Keepin' it Country Media & Radio » Academy of Country Music

Kelleigh Bannen Visits The Academy of Country Music

Nicole Piering — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:35:45 +0000

EMI Records Nashville recording artist Kelleigh Bannon took Los Angeles by storm this week, paying a special visit to The Academy of Country Music. During her visit, she performed her single “Sorry On The Rocks.” Additionally, she signed up for her professional ACM membership, which is complimentary from the Academy in support of emerging artists.

(Photo L-R: Bob Romeo, ACM CEO; Kelleigh Bannen; Tiffany Moon, ACM Executive Vice President/Managing Director)

ACM Pledges $2.5 Million to Hall of Fame Expansion

Lydia Picknell — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 13:41:32 +0000

The Academy of Country Music (ACM) promised to donate $2.5 million towards the Country Music Hall of Fame And Museum’s massive expansion project which will bring the museum from 140,000 square feet to more than 350,000 square feet. The donation is part of the “Working On A Building: Country Music Lives Here” project. As part of the expansion, the Country Music Hall of Fame And Museum announced an ACM Contemporary Gallery, which will feature modern events, developments, and culture in today’s country music.

“It is the Academy’ss honor to help ensure that the history of country music can be told for generations to come,” ACM CEO Bob Romeo. “We are able to make this kind of contribution only because of the incredible country music artists who give of their time for Academy charitable endeavors; we can’t thank them enough for the impact they have on our industry.”

The Hall of Fame is very moved by the generosity of the ACMs, explains Museum Director Kyle Young:

“We are deeply indebted to the ACM for this wonderful gift, which will help us continue to fulfill our educational mission and serve our worldwide audience. The genre we chronicle is a living thing, constantly evolving; country music history is being made every day. Great museums must remain relevant, and the ACM Contemporary Gallery will allow us to not only expand our examination and celebration of modern stars, important background players and new developments in the genre, but also to spotlight new artists, trends and issues as they break.”

For more information on the Country Music Hall of Fame, visit countrymusichalloffame.org. What do you hope to see as part of the expansion?

UPDATED: Sneak Peeks At Blake And Reba’s ACM Promo

Ted Efron — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:38:03 +0000

The Academy of Country Music awards are quickly approaching, and as the days until the event get smaller, expect the promotions for it to get larger. Today the ACM is giving us a sneak peek at an upcoming promo.

The pictures at the bottom of this posting appeared today on the ACM Facebook page. The first shows co-hosts Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire in a sweet red ride, taking a trip somewhere — thanks to a little green-screen trickery. As to exactly where they are going and what they are saying…Well, we’re all going to just have to wait for the spot to hit the air. The second shot shows the two of them having a little fun during an interview segment. And just like the promo, we’ll have to wait to see the interview, too.

The good news is we don’t have to wait too much longer for the actual event. The 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8:00 PM ET on CBS. (As usual, it will be delayed for folks living in the Pacific Time Zone.)

Gilbert, Hayes & McCreery Nab ACM New Artist Nominations

Ted Efron — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:54:15 +0000

Gilbert, Hayes & McCreery. That may sound like a law firm, but it’s not (as far as I know). In this case, it’s Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes and Scotty McCreery, who today have been named the final nominees for the Academy of Country Music Award for New Artist of the Year.

Fans voted the three into the final round and they will also have a say on who the ultimate winner is. Voting for New Artist of the Year will take place at http://www.voteacm.com/ beginning March 19, 2012 at 9:00 AM PT and will continue until 5:00 PM PT on Sunday, April 1, 2012 (before the LIVE show starts). The New Artist of the Year final nominees were selected by a combined vote of the fans and professional members of the Academy of Country Music.

Brantley Gilbert scored his first number one hit with “Country Must Be Country Wide.” That song was his frist trip to the top of the charts as a performer, but he had already been there several times as a writer. He wrote “My Kinda Party” and “Dirt Road Anthem,” which Jason Aldean took to number one. Gilbert is currently out on tour with Eric Church.

