ACM Award Noms Set For CBS’ Early Show

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Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton will announce the nominees for the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards live from CBS’ The Early Show on March 2 at 7:30 AM CT.

The on-air announcement festivities will also include an interview with McEntire by show host Maggie Rodriguez and a live performance from Shelton.

Rucker Hits The Hard Rock

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CMA Best New Artist Darius Rucker will perform at Hard Rock Cafe Nashville on Wednesday, March 3 at 8 PM as part of Hard Rock’s two-day, multi-city March On Stage launch. The event marks the beginning of Hard Rock’s March On Stage, live music event series, featuring performances by “high-caliber, iconic and emerging artists” and benefiting Musicians on Call, an organization founded with the mission of bringing live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities. Click here for details. www.hardrock.com

In other Rucker-related news, Coke Zero has announced an NCAA promotion and sweepstakes called “An Exclusive Ticket” at LongHorn Steakhouse. Fans can register for a chance to win “An Exclusive Ticket” to the 2010 NCAA Men’s Final Four in Indianapolis and experience the “Coke Zero Countdown” concert, starring Rucker, along with an exclusive VIP party, and tickets to the 2010 NCAA Men’s Final Four.

This is the second in a series of three promotions that give fans the chance to attend an exclusive sporting event and a live Darius Rucker concert. LongHorn recently added the singer to its “Live at LongHorn” country music program in partnership with Coke Zero and Capitol Records Nashville.

“When Capitol came to me with the opportunity to partner with these two great brands, I immediately jumped at the chance to be involved because this allows music fans an opportunity for an unique experience while spotlighting country music,” says Rucker.
Click here for more information.

iTunes Spotlights Corbin

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iTunes has selected Mercury artist Easton Corbin’s Top 10 hit “A Little More Country Than That” as this week’s “Single of the Week.” The song is available as a free download through February 22. iTunes is also touting Easton’s self-titled debut album by giving visitors the option to pre-order the record for the next two weeks, which marks the first time the online retailer has ever presented such an opportunity. The pre-order also comes with a bonus acoustic audio track of “The Way Love Looks,” a song from the album written by Corbin, Carson Chamberlain and Mark D. Sanders.

Corbin holds the title for the highest-charting male debut single for 2009 and continuing into 2010, and the single is the best-selling debut single from an upcoming 2010 release, with nearly 119,000 units sold. Easton Corbin hits stores March 2nd.

Click here for the iTunes offer.

Lipscomb Hosts “Operation Yellow Ribbon”

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Keynote speaker General Tommy Franks (Ret.) will join artists Charlie Daniels and Amy Grant on Tuesday, March 23 for Operation Yellow Ribbon, presented by Challenge America and David Lipscomb University. Special acoustic performances by Daniels, Grant and a host of other musicians will also be a part of the evening activities.

Operation Yellow Ribbon features a daylong symposium with the theme of “solutions for transition from battlefield to home front for returning military and their families.” Breakout sessions will address a variety of topics, including ones related to returning injured military and adapting to life after those injuries.

“Partnering with Lipscomb University, which links returning military to education opportunities, is a natural fit for Challenge America and its mission of connecting injured military with the resources needed to establish a ‘new normal’ life,” said Houston Cowan, founder and Executive Director of Challenge America. “The symposium will facilitate conversation among industry leaders and the military and family members themselves about real solutions to the most pressing transition issues.”

Special musical appearances by Daniels and Grant are scheduled for the 7 PM event. A limited number of tickets for the evening event with Franks, Daniels and Grant will go on sale for $10 on February 15 at the Lipscomb University box office and through Ticketmaster. Members of the military and their families will be invited as guests of the event’s corporate sponsors. Proceeds from the evening event benefit Lipscomb University’s Yellow Ribbon Program, which offers eligible military veterans and their family members an undergraduate degree tuition-free or a graduate degree at a greatly reduced tuition rate.

