Radio Station of the Year – Large Market
WCTK-FM—Providence, RI
WFMS-FM—Indianapolis, IN
WLHK-FM—Indianapolis, IN
WMIL-FM—Greenfield, WI
WQDR-FM—Raleigh, NC
Radio Station of the Year – Medium Market
KXKT-FM—Omaha, NE
WBBS-FM—Syracuse, NY
WCYQ FM—Knoxville, TN
WDXB-FM—Birmingham, AL
WKMK FM—Neptune, NJ
Radio Station of the Year – Small Market
KSJJ-FM—Bend, OR
WGSQ-FM—Cookeville, TN
WUSY-FM—Chattanooga, TN
WXFL-FM—Florence, AL
WYCT-FM—Pensacola, FL
BMLG To Release Motley Crue Country Tribute Album
/by Jessica NicholsonIn conjunction with the tour, Big Machine Records, home to country superstars such as Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts has teamed up in a joint venture with Mötley Records and Eleven Seven music for the summer 2014 release of a Country music tribute to Mötley Crüe. Big Machine Label Group President and CEO Scott Borchetta is among the legion of country music fans who love Mötley Crüe. The tribute album will show off the band’s quality songwriting with fresh takes on their classic hits. Among the artists confirmed for the tribute album are LeAnn Rimes, Florida Georgia Line, Brantley Gilbert, Justin Moore, Eli Young Band and Cassadee Pope.
More artists will be unveiled as the album nears a release date this summer. Borchetta says of the collaboration, “I have been a not-so-secret Crue fan from the beginning. When manager Chris Nilsson called with the idea for a tribute album on Big Machine Records it was an immediate ‘Yes’ from me! Our album will highlight just how great the Motley Crue song catalog is. At the end of the day, that’s what will stand the test of time.”
Borchetta further noted that “the initial response from the announcement of this album has been overwhelming. There are a lot of artists asking to be included and we look forward to finalizing plans for the project over the next few weeks.”
Tin Pan South Partners With Watkins College For Festival Artwork
/by Jessica NicholsonBorn in South Carolina, Sinnett attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, focusing in the visual arts and the metals program. The Fine Arts major strives to integrate her interest in illustration into the fine arts and vice versa.
Produced by NSAI, Tin Pan South reigns as the world’s largest all-songwriter festival. Last year, close to 350 talented songwriters performed over 90 shows at 10 of Nashville’s top music venues. Thousands of music fans attend the event annually to hear songwriters tell stories behind hit songs they have written and perform the songs as they were originally composed. Regions Bank returns for the seventh year as the presenting sponsor of the event.
The full performance schedule will be announced on March 3, the same day that festival passes will go on sale at 10 a.m.
For more information, visit tinpansouth.com.
Clear Channel Networks Group Names President
/by Sarah SkatesDarren Davis
Clear Channel Media and Entertainment has created a new unified Networks group and tapped Darren Davis to lead the effort as President, Clear Channel Networks Group. In his new role, Davis will oversee the close integration of Premiere Networks, Total Traffic and Weather Network, the 24/7 News Network and the iHeartRadio Network.
Davis has a long standing, very successful career within Clear Channel starting at WASH-FM in Washington, D.C. in 1992 as an intern. He worked his way up to eventually becoming the station’s program director and overnight on-air host. He has since served as a Regional Vice President of Programming for Clear Channel Detroit and Chicago, and climbed the ranks to Senior Vice President of Programming and his most recent role as Executive Vice President and General Manager of National Programming Platforms.
Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO for Clear Channel said, “Darren is an innovative and effective leader of teams and has been a success at every role he has played at this company from the beginning as a programmer through his role as EVP and GM for the National Programming Platforms (NPP) group with Tom Poleman. His extensive and diverse experience makes him the perfect candidate for this important new leadership role.”
In his expanded role, Davis will oversee the company’s key Network divisions, including:
• Premiere Networks, which syndicates 90 radio programs and services to more than 5,000 radio affiliates. Julie Talbott will become President of Premiere Networks, reporting into Davis.
• Total Traffic and Weather Network, led by EVP of Sales Gary Larkin and SVP of Operations Kevin Loftus.