Hunter Hayes Hunter is the only 2011 debut artist to play every instrument, write/co-write every song and co-produce his critically acclaimed self-titled debut album. His song “Storm Warning” is at #14 on the latest Billboard chart. He’s currently out on the road on his first headlining Most Wanted Tour.

McCreery, the reigning winner of American Idol, saw his debut album, Clear As Day, be certified platinum in just three months. His first single, “I Love You This Big,” topped out at #15 on the Billboard chart. His current single, “The Trouble With Girls,” reached #20. McCreery is currently out on the road as part of Brad Paisley’s Virtual Reality Tour.

The 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8:00 PM ET on CBS. (As usual, it will be delayed for folks living in the Pacific Time Zone.)

ACM Nominees For Promoter, Club, and Casino Of the Year

Lydia Picknell — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:50:13 +0000

Congratulations to all the nominees for the Academy of Country Music this year. The ACMs just announced their nominees for Promoter of the Year, Nightclub of the Year, venue of the Year, Casino of the Year, and Talent Buyer of the Year. See all the nominees for the 47th annual ACM Awards below:

The nominees for Casino of the Year are…

Agua Caliente Casino ? Rancho Mirage, CA
IP Casino ? Biloxi, MS
Island Resort Casino ? Harris, MI
Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino ? Las Vegas, NV
WinStar World Casino ? Thackerville, OK

The nominees for Nightclub of the Year are…

Billy Bob’s Texas ? Ft. Worth, TX
Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace ? Bakersfield, CA
Grizzly Rose ? Denver, CO
Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill ? Minneapolis, MN
Wormy Dog ? Oklahoma City, OK

The nominees for Venue of the Year are…

BOK Center ? Tulsa, OK
Bridgestone Arena ? Nashville, TN
First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre ? Chicago, IL
Jiffy Lube Live ? Bristow, VA
Sprint Center ? Kansas City, MO

The nominees for Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year are…

Ethan Hirsch ? Wilson Events
Jimmy Jay ? Jayson Promotions, Inc.
R.J. Kaltenbach ? Klein’s Attractions
Gary Osier ? Gary Osier Presents
Huston Powell ? C3 Presents

The nominees for Promoter of the Year are…

Ben Ferrell ? Varnell Enterprises, Inc.
Brad Garrett ? Police Productions
Brian O’Connell ? Live Nation
Glenn Smith ? Glenn & Linda Present
Ed Warm ? Joe’s Bar

ACM Nominees for Producer / Engineer / Musicians

Lydia Picknell — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:45:31 +0000

The Academy of Country Music has just announced the nominees for the producer, engineer, and musician categories for the 47th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. See the list here and congratulations to all the nominees!

The nominees for Producer of the Year are…

Mark Bright
Buddy Cannon
Nathan Chapman
Jay Joyce
Frank Liddell

The nominees for Audio Engineer of the Year are…

Jeff Balding
Derek Bason
John Kelton
Mills Logan
Justin Niebank

The nominees for Bass Player of the Year are…

Mike Brignardello
Kevin “Swine” Grantt
Mark Hill
Michael Rhodes
Jimmy Lee Sloas

The nominees for Percussionist/Drummer of the Year are…

Matt Chamberlain
Chad Cromwell
Shannon Forrest
Chris McHugh
Greg Morrow

See the nominees for “Steel Guitar Player of the Year” ,”Guitar Player of the Year,” “Fiddle Player of the Year,” “Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year,” and “Specialty Instrument Player of the Year” below the “read more” button:

The nominees for Guitarist of the Year are…

J.T. Corenflos
Kenny Greenberg
Jay Joyce
Brent Mason
Adam Shoenfeld

The nominees for Steel Guitar Player of the Year are…

Paul Franklin
Mike Johnson
Greg Leisz
Russ Pahl
Scotty Sanders

The nominees for Fiddle Player of the Year are…

Glen Duncan
Stuart Duncan
Larry Franklin
Joe Spivey
Jonathan Yudkin

The nominees for Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year are…

Tony Harrell
John Hobbs
John Jarvis
Charlie Judge
Michael Rojas

The nominees for Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year are…

Eric Darken
Aubrey Haynie
Ilya Toshinsky
John Willis
Jonathan Yudkin

CBS, ACMs & Dick Clark Renew 10-Year Contract

Lydia Picknell — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:58:41 +0000

Looks like we might be seeing much more of Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire as co-hosts. CBS, the Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions announced this morning that they have agreed to a new 10-year contract to broadcast the ACM awards on CBS through to 2021.

