The Grammys’ Country Music Contenders

The 2010 Grammy Awards air live tomorrow, January 31st, on CBS beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST, and this year’s list of country music contenders is a great one!

This year’s nominees include:

Best Female Country Vocal Performance
~ Dead Flowers by Miranda Lambert
~ I Just Call You Mine by Martina McBride
~ White Horse by Taylor Swift
~ Just A Dream by Carrie Underwood
~ Solitary Thinkin’ by Lee Ann Womack

Best Male Country Vocal Performance
~ All I Ask For Anymore by Trace Adkins
~ People Are Crazy by Billy Currington
~ High Cost Of Living by Jamey Johnson
~ Living For The Night by George Strait
~ Sweet Thing by Keith Urban

Best Country Album
~ The Foundation by Zac Brown Band
~ Twang by George Strait
~ Fearless by Taylor Swift
~ Defying Gravity by Keith Urban
~ Call Me Crazy by Lee Ann Womack

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group with Vocals
~ Cowgirls Don’t Cry by Brooks & Dunn
~ Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band
~ I Run To You by Lady Antebellum
~ Here Comes Goodbye by Rascal Flatts
~ It Happens by Sugarland

Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
~ Beautiful World by Dierks Bentley and Patty Griffin
~ Down The Road by Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnally
~ Start A Band by Brad Paisley and Keith Urban
~ I Told You So by Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis
~ Everything But Quits by Lee Ann Womack and George Strait

[image: zuma press]

Country Track Pack for Rock Band Gets Bigger

Fans of both country music and the popular Rock Band video game have a little more to be excited about this week — it was just announced that the country track pack is getting a little bit larger!

The pack is being expanded by seven new additions, and includes both classic country and contemporary country hits alike from Alan Jackson, Kenny Rogers, Keith Urban and Shania Twain.

The individual tracks can be downloaded to your computer for $1.99 each, or you can acquire the whole pack for $29.95. The full pack includes:

- “Good Time” – Alan Jackson
- “Mud on the Tires” – Brad Paisley
- “Hillbilly Deluxe” – Brooks and Dunn
- “Cry Lonely” – Cross Canadian Ragweed
- “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)” – Dierks Bentley
- “Sin Wagon” – Dixie Chicks
- “3 Dimes Down” – Drive-By Truckers
- “She’s Country” – Jason Aldean
- “I Told You So” – Keith Urban
- “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” – Kenny Chesney
- “The Gambler” – Kenny Rogers
- “Can’t Let Go” – Lucinda Williams
- “This One’s for the Girls” – Martina McBride
- “Gunpowder & Lead” – Miranda Lambert
- “Gone” – Montgomery Gentry
- “Me and My Gang” – Rascal Flatts
- “Suds in the Bucket” – Sara Evans
- “Any Man of Mine” – Shania Twain
- “Swing” – Tracy Adkins
- “Satellite Radio” – Steve Earle
- “On the Road Again” – Willie Nelson

[image: rockbandstore.com]

Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova” Christmas Special

Did you catch Carrie Underwood’s All-Star Holiday Special on Fox last night? The two hour variety show featured Carrie with other featured guests like Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, and David Cook.

The video above is Carrie performing her current smash single, “Cowboy Casanova.” I don’t know how Carrie does it — I’d be way too distracted by the dancers to pay attention to the singing! (Are they wearing vampire fangs?)

Carrie was rocking the skin-tight leather pants and thigh-high boots, and hit every note perfectly. After the performance we got a sneak-peak of some “behind the scenes footage” of the hard work that Carrie puts in to being such a great performer.

Carrie Underwood’s All-Star Holiday Special

Carrie Underwood is welcoming friends and fans alike tonight as she hosts her All-Star Holiday Special on Fox.

The two-hour variety show begins at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT and will include guests like Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, David Cook, and Kristin Chenoweth.

Carrie will be performing music from an upcoming album, as well as previous hits and classic holiday songs. About the special, Carrie says:

“It’s kind of a mishmash special. Christmas, variety, a lot of my new music, a lot of guests coming on and performing with me, so I get to sing some other people’s songs, some skits and stuff like that.”

[image: flynet]

Country Music Grammy Nominations

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards nominations for 2010 were just announced, and the nominees for country music are really no surprise!

Leading the country pack is, of course, Taylor Swift with 8 nominations for the entirety of the award nominations (Beyonce leads with ten). Love Taylor or hate her, she’s got a heck of a fan base!

The 52nd Annual Grammys will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on January 31, 2010 on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).. The full nomination list can be found at Grammy.com.

