Keepin' it Country Media & Radio » ACM awards

ACMs have best audience in 15 years

Lydia Picknell — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 03:08:59 +0000

Looks like we’ll be seeing more of Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan next year, if audience numbers are anything to go by. The Academy of Country Music and CBS are reporting that they had their best audience in over 15 years, beating out the NCAA Basketball Tournament, NBA Basketball, MLB Baseball, and more. It’s the best numbers since 1998 for the ACM Awards.

The 48th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS led CBS to a Sunday night victory as the night’s top program in viewers and demographics with the event’s highest measures in viewers since 1998, in households and adults 18-49 since 2001, and in adults 25-54 since 2000, according to Nielsen preliminary live plus same day ratings for April 7. Sunday night’s broadcast also marked the first time that the ACM Awards have beaten the same season’s Country Music Awards (CMAs) in these ratings categories since the advent of people meters.

THE ACM AWARDS swept the night in households (9.2/14), viewers (15.38m), adults 25-54 (5.3/12) and adults 18-49 (4.3/11). THE ACM AWARDS posted its best deliveries in households and adults 18-49 since 2001, in adults 25-54 since 2000 and largest audience since 1998. Compared to last year’s ceremony (on April 1), THE ACM AWARDS was up +16% in households (from 7.9/13), +26% in adults 25-54 (from 4.2/10), +39% in adults 18-49 (from 3.1/08) and added +2.29m viewers (from 13.09m, +17%).

Compared to “The CMA Awards” on ABC on Nov. 1, THE ACM AWARDS was ahead by +8% in households (from 8.5/13), +13% in both adults 25-54 (from 4.7/11) and adults 18-49 (from 3.8/10), and led by +1.70m viewers (from 13.68m, +12%).

THE ACM AWARDS also broke records online and on social media. According to BlueFin Labs today THE ACM AWARDS were #1 in this week’s Top 10 Social Shows, with 1.9 million social media comments and 619.4 million impressions – beating out the 2013 NCAA Basketball Tournament, NBA Basketball, MLB Baseball and The Voice, among others. The number of unique commenters about the Awards telecast this year surged to 613,000+, a record high.

For perspective, in 2011 the Awards garnered 157,000 social media comments, in 2012 it garnered 676,000 – and in 2013, it earned 1.9 million.

Social media mentions around this year’s show hit an all-time high, up +285% over last year, according to SocialGuide, and visits to ACM Awards content on CBS.com were up +136% over last year. In addition, more than 1.1 million votes were cast for the Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year categories combined, an increase of +22% over last year’s vote.

For the night, CBS was first in households (8.4/14), viewers (13.87m), adults 25-54 (4.5/11) and adults 18-49 (3.6/10) for the sixth consecutive Sunday and the seventh time in eight weeks.

Couples and Collaborations: A Look at ACM Fashion History

Jennifer Swirsky — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 02:34:43 +0000

The 48th annual Academy of Country Music Awards are taking place this Sunday, April 7th, in Las Vegas. As we all know, the red carpet and stage fashion choices are some of the most talked about items when it comes to award shows. Back, due to popular demand, is our very own pre-award show fashion reminiscent feature! This time, we take a look at the couples and collaborations of ACMs past … and, boy, have there been some questionably horrific and unquestionably sensational choices in ACM history!

Couples:

There is no better way to kick this thing off than by discussing the 48th Annual ACM Awards host, Blake Shelton, and his blonde bombshell of a wife, Miranda Lambert. On their own, each of these two artists (whom we here at Keepin’ It Country just adore!) looks sensational. Blake looks absolutely dapper in his gray jacket, black shirt, and charcoal tie, while Miranda’s dress is just the perfect amount of flash to go with her shining personality. However, we believe each forgot to consider his/her own best accessory on the red carpet — each other! Silver and gold = giant no no, unless we are talking jewelry … We girls always make exceptions for jewelry!

If you have eyes, you know that Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are gorgeous and insanely talented. Talk about a couple whose children who hit the DNA lottery! However, natural beauty and undeniable talent does not always equate to great decisions. This particular ACM orange carpet appearance leaves a bit to be desired. Is Tim wearing a blazer or a fleece hoodie from Aeropostale? Is his shirt a collector’s item from “Saturday Night Fever”? And Faith looks like a flapper who found out she was hitting the orange carpet and decided to show her love for the Miami Dolphins (Fins to the left! Fins to the Right!). Questionable choices aside, these two are still smokin’, regardless of what they pull off the hangers on any given awards show Sunday!