Flatts To Celebrate Country Radio

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Nearly ten years to the day following the release of their debut single, “Prayin’ For Daylight,” Rascal Flatts’ Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney will gather next week in Nashville to celebrate and thank country radio for the more than 3.5 million spins and 25 billion audience impressions accumulated over the last decade.

A party will be held at Nashville’s Renaissance Hotel on February 24 to relive the band’s favorite memories with country radio and celebrate the hundreds of programmers and on-air talent who have been a part of Rascal Flatts’ success over the last ten years. The event is open to all Country Radio Seminar credentialed attendees.

“Since ‘Prayin’ For Daylight,’ country radio has been our voice to the fans for ten years now,” says DeMarcus. “We would never have been able to do what we’ve done without them, it’s that simple. So, we wanted to take a moment to tell them face to face how much we appreciate their constant support of Rascal Flatts and our music; a moment to celebrate all we’ve accomplished together and toast to what lies ahead.”

“Nashville at Nite” Joins Honky Tonk TV

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As it enters its second season, entertainment and new outlet, Honky Tonk TV will be aligning with local television program Nashville At Nite, it was announced today by Executive Producer Chris James. In the newly established partnership, the two media outlets will continue their commitment to creating and delivering in-depth, up-to-the-minute shows while expanding their reach to a broader audience.

Debuting in March 2009, Honky Tonk TV has featured guest appearances from award-winning artists such as Lady Antebellum, Trisha Yearwood, Darius Rucker, Rodney Atkins, Aaron Tippin and Billy Ray Cyrus.

The first formal alliance between Honky Tonk TV and Nashville at Nite will be introduced during their participation at the upcoming Country Radio Seminar in Nashville next week.

“It’s a natural progression to work with Nashville At Nite,” James says. “Not only will we enhance our programming, we’ll deliver some of the best-of-the best in entertainment content that music lovers all over the country will enjoy. The combination of professional and experienced production teams will make us the one-stop TV destination for fans from all genres.”

Dove Awards Nominees Announced

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Belmont University’s Curb Cafe was the setting yesterday (2/18) for the official announcement of nominees for the upcoming 41st Annual Dove Awards. Artists on hand to announce the nominees included Michael W. Smith, Lisa Kimmey-Winans, Ben Tankard, Francesca Battistelli, Jeremy Camp, Kari Jobe, Brandon Heath and Jason Crabb.

The awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 21 at the Grand Ole Opry House and televised on April 25 on the Gospel Music Channel. Awards will be handed out in 43 categories. Leading the pack this year are Jars of Clay, Skillet, Matt Maher and Jason Crabb, with each being nominated for six awards. Click here for a complete list of Dove Awards nominees.

Garth Up For Grammy Honors

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Honorees for the 2010 Grammys on the Hill Awards were announced today (2/18) by The Recording Academy, and country superstar Garth Brooks is on the list. Joining Brooks on the list of recipients of the prestigious award are  U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, and U.S. Representative Darrell Issa. The three will be honored for their work in improving the environment for music creators. Past honorees include then-Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator Orrin Hatch, Congressman Steny Hoyer, the late Senator Ted Kennedy, and musicians Kelly Clarkson and Quincy Jones.

Taking place in the U.S. capitol, this year’s Grammys on the Hill events include the awards ceremony on Wednesday, April 14 and an advocacy day on Capitol Hill on Thursday, April 15, at which hundreds of music professionals from across the country will visit with legislators to advance pro-music policies that improve the environment for music and its makers. For updates and breaking news, visit The Recording Academy’s social networks on Twitter and Facebook: www.twitter.com/thegrammys, www.facebook.com/thegrammys.

“This year’s honorees truly define leadership, and GRAMMYs on the Hill gives us the opportunity to thank our political and musical leaders for their work to advance the rights of music makers,” said NARAS President/CEO Neil Portnow. “As one of the most popular and philanthropic artists, Garth Brooks is an inspiration to musicians and fans alike.”