The rest of the country music nominations for the 2010 Grammys include:

Best Female Country Vocal Performance

~ “Dead Flowers” Miranda Lambert
~ “I Just Call You Mine” Martina McBride
~ “White Horse” Taylor Swift
~ “Just A Dream” Carrie Underwood
~ “Solitary Thinkin’” Lee Ann Womack

Best Male Country Vocal Performance

~ “All I Ask For Anymore” Trace Adkins
~ “People Are Crazy” Billy Currington
~ “High Cost Of Living” Jamey Johnson
~ “Living For The Night” George Strait
~ “Sweet Thing” Keith Urban

See the rest of the nominations under the cut! Read more

43rd Annual CMA Award Winners

Tonight’s 43rd Annual CMA Awards broadcast was a huge event — lots of great live performances, amusing hosting by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, and a few surprise wins!

Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
George Strait
* Taylor Swift
Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
* Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year
Kenny Chesney
* Brad Paisley
Darius Rucker
George Strait
Keith Urban

New Artist of the Year
Randy Houser
Jamey Johnson
Jake Owen
* Darius Rucker
Zac Brown Band

Vocal Group of the Year
Eagles
* Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo of the Year
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Joey & Rory
Montgomery Gentry
* Sugarland

Single of the Year
“Chicken Fried” — Zac Brown Band
* “I Run to You” — Lady Antebellum
“In Color” — Jamey Johnson
“People Are Crazy” — Billy Currington
“Then” — Brad Paisley

Album of the Year
American Saturday Night — Brad Paisley
Defying Gravity — Keith Urban
* Fearless — Taylor Swift
Love On the Inside — Sugarland
That Lonesome Song — Jamey Johnson

Song of the Year
“Chicken Fried” — Zac Brown Band
“I Told You So” — Carrie Underwood
* “In Color” — Jamey Johnson
“People Are Crazy” — Billy Currington
“Then” — Brad Paisley

Musical Event of the Year
“Cowgirls Don’t Cry” — Brooks & Dunn and Reba McEntire
“Down the Road” — Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnally
“Everything but Quits” — Lee Ann Womack and George Strait
“I Told You So” — Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis
“Old Enough” — The Raconteurs, Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe
* “Start a Band” — Brad Paisley and Keith Urban

Music Video of the Year
“Boots on” — Randy Houser
* “Love Story” — Taylor Swift
“People Are Crazy” — Billy Currington
“Start a Band” – Brad Paisley duet with Keith Urban
“Troubadour” — George Strait

[image: zuma press]

Keith Urban at the BMI Awards

Keith Urban and his wife, actress Nicole Kidman, were spotted at the 2009 Country BMI Awards last night in Nashville, Tennessee.

Keith is up against George Strait, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, and Tayor Swift for Entertainer of the Year at tonight’s CMA Awards, and about the award, he says:

“It’s not gender based, and it takes into account all the things we do in a year – making records and playing concerts and being artists. It’s always been a real prize.”

The 43rd Annual CMA Awards air tonight at 8:00/7:00 Central on ABC!

MORE PICS of Keith and Nicole after the cut! Read more

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood on GMA

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will be performing together on Good Morning America on Tuesday, November 10 live from Nashville on ABC.

The two, who will once again host this year’s CMA Awards, will perform live from Sommet Center’s outside plaza at the corner of Broadway and Fifth Avenue in Nashville, and is presented by Chevrolet.

The concert is free and open to the public and is in conjunction with the 43rd Annual CMA Awards, airing Wednesday, November 11 from 8-11 p.m.

Wendy Pearl, CMA Vice President of Communications, said: “We can’t imagine a better way to jump start the excitement leading up to the CMA Awards than to have our hosts Brad and Carrie perform on Good Morning America. It’s a wonderful way for America to get a taste of what to expect during country music’s biggest night.’ We hope everyone comes out to experience these great artists, great music and a great time in Nashville.”

[image: zuma press]

Dale Earnhardt Jr to Present at CMA Awards

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be making a stop as a presenter at the November 11 Country Music Association Awards.

Earnhardt is part of a round of presenters announced by the CMA for ceremony, which will air on ABC. Others include LeAnn Rimes, Kellie Pickler, Julianne Hough, and nominees Randy Houser and Jake Owen.

They join the previously announced performers, who include Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney (with Dave Matthews), Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Sugarland, George Strait, Zac Brown Band and Vince Gill (with Daughtry).

The show will be co-hosted for the second consecutive year by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, both of whom are also slated to perform.

[image: zuma press]

Dave Matthews Joining Kenny Chesney

Dave Matthews will be joining Kenny Chesney at the Country Music Association Awards in November.

The two will perform Kenny’s current hit “I’m Alive,” which they had recorded together for Kenny’s album Lucky Old Sun.

The 43rd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, will air live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on Wednesday, November 11 8-11 p.m. eastern on ABC.

[image: newscom]

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