It was really nice of Madame Tussaud’s to donate these wax figures of Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman. Oh wait, it’s really them! Nashville’s favorite Australian duo hit the red carpet at the ACMs looking fabulous. With their matching hairdos and apparent affinity for all things crushed velvet, Nicole and Keith dazzled…and probably sweated up a storm in the Las Vegas dry heat.

The Collaborations:

Rascal Flatts teamed up with cross-genre sensation, Kelly Clarkson, to sing “What Hurts the Most” at the 2006 ACMs. No question about it, the fashion choices (and stellar performance) by this collaboration surely were not hurting on this night! Ladies first — Kelly always kills it when she wears red, and this night was no exception. The plunging front shows some skin, but leaves plenty to the imagination. Kelly looks classy, comfortable, and chic on the red carpet and on the arms of country music’s popular trio. The men of Rascal Flatts look a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n roll in vests, blazers, and t-shirts, while sporting some chest. Here’s to you, boys! Here’s to you!

Wait, is this a country awards show? Yes, yes it is. And it looks like Jem has returned from the 1980s to investigate whether Janie really does have a gun. Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith … not of American Idol, youngsters) joined Carrie Underwood during the 2011 ACM Awards to entertain country music fans with his unparalleled voice, while Carrie, once again, showed off her incomparable leg muscles. Steven dons an all-white ensemble, including a long coat, that shows off his rocker side without leaving the country folk thinking he had gone “craaaaazy craaaaazy”. Carrie looks like she grabbed her red star earring, asked Synergy to change her into Jem so she and the Holograms could battle The Mizfits. However, because she is Carrie, and because she is a goddess, she somehow pulls off what looks like Black Swan meets Girl Interrupted flawlessly.

No, really. Is this a country awards show? Also in 2011, Rihanna joined Jennifer Nettles on stage at the ACM Awards, proving once again that different genres are becoming more and more accepting of our favorite music. Let’s start with Rihanna. Unlike Steven Tyler, Rihanna doesn’t quite pull off the all-white look. In fact, with that hairdo, she looks like a Q-Tip that was dipped in iodine (likely to soothe the pain of all of us who had to endure the length of her performance). We love Jennifer Nettles. A lot. And her outfit proves one very important thing to us…She is psychic and was foreshadowing her future as a “Duets” coach. Jennifer clearly was already planning the moment she took the stage with J. Rome to perform “You’re the One That I Want” from “Grease”. On the other hand, if she chose to break into some MC Hammer dancing in those pants, that would not be shocking either.

The Co-Host No More:

We will truly miss Reba hosting this year’s awards show. Reba has become a staple on the ACMs and, while we are excited for her that she has huge projects consuming her time, this installment of the awards will be an adjustment. Reba has had some amazing moments throughout the years, but discussing all of Reba’s awards, successes, and seamless performances is no fun; and we want to have fun! As such, here are some of Reba’s not-so-amazing fashion moments in ACM history.

Thumbs up, Reba? We think not. Bad color, bad fit, bad design. Oh, and the carpet DOES, in fact, match the drapes…

Cheeeeeese! Oh Reba, clearly someone just put a mirror in front of you for the first time right when the photographer was clicking the camera because you look like you’ve just seen a ghost. Or you really need to find the ladies’ room. And thank heavens the pixie do is no more!

We saved the best for last. We rarely render ourselves speechless, but we very well may be at a loss for words here. Considering a blog is meant for words, we will leave it at this: A picture is worth a thousand of them!

Who will we fall for and who will fall victim to us on the red carpet? Who will carry home the big awards and who will go home simply holding a flask? Whose performances will shine and who will be outshone? Don’t forget to tune in this Sunday, April 7th, at 8:00 p.m. EST on CBS to find out!