The agreement further extends their successful partnership they’ve had together since 1998.

“The Academy of Country Music represents a highly valued partnership for our company and the awards show is one of the marquee broadcasts on our network,” said Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation. “It is an entertainment event that continues to grow in scope and popularity, and we look forward to working with the ACM and dick clark productions to build on this great momentum over the next decade.”

In addition to the ACM award broadcasts, the contract also includes the continued broadcast of yearly 2-hour ACM specials.

Jack Ingram Goes “Bowling” and Rocks “Religiously”

Ted Efron — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:01:43 +0000

The 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas is spicing up its pre-game party with a big shot of Jack — Jack Ingram, that is.

The Texas-born singer/songwriter headlines TexFest, the bowl game’s official pre-game party, this Saturday morning at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Ingram, who was raised in the area.

Ingram won the 2008 Academy of Country Music award for “Best New Male Vocalist,” even though folks who know country music knew there was nothing “new” about him. At the time of the award, he’d already put in more than a decade of time on the road, earning a loyal following along the way. What the award did do, however, was prove that Ingram had finally broken through with commercial success that finally matched his artistry.

The “Barefoot and Crazy” singer recently broke free from his contract with Big Machine Records. Free from the label, Ingram says he’s invigorated and looking forward instead of looking back. If you need proof of that, look no further than his new song “Religiously”. It’s a love song, but it’s not a direct or sappy one. “It just feels like it comes from a place of strength, ” says Ingram. “Instead of hoping for love, it’s kinda demanding it.” You can hear “Religiously” by clicking here.

Ingram says he’s working on a new record, and if this song is any indication, fans will definitely be back for more Jack.

ACM Announce New Category For Next Year’s Award Show

Lydia Picknell — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:24:52 +0000

The Academy of Country Music announced this morning the addition of a new category at next year’s 47th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. For the first time since 1965, the ACMs will honor a “Songwriter Of The Year,” an award only given out once previously to Roger Miller. The 47 annual Academy of Country Music awards will be held Spring 2012 on a still-unannounced date.

“The Academy has always paid tribute to songwriters, whether it was through Song of the Year, hosting songwriter #1 parties or honoring legends with the Poet’s Award as we do every year,” said Michelle Goble, Senior Vice President, Membership & Events at the Academy of Country Music. “We are thrilled to dedicate this annual award to the composers that make the country music genre so special in its rich history of storytelling.”

The Songwriter Of The Year nominees will be selected by a blue panel of judges and professional members of the Artist-Entertainer/Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist, Composer, Music Publisher/PRO, Music Company, subcategory. The winner will be announced with the Special Awards recipients, Industry, and MBI winners next spring prior to the telecast. The awards will be presented in Nashville during the annual ACM Honors event in the fall.

The category for the Songwriter Of The Year is as follows according to the ACMs:

This award is presented to an individual known predominately as a songwriter, selected by a panel of Blue Ribbon Judges composed of songwriters, publishers, producers, and performing rights organization (PRO) representatives. The Panel will submit 5 (five) nominees, which will be placed on the ballot once approved by the Board. The factors to be considered include, but are not limited to, a commercially released single crediting the songwriter that charted on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs (BDS) or Country Aircheck (Mediabase) country charts during the prior calendar year of December 1^st to November 30^th.

If the single was released prior to the eligibility period, but achieved its highest charted position during the eligibility period, it is eligible, unless it appeared on a final ACM ballot. The winner shall be determined by a vote of ACM members classified in the following categories; Artist-Entertainer/Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist, Composer, Music Publisher/PRO, Record Company, and the Producer/Engineer/Studio Manager subcategory [contained within the Affiliated category].