NEWS

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Country Music Fans!

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American Country Awards
MGM Grand Hotel
Las Vegas, NV
Mon, Dec 5, 2011 05:00 PM
For tickets click here

Co-hosts Trace Adkins and Kristin Chenoweth, along with country music's Blake Shelton, Pistol Annies, Thompson Square, Eli Young Band and The Band Perry are set to perform at the AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS (ACA) airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Monday, Dec. 5 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

The two-hour event will also feature appearances by Lauren Alaina, Rachel Bilson, Miranda Lambert, Scotty McCreery and the men of "Pawn Stars" (Richard Harrison, Rick Harrison, Corey Harrison and Austin Russell). Additional performers and presenters will be announced soon.

The two-hour live music spectacular offers country music fans the opportunity to vote for their favorite artists not only in traditional categories, but also in a previously unrecognized area of the business - touring - encompassing the entire spectrum of country music.

Voting for all categories remains open until Friday, Nov. 11 at www.theacas.com. Voting for Artist of the Year continues until Friday, Dec. 2.

Co-hosts Trace Adkins and Kristin Chenoweth, along with country music's Blake Shelton, Pistol Annies, Thompson Square, Eli Young Band and The Band Perry are set to perform at the AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS (ACA) airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Monday, Dec. 5 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

The two-hour event will also feature appearances by Lauren Alaina, Rachel Bilson, Miranda Lambert, Scotty McCreery and the men of "Pawn Stars" (Richard Harrison, Rick Harrison, Corey Harrison and Austin Russell). Additional performers and presenters will be announced soon.

The two-hour live music spectacular offers country music fans the opportunity to vote for their favorite artists not only in traditional categories, but also in a previously unrecognized area of the business â€“ touring â€“ encompassing the entire spectrum of country music.

Voting for all categories remains open until Friday, Nov. 11 at www.theacas.com. Voting for Artist of the Year continues until Friday, Dec. 2.

Blake Shelton has been dubbed one of the "most versatile of contemporary country singers" by The New York Times. The 2010 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year continues to prove to be one of the industry's hottest vocalists as he caps a successful year with career highlights that include Academy of Country Music (ACM) and Country Music Television (CMT) Awards, multiple Country Music Association (CMA) Award wins, the release of three albums: "Hillbilly Bone," "All About Tonight" and a greatest-hits album, "Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton." He garnered two No. 1 hits with the title tracks, "Hillbilly Bone" (featuring long-time friend and ACA co-host Adkins) and "All About Tonight." Shelton was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2010. He has seven No. 1 hits, including his back-to-back multi-week No. 1 singles "She Wouldn't Be Gone" and "Home"; his five-week No. 1 debut single "Austin"; and two additional multi-week No. 1 hits, "The Baby" and "Some Beach." Every single one of Shelton's singles released since 2007 has peaked in the Top 10.

The Pistol Annies are comprised of Ashley Monroe ("Hippie Annie"), Angaleena Presley ("Holler Annie"), and Miranda Lambert ("Lone Star Annie"). The trio was born out of a songwriting session when Monroe introduced Lambert to the music of her friend, Presley. "Hell on Heels" is the title track to the trio's 2011 debut album. The trio has performed on selected Miranda Lambert tour dates and it is planning a tour of its own soon. Every song on "Hell on Heels" was written by one or more of the Annies, who all co-wrote the track "Family Feud" with "Pistol Andy" Blake Shelton.

One of country music's biggest breakout acts of 2011, Stoney Creek Records' Thompson Square has earned 12 major awards show nominations in 2011 including seven ACA nominations, an American Music Award (ACA) nod for New Artist of the Year, and two CMA nominations for New Artist of the Year and Vocal Duo of the Year. The husband-and-wife team, comprised of the Oklahoma-bred Keifer Thompson and Alabama-bred Shawna Thompson, combine classic country and rock influences to forge a sound that is thoroughly modern, but built on the bedrock of tradition.Â The duo's No. 1 single "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not" is country radio's most played song of the year, according to music industry tracking service Mediabase. Their current single, "I Got You," is a Top 10 hit. Thompson Square spent the past year on the road opening for multi-platinum country rocker Jason Aldean on his My Kinda Party 2011 Tour. The pair joins Darius Rucker's U.S. tour in November and joins Lady Antebellum's Own the Night 2012 World Tour in January.