Other things to look forward to during this year’s ACMs:

Tim McGraw will perform “Highway Don’t Care” with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban;

Hunter Hayes will world premiere his new single “I Want Crazy” and then be joined later by legendary music icon Stevie Wonder;

Kelly Clarkson will perform “Don’t Rush”;

Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley and Hunter Hayes will perform together live from ACM Fan Jam;

Country superstar Reba will introduce the George Strait and Garth Brooks performance. As previously announced, Strait and Brooks will perform together for the first time ever to pay tribute to Dick Clark. Each will perform a version of one of their classic hits and then join together for a very special moment;

Jewel will partner with ACM Lifting Lives to perform a live mash-up of her chart-topping hit “Hands” combined with “Fill a Heart,” an original song written by singer-songwriter Tori Kelly. This special musical moment, presented by ConAgra Foods’ Child Hunger Ends Here campaign, will be performed at the 48^thANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS FAN JAM.

Luke Bryan To Debut Brand-New Single “Crash My Party” At The ACM Awards

Nicole Piering — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 22:38:04 +0000

At this Sunday’s ACM Awards, Luke Bryan will be pulling double-duty: co-hosting and performing. The first time host will debut a never-before-heard song from his forthcoming fourth studio album. The song, entitled “Crash My Party,” will be available for purchase following the show that evening.

In addition to co-hosting and performing, Luke has four nominations, including the coveted Entertainer Of The Year. He is also nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Vocal Event of the Year for “The Only Way I Know” with Jason Aldean and Eric Church. He is also on the cover of this week’s Billboard Magazine, labeled as “country’s next poster boy.”

Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood & More Added to ACM Awards Performers

Nicole Piering — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 01:31:13 +0000

The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards announced today that superstars Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum and Little Big Town will perform on the April 7th show.

Airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on CBS, the show will be hosted by Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan, who have become affectionately referred to as “Bluke” on Twitter.

The above artists join an already star-studded show that features performances by Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait and the Band Perry.

First Round of Performers Announced For 48th Annual ACM Awards

Jeanna D. — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:23:45 +0000

The Academy of Country Music announced the first round of performers today for the 48th Annual ACM Awards, and the line-up is already a great one with some of our favorites!

Set to take the stage that night are: Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait, and The Band Perry.

The big event will take place on Sunday, April 7th. With Shelton & Bryan hosting this year, the show will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

We can’t wait!

More performers will be announced in the upcoming weeks so check back with us for updates!

The ACM Awards Take Over Fremont Street

Jennifer Swirsky — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 01:01:21 +0000

Country music is taking over Las Vegas in April, as the ACM’s head to Sin City. While the coveted awards show will take place on April 7th, it’s the days leading up to the awards that will truly be “must-see” events!

Fremont Street is located in the heart of Las Vegas, and is only second in popularity to the infamous Las Vegas Strip. The Fremont Experience is a pedestrian mall downtown, which takes up a five-block radius and is well-known for being home to the world’s largest video screen (a whopping 1,500 feet long!). So, who can you expect to see at the Fremont Street Experience, performing on this monster screen? An incredible line-up consisting of co-headliners Gary Allan and Jake Owen, along with Randy Houser, Chris Janson, Jana Kramer, Kip Moore, Joe Nichols and Sunny Sweeney!

For those of you who are lucky enough to attend this event (taking place on April 5th-6th), we have great news: It’s FREE!

Unfortunately for those of us who will not be in Las Vegas during ACM week, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas; however, we are counting on those of you who will be there to sneak us a little bit of information on this incredible event so we can live vicariously through you!

Tweet To Find Out Blake Shelton’s ACM Awards Mystery Co-Host!

Jennifer Swirsky — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 02:13:16 +0000

For the first time in years, Reba McEntire will not be hosting the ACM Awards (due to a jam-packed schedule between her television show and other projects). However, as they say in show biz, the show must go on, and it will do so with Blake Shelton on the stage as a co-host. Yes, I said “co-host,” which means Blake will be sharing the stage with another artist.

It would be absolutely remiss of anybody to assume that Blake would openly tell the masses who his co-host will be without causing us all to jump through some hoops! As such, those involved with the ACM Awards are keeping Blake’s co-host a secret until they receive 25,000 tweets through the official ACM Awards website. To have your hand in helping reveal Blake’s co-host for the 2013 ACM Awards, click here so you can tweet the official Twitter message and have your tweet count toward the 25,000 requirement.

