American Country Awards

Here’s your viewer’s guide to the 2010 American Country Awards, airing tonight on FOX! 2010 marks the first annual American Country Awards, brought to you by Fox television. This inaugural awards ceremony will be held live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nevada Monday, December 6th, 8/7c on FOX, and hosted by Trace Adkins. It’s a two-hour television special that will feature comedians, live performances, and fan-voted awards. Here’s the run-down of who you should expect to see on tonight’s broadcast: 2010 American Country Awards Performers: Alan Jackson Blake Shelton Easton Corbin Jason Aldean Josh Turner Keith Urban Lee Ann Womack Luke Bryan Rascal Flatts Reba Steel Magnolia The Band Perry Toby Keith Trace Adkins Uncle Kracker 2010 American Country Awards Presenters: Bret Michaels Criss Angel Jaron and The Long Road to Love Jeff Dunham Jennette McCurdy Jerrod Niemann Jewel Kaleu Cuoco Lady Antebellum Laura Bell Bundy Lee Ann Womack Michael Waltrip Nancy O’Dell Rodney Carrington Travis Pastrana Ty Murray 2010 American Country Awards Categories and Nominees: ARTIST Artist of the Year Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown Band Artist of the Year: Male Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban Artist of the Year: Female Jewel, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood Artist of the Year: Duo or Group Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, The Band Perry, Zac Brown Band Artist of the Year: Breakthrough Artist Easton Corbin, Danny Gokey, Jaron and The Long Road To Love, Jerrod Niemann, The Band Perry ALBUMS Album of the Year “Doin’ My Thing,” Luke Bryan, “Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum, “Revolution,” Miranda Lambert, “Haywire,” Josh Turner, “Play On,” Carrie Underwood SINGLES Single of the Year “Do I,” Luke Bryan, “A Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin, “Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum, “Gimme That Girl,” Joe Nichols, “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Josh Turner Single of the Year: Male “Do I,” Luke Bryan “Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin, “That’s How Country Boys Roll,” Billy Currington, “Gimme That Girl,” Joe Nichols, “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Josh Turner Single of the Year: Female “White Liar,” Miranda Lambert, “Wrong Baby Wrong,” Martina McBride, “Consider Me Gone,” Reba McEntire, “Didn’t Know How Much I Loved You,” Kellie Pickler, “Cowboy Casanova,” Carrie Underwood Single of the Year: Duo or Group “Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum, “Little White Church,” Little Big Town, “Unstoppable,” Rascal Flatts, “Keep On Lovin’ You,” Steel Magnolia, “Toes,” Zac Brown Band Single of the Year: Breakthrough Artist “Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin, “Pray for You,” Jaron and The Long Road To Love, “Lover, Lover,” Jerrod Niemann, “Keep on Lovin’ You,” Steel Magnolia, “Beer on the Table,” Josh Thompson TOURING Touring Artist of the Year Brooks & Dunn, Toby Keith, Martina McBride & Trace Adkins, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, George Strait & Reba McEntire, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood VIDEOS Music Video of the Year “A Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin, “Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum, Continue reading American Country Awards

Win Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn

We’ve got MORE great music to give away! Three more copies of Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn just landed in our lap, and that means they could land in yours! Subscribe to our email newsletter and include your valid shipping address to enter! The album features performances from Miranda Lambert, Sheryl Crow, and even Miss Loretta Lynn herself as well as many other special guests. I have absolutely fallen in LOVE with this album, and I am certain you will too! You can get details about the new album on their facebook page, or on the official site! * Prize provided by Sony Music. * Entries must be received by Sunday Dec 12th. * Winners will not be eligible for another prize drawing until 90days after this one. * Winners will be drawn Monday Dec 13th and each will be notified individually. Can’t wait to win it? Buy Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn today at iTunes or Amazon! Enjoy these videos from artists featured on Loretta’s tribute album: Paramore: [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKGGzLcuTKk] Sheryl Crow: [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN0cgywM01U] Carrie Underwood: [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z98VV4Mvoo] Alan Jackson: [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibEw5yvMPH8] Miranda Lambert: [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n14aQ_FLRA8] Jack White: [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgtJLHBHdPk] Country Music Photo Gallery