• 24/7 News Network, led by Chris Berry.
• The iHeartRadio Network, led by SVP of Programming Chris Williams, which focuses on all the digital music programming, curation, affiliate relations and marketing strategies for Clear Channel’s digital service iHeartRadio.
CMHOF's 'All For The Hall' To Return To Los Angeles
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Heart, Jason Mraz, and Rita Wilson
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s All for the Hall fundraiser will return to Los Angeles for the first time in nearly three years. The event, which will take place on Tuesday, March 4, at Club Nokia, will again follow a “guitar pull” format, featuring performances by Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Heart and Jason Mraz. Actress/singer/film producer Rita Wilson will host the event.
The museum launched All for the Hall, its first-ever non-bricks-and-mortar fundraising campaign, in 2005. The campaign addresses the museum’s need for long-term financial security and will provide a safety net for the institution and its work. This is the seventh year the museum has taken its “annual giving” event on the road, hosting previous All for the Hall events in New York in 2007, 2008 and 2013, and in Los Angeles in 2009-11.
“California, with its rich country music history, has proven to be a supremely appropriate and welcoming location for this event,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “In fact, some of the state’s contributions to our genre are the subject of our very popular limited-engagement exhibition, The Bakersfield Sound: Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and California Country, whose run we’ve extended through the end of 2014. Los Angeles has always given our All for the Hall event a very warm welcome, and we look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones in March.”
Last year’s event, held at the Best Buy Theater in New York City, featured performances by Gill and Harris, Jason Aldean, Gregg Allman, Rodney Crowell, Ashley Monroe, Pat Monahan and Joan Osborne.
All for the Hall Los Angeles patrons are offered their choice of VIP tables of 10 for $25,000 or $10,000. Individual VIP tickets are available at $1,000 per seat. At these ticket levels, a cocktail reception and dinner will precede the guitar pull. A full list of VIP table and ticket levels and benefits can be found on countrymusichalloffame.org/afthla. To purchase tickets or for more information, patrons may contact Rachel Shapiro at rshapiro@countrymusichalloffame.org or telephone (615) 416-2069.
McGraw, Esten Added To T.J. Martell Nashville Honors Gala
/by Jessica NicholsonThis year’s honorees, which were announced earlier this month, are Nashville real estate visionary Mark Bloom, music industry icons Dale Morris and Mike Dungan, entrepreneur Beth Dortch Franklin and cancer research pioneer Scott Hiebert.
The T.J. Martell Nashville Honors Gala will be held March 10 at the Omni Hotel in Nashville.
Industry Hirings (1/28/14)
/by Jessica NicholsonMack graduated from Southern Nazarene University and worked at a Fortune 500 Company, Chesapeake Energy, for a few years before leaving to pursue a career in the music industry. Mack can be reached at jessica@duncanpromo.com
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Krista Darting
Krista Darting has been named Director of Sponsorships at Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). In her new position, Darting is responsible for securing and maintaining sponsorships for NSAI and the Tin Pan South Songwriter’s Festival.
The Silver Lake, Kan., native most recently worked as a Sr. Account Executive at AdStaff Media primarily on the Taco Bell and Gigi’s Cupcakes accounts. She also spent two years in Corporate Partnerships with the Orlando Magic as well as one season with the Kansas City Royals. Darting can be contacted at krista@nashvillesongwriters.com
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Sutphen joins the company as Communications Manager. His experience began in Abilene, Texas, working with some of Hearts Bluff’s strategic partners before making the move to Nashville.
Hearts Bluff Music manages a $30 million music-publishing portfolio that includes over 10,000 titles, 50 No. 1 songs, and five Hall of Fame writers. Among the notable copyrights are Elvis‘ “Mystery Train,” Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration,” Jennifer Lopez‘s “Ain’t it Funny,” the theme to I Love Lucy; as well as Country hits such as “She’s Everything,” “Baby Blue,” “Austin,” “My Best Friend,” and “Waitin’ On A Woman.” For more info on the company, visit heartsbluffmusic.com.
Hertzog can be reached at ashley@heartsbluffmusic.com, and Sutphen can be reached at tyler@heartsbluffmusic.com.
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