SPECIAL AWARDS

Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award – Keith Whitley and The Judds have been chosen to receive the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award, honoring individuals who are pioneers in the country music genre.

Crystal Milestone Award – Jason Aldean has been chosen to receive the Crystal Milestone Award, which is given to an artist or industry leader to commemorate a specific, remarkable achievement.

Gene Weed Special Achievement Award – Blake Shelton has been chosen to receive the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award, which acknowledges unprecedented, unique and outstanding individual achievement in country music.

Jim Reeves International Award – Lady Antebellum has been chosen to receive the Jim Reeves International Award, which is presented to an artist for outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world.

Mae Boren Axton Award – Tommy Wiggins has been chosen as the recipient of the Mae Boren Axton Award, which is given in recognition of years of dedication and service by an outstanding individual to the Academy of Country Music.

Poet’s Award – Guy Clark and Hank Williams have been selected to receive the Poet’s Award, which honors songwriters for outstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their careers in the field of country music.

Check out the industry award winners below:

INDUSTRY AWARDS

CASINO OF THE YEAR – Red Rock Casino & Resort – Las Vegas, NV

NIGHTCLUB OF THE YEAR – Joe’s Bar – Chicago, IL

VENUE OF THE YEAR – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN

DON ROMEO TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR – Jerry Hufford – Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace

PROMOTER OF THE YEAR – Ed Warm – Joe’s Bar

MBI (MUSICIAN, BANDLEADER, INSTRUMENTALIST) AWARDS:

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – Jay Joyce

AUDIO ENGINEER OF THE YEAR – Chuck Ainlay

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Jimmie Lee Sloas

PERCUSSIONIST/DRUMMER OF THE YEAR – Matt Chamberlain

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Aubrey Haynie

GUITARIST OF THE YEAR – J.T. Corenflos

PIANO/KEYBOARDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Michael Rojas

SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT(S) PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Ilya Toshinsky

STEEL GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Mike Johnson

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR – Dallas Davidson

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2. Early ACM Winners Announced
3. First Group Of ACM Winners Announced

That’s just part of the aftermath of the storms that ripped through the Midwest and the South on Friday and into Saturday. Now the rebuilding begins.

As reported by Jessica Blankenship at Examiner.com, some of the hardest hit areas include the Kentucky hometowns of country stars.  The hometown areas of Angaleena Presley of the Pistol Annies (Beauty, KY), Loretta Lynn (Butcher Holler, KY) and Keith Whitley (Sandy Hook, KY) all suffered tornado damage.

Those may be some famous faces you can associate with the storms, but it’s the everyday people who need everyone’s help and support.

The storms stretched across Indiana to Georgia, affecting about 17 million people in the process.  But Kentucky was hit particularly hard.  Out of 39 reported deaths, 21 of them are from Kentucky.

You can help by donating to the Red Cross by texting REDCROSS to 90999 or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or www.redcross.org.

If you live in Kentucky or just want to learn more about how to help victims in the Bluegrass State, Jessica Blankenship has complied a large list of ways to help out.  You can see that info (along with her original posting) at Examiner.com by clicking here.

Now is the time for all of us to come together to show that Country cares!

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1. Country Stars Team Up For Grammy Cares Auction
2. Kelly Clarkson Joined Blake and Reba Tonight to Raise Money for Tornado Victims
3. Thompson Square Auctions Off Dress For Alabama Tornado Victims

“Keith Whitley has always been one of my musical heroes, so to get the chance to hold a piece of history in my hands and play his guitar on the OPRY stage was beyond awesome.”

Chris is ramping up his tour with Jason Aldean on the “My Kinda Party” tour. He plays tonight in Los Angeles with Jason.

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2. Wanna Write A Song with Chris Young?
3. Chris Young’s Debut Jimmy Kimmel Live! Performance