Win Alan Jackson – 34 Number Ones

Don’t miss your chance to get a free copy of Alan Jackson’s best! Country Music News Blog is in the giving spirit this holiday season as we line up 3 more copies of Alan Jackson’s 34 Number Ones album on the shipping table! Subscribe to our email newsletter and include your valid shipping address to enter! The 2-Disc album boasts some of Alan’s VERY best work, including songs like “Here in the Real World”, “She’s Got the Rhythm and I’ve Got The Blues”, and “Country Boy”. It even includes his latest hit single with Zac Brown Band “As She’s Walking Away”.  * Prize provided by Sony Music. * Entries must be received by Sunday Dec 19th. * Winners will not be eligible for another prize drawing until 90days after this one. * Winners will be drawn Monday Dec 20th and each will be notified individually. Can’t wait to win it? Buy Alan Jackson – 34 Number Ones on iTunes or Amazon today! Enjoy these interview clips from Alan and the gang as they discuss the making of this album: Alan Jackson Interview – “As She’s Walking Away” (Zac Brown Band feat. Alan Jackson) [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNNgwukPwyk] Alan Jackson Interview – “Ring of Fire” – 34 Number Ones [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSPCD1CBnoI ] Country Music Photo Gallery

Commercial Free Streaming Country Music Radio!

Country Music News Blog adds commercial-free streaming country radio for fans! Country Music News Blog was built on a foundation of supporting artists from the ground up. We continue to do so with the addition of our new commercial-free streaming radio station, powered by Earbits.com! Artists on CMNB radio can be exposed to THOUSANDS of new listeners each day, while fans enjoy listening to some of today and tomorrow’s best talent. My favorite found on the station so far is Umphry’s McGee , and I’m finding more and more as I listen! Click the button at the top of this page to start listening for your favorite, then let me know what you think! For artists, bands or labels interested in having their music played on CountryMusicNewsBlog or other Earbits.com Radio channels, please check out Earbits’ Submission Guidelines here. Let them know that you’re coming from CMNB.Country Music Photo Gallery

Taylor Swift adds NeedToBreathe on Speak Now tour!

Taylor Swift surprises many by adding modern rock band NEEDTOBREATHE as a featured artist on her Speak Now tour. Taylor Swift announced today that NEEDTOBREATHE has been added as a featured artist to the North American dates of her already quick-selling Speak Now Tour. “It means a lot to us that Taylor hand-picked us for her Speak Now tour,” NEEDTOBREATHE guitarist and co-songwriter Bo Rinehart says. “Everyone knows she has amazing fans, and we thrive on performing live, especially in front of new audiences.” NEEDTOBREATHE will join the SPEAK NOW Tour when the North American leg kicks off on May 27th in Omaha, Neb., and will be featured on all shows in the US and Canada. Tickets for the following shows of the TAYLOR SWIFT SPEAK NOW WORLD TOUR 2011 go on sale this week: DATE CITY VENUE June 25 Foxborough, Massachusetts Gillette Stadium July 9 & 10 Atlanta, Georgia Philips Arena July 14 Montreal, Quebec Bell Centre July 15 & 16 Toronto, Ontario Air Canada Centre August 23 & 24 Los Angeles, California Staples Center September 1 & 2 San Jose, California HP Pavilion September 3 Sacramento, California ARCO Arena Country Music Photo Gallery

CMNB Is Movin On Up To New & Improved Headquarters

Country Music News Blog is getting too big for our britches! That’s why we just signed on for a 2500 sq ft office building! I know, I’m supposed to be writing about country music news, but for once we ARE the news! I personally have been