The Eli Young Band's lead single "Crazy Girl," has been certified platinum with sales of more than one million downloads. The song is currently at No. 2 on both country radio charts while the video for the single has tracked over six million views on YouTube. "Life at Best"Â made its debut at No. 3 on theÂ BillboardÂ Country Albums chart and No. 6 on theÂ BillboardÂ 200. It came in at No. 1 on the iTunes Store Top 10 Country Albums chart and No. 3 on iTunes' all-genre Top 10 Albums chart, just behind Jay Z/Kanye West and Adele.Â While currently on tour with Dierks Bentley, EYB is a headliner in its own right, selling out shows across the country from California to Rhode Island.

AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS is executive-produced by Bob Bain (TEEN CHOICE 2011, "Kids' Choice Awards"). Fletcher Foster, Paul Flattery and Tisha Fein serve as producers; and Greg Sills is supervising producer. Michael Dempsey will direct the special.

NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR SECOND ANNUAL "AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS" AIRING LIVE MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, ON FOX
Jason Aldean and Zac Brown Band Lead with Eight Nominations Each; Thompson Square Gets Seven Nods; The Band Perry and Taylor Swift Each Earn Six
Vote for Your Favorite Country Music Nominees Online at theacas.com

The second annual AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Monday, Dec. 5 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Jason Aldean and Zac Brown Band lead the AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS nominees with eight nominations each; Thompson Square earned seven nods; and The Band Perry and Taylor Swift each garnered six.

Starting today, fans can vote once each day for their favorite AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS nominees at www.theacas.com. Voting is open until Friday, Nov. 11 for all categories, except for Artist of the Year, which closes on Friday, Dec. 2. The nominees for each award category have been determined by four media measurement companies: BigChampagne (record sales and media consumption); Great American Country (video airplay); Mediabase (radio airplay); and Pollstar (touring data).

Hosted by Trace Adkins and Kristin Chenoweth, the two-hour live music spectacular is the only country music awards show that gives fans the opportunity to vote for their favorite artists not only in traditional categories but also in previously unrecognized areas of the business such as touring, encompassing the entire spectrum of country music and bestowing honors that no other awards show has.

The AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS will feature performances and appearances by the year's chart-topping country artists. Performers and presenters will be announced soon.

Following is the list of categories and nominees for the AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS:

ARTISTS

Artist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Lady Antebellum
Taylor Swift
Zac Brown Band

Artist of the Year: Male
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Blake Shelton

Artist of the Year: Female
Sara Evans
Alison Krauss
Miranda Lambert
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Artist of the Year: Duo or Group
The Band Perry
Lady Antebellum
Rascal Flatts
Sugarland
Zac Brown Band

Artist of the Year: Breakthrough Artist
Eric Church
Eli Young Band
Chris Young
Justin Moore
Jake Owen

Artist of the Year: New Artist
The Band Perry
Scotty McCreery
Jerrod Niemann
The Pistol Annies
Thompson Square

Albums

Album of the Year
Jason Aldean, "My Kinda Party
Kenny Chesney, "Hemingway's Whiskey"
Brad Paisley, "This Is Country Music"
Taylor Swift, "Speak Now"
Keith Urban, "Get Closer"
Zac Brown Band, "You Get What You Give"

SINGLES

Single of the Year
Billy Currington, "Let Me Down Easy"
Tim McGraw, "Felt Good On My Lips"
Thompson Square, "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not"
Chris Young, "Voices"
Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson, "As She's Walking Away"

Single of the Year: Male
Jason Aldean, "My Kinda Party"
Luke Bryan, "Someone Else Calling You Baby"
Billy Currington, "Let Me Down Easy"
Tim McGraw, "Felt Good On My Lips"
Chris Young, "Voices"

Single of the Year: Female
Sara Evans, "A Little Bit Stronger"
Miranda Lambert, "Heart Like Mine"
Reba, "Turn On The Radio"
Taylor Swift, "Mean"
Carrie Underwood, "Mama's Song"

Single of the Year: Duo or Group
The Band Perry, "You Lie"
Rascal Flatts, "Why Wait?"
Sugarland, "Stuck Like Glue"
Thompson Square, "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not?"
Zac Brown Band, "Colder Weather"

Single of the Year: New Artist
The Band Perry, "You Lie"
Craig Campbell, "Family Man"
The Jane Dear Girls, "Wildflower"
Jerrod Neimann, "What Do You Want?"
Thompson Square, "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not?"