And watch the video below to hear Blake talk a bit about this year’s ACM Awards and his mystery co-host.

VIDEO: ACM Awards – Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson Win Single of the Year

Jeanna D. — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:34:51 +0000

It was a sweep for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” at the 47th Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday night.

Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson took home the ACM Award for ‘Single Record of the Year’ for their number one hit, “Don’t You Wanna Stay.”

The pair took the stage to accept the award along with producer, Michael Knox. Aldean graciously thanked the writers for creating a great song. He continued his speech by adding that he wanted a female vocal on the record and the first person that came to his mind was Clarkson. He then told the crowd, that she took the song to a new place.

Clarkson, looking gorgeous in red, thanked Jason and their managers and then sweetly thanked everyone for welcoming her from the pop world. Country music loves you, Kelly! You are welcomed with open arms.

The pair also picked up ‘Vocal Event of the Year’ prior to the ACM Awards’ live broadcast.

“Don’t You Wanna Stay” appears on Aldean’s album, My Kinda Party, as well as on Clarkson’s deluxe edition of her Stronger album.

Watch the video of Jason, Kelly, & Michael accepting their ACM Award:

Continue reading to watch video of Jason in the press room…

Aldean also stopped by the press room for an interview. He discussed the win, his career, working with Clarkson, Thompson Square, and touring.

“The reason I got into this business is I love playing live, I love playing music, and that’s what I want to do.”

Watch the full interview:

Congratulations to Jason, Kelly, and Michael!!!! The honor was very well deserved.

*Photo Credit: Ethan Miller – Getty Images

VIDEO: ACM Awards – Blake Shelton Wins Male Vocalist

Jeanna D. — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:13:50 +0000

It was a busy night on Sunday for Blake Shelton at the 47th Academy of Country Music Awards. The really good kind of busy!

Shelton co-hosted the show with Reba McEntire, and the pair once again nailed their roles as hosts. You can always count on it being a fantastic show with McEntire and Shelton leading the way.

The country superstar also performed his single “Drink On It” from his hugely successful and number one album, Red River Blue. He then took the stage again to close the show. This time, though, with Lionel Richie for their duet version of “You Are.” The track will be on Richie’s Tuskegee album, which features duets with various country stars.

To top it all off, Shelton snagged the ACM Award last night for ‘Male Vocalist of the Year!’ He was surprised by the honor, but it is very well deserved and we are so happy for him. Congratulations to Blake!!!!

Watch video of Shelton accepting his ACM Award:

Shelton also stopped by the press room for an interview. He discussed his career, The Voice, Taylor Swift, and his wife, Miranda Lambert.

Continue reading to watch the interview…

Regarding Swift, he told the press:

“Taylor is just one of those once in a lifetime stars that comes along that you know makes a difference and we’re lucky enough in country music to call her, you know, one of us. And that’s pretty cool!”

Later on, he went on to discuss his better half. He said, as her husband, he wants her to win all of the awards. But my favorite part was this:

“Country music, they’re hard on songs and music … and I’m glad they’re hard on them. And I’m glad they recognize how great Miranda’s records are and how she pushes the envelope and tries new sounds and new things all the time. But she’s not just trying it, she nails it every time. I’m blown away by her. I really am.”

*Photo Credit: AP Photo/Isaac Brekken

ACM Awards: Taylor Swift Wins Entertainer of the Year

Jeanna D. — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 06:02:32 +0000

Taylor Swift fans have spoken again!

Taylor took home the trophy for ACM ‘Entertainer of the Year’ for the second year in a row!

During her acceptance speech, she gave a beautiful mention to Kevin McGuire. Kevin is the high school senior who was supposed to be Taylor’s date for the ACM Awards last night. (You can read the story here.) We were terribly sad to hear that Kevin was admitted to the hospital again, and could not make the awards. Taylor promised to give him a shout out and to make it up to him. We want to let Kevin know that we are thinking of him and he is in our prayers.

Taylor posted this video to her Facebook page shortly after winning to say thank-you to her fans! I cannot say enough good things about Taylor Swift. We know she is talented, but she just continues to impress with her class and kindness. She has my continued support.

Continue reading to watch the video…

Congratulations to Taylor!!!!

*Photo Credit: AP Photo/Isaac Brekken