Sister Cities Share Songs

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Belfast, Northern Ireland and Music City USA are currently celebrating 16 years as sister cities, a partnership designed to promote cultural, tourism and business development opportunities between the two cities. One highlight of the sister city relationship is the annual Belfast Nashville Songwriters’ Showcase, a three night series of performances featuring top writers from Belfast and Nashville. This year’s event is scheduled for March 11, 12 and 13 at The Belcourt Theatre, Bluebird Café and Dan McGuinness Pub.

Both cities enjoy a rich musical history incorporating a variety of genres. Belfast has produced stars from a wide-variety of formats including multi-Grammy winner Van Morrison, movie soundtrack composer David Holmes (Oceans Eleven, Out of Sight) ‘70s rock hitmakers Thin Lizzy and acclaimed flautist Sir James Galway. Bringing together songwriters from Belfast and Music City to celebrate the art of songwriting enables everyone to discover more about the links between a shared musical heritage and the traditional roots of American songwriting.

Scheduled for the Belfast Nashville Songwriters’ Showcase are: (admission to every event is free):

Thursday, March 11, 8:00 p.m., Dan McGuinness Pub:  Aaron Shanley, Ricky Warwick, Anthony Toner.

Friday, March 12, 6:30 p.m., Bluebird Café:  Tia Sillers, Mark Selby, Gareth Dunlop, Iain Archer.

Saturday, March 13, 7:00 p.m., The Belcourt Theatre:  Bobby Bare, Jr., Elizabeth Cook, Dave Olney, Pat Alger, Aaron Shanley, Ricky Warwick, Iain Archer and Gareth Dunlop.

CRB Unveils CRS “Hot Topic”

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CRB has announced “The Art of Transition” as this year’s Hot Topic panel at CRS 2010 and finalized several additional panels and speakers for the three-day seminar, held Feb. 24-26, 2010.

According to the official CRS 2010 agenda, “The Art of Transition” focuses on the “life changing transformation we must all prepare ourselves for in today’s evolving business environment.” The panel will be held from 11-11:50 AM in room 204-205 of the Convention Center. Eric Samuels of Magic Motivation will open the panel, and Dan Halyburton of RadioTime will moderate.  Panelists include R.J. Curtis (Sony Music Entertainment), John Grady (Borman Entertainment) and Todd Cassetty (Hi-Fi Fusion).

“When planning this year’s CRS, the agenda committee left an opening for a ‘Hot Topic’ panel that addresses a far-reaching and timely issue,” says John Paul, CRS Agenda Chair. “It’s clear that anything regarding employment and transitioning from one job to another is a huge topic for many people right now, so we decided to dedicate a panel to career transitions and employment issues within our industry.”

Also announced is a 3 p.m. acoustic performance from Curb Records’ Rodney Atkins at the end of the “Label Partnerships” panel on Wednesday, Feb. 24.  One radio station in attendance will win a free show from Atkins.

Other recent panel updates to the CRS 2010 agenda include the addition of panelists Bob Richard (Emmis Indy) and Dave Demer (Clear Channel Atlanta) to Thursday’s “360 Experience” panel, the addition of moderator Lon Helton (Country Aircheck) and panelists Jeff Green (Country Aircheck), Jeff Garrison (KILT), Mike Brophey (WKLB) and Rick C. Shadyac Jr. (ALSAC/St. Jude) to Friday’s “Radiothon” panel, and the addition of moderator Rick Murray (Premiere Radio Networks/Greylock Entertainment) and panelists Pete Keiser (Cracker Barrel), Ray Sliva (Best Buy), Greg Downey (Saratoga Road), Jackie Campbell (WUSN) and Mike Bowsher (Carl Black Chevrolet) to Friday’s combination “Let’s Hear It For The Brand” and “Industry Trends” panel.

A detailed schedule and descriptions of CRS 2010’s panels and confirmed panelists can be viewed here.