Single of the Year: Vocal Collaboration
Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson, "Don't You Wanna Stay?"
Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter, "You and Tequila"
Brad Paisley with Alabama, "Old Alabama"
Zac Brown Band with Jimmy Buffet, "Knee Deep"
Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson, "As She's Walking Away"

TOURING

Touring Headline Package of the Year
Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Tim McGraw
Brad Paisley
Rascal Flatts
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban

VIDEOS

Music Video of the Year
Sara Evans, "A Little Bit Stronger"
Jerrod Niemann, "What Do You Want?"
Blake Shelton, "Who Are you When I'm Not Looking?"
Thompson Square, "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not?"
Josh Turner, "I Wouldn't Be A Man"

Music Video: Male
Jason Aldean "My Kinda Party"
Jerrod Niemann "What Do You Want?"
Blake Shelton "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking?"
Josh Turner "I Wouldn't Be A Man"
Keith Urban "Put You In A Song"

Music Video: Female
Sara Evans, "A Little Bit Stronger"
Reba, "Turn On The Radio"
Ashton Shepherd, "Look It Up"
Taylor Swift, "Back To December"
Carrie Underwood, "Mama's Song"

Music Video: Duo, Group or Collaboration
Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson "Don't You Wanna Stay?"
The Band Perry "You Lie"
Lady Antebellum "Hello World"
Thompson Square "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not?"
Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson "As She's Walking Away"

Music Video: New Artist
The Band Perry "You Lie"
Craig Campbell "Family Man"
Brett Eldredge "Raymond"
Jerrod Niemann "What Do You Want?"
Thompson Square "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not?"

About The MGM Grand Garden Arena
The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar de la Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather and George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, U2, 'N Sync, Sting, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also is home to the annual Academy of Country Music Awards and the Frozen Fury NHL pre-season game which features the Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche.

About BigChampagne
BigChampagne integrates, analyzes, and reports information about the sale, broadcast and consumption of popular entertainment media. Our partners and sources for data include retailers, online and traditional (radio and television) broadcasters, major content companies, subscription services, social networks, and other venues where entertainment is enjoyed.

About Great American Country (GAC)
Great American Country is theÂ leader in country music entertainment, and delivers to viewers theÂ widest variety of country music, its artists and the lifestyles they influence. GACÂ broadcasts originalÂ countryÂ music programming, music performanceÂ specials, live concerts and music videos. GAC is available in more than 60 million households and online at www.GACTV.com. GAC is owned by Scripps Networks Interactive, the leading developer of lifestyle-oriented content for television and the Internet, including HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Travel Channel. Scripps Networks is based in Knoxville, Tenn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, Chevy Chase, MD and Nashville, and is a unit ofÂ Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE:SNI).

About Mediabase
Mediabase monitors the airplay of over 1,800 radio stations, updated continuously 24 hours daily. Mediabase produces historic and current airplay data for U.S. and Canadian radio stations, satellite radio, and music television. Formats monitored include Mainstream Top 40, Rhythmic, Mainstream Rock, Active Rock, Modern Rock, Classic Rock, Triple A, Country, Oldies, AC, Hot AC, Urban, Urban AC, Smooth AC, Christian AC, Gospel and Latin. In addition to providing vital airplay information to radio stations in the U.S. and Canada, Mediabase provides information to every major record label and distributor, as well as concert promoters, artists, managers, music publishers, movie studios, video game developers and more. Mediabase charts are published weekly in USA Today, and are used on nearly all radio countdown shows and dozens of websites and magazines.

About Pollstar
Pollstar is the only trade publication covering the worldwide concert industry. It has been supplying in-depth information to every professional concert promoter, booking agent, artist manager, facility executive and every other entity involved in the live entertainment business for more than 25 years. Pollstar gets its information primarily from the agents, managers and promoters who are producing concerts. It employs a staff of more than 25 full-time professionals who do nothing except research and build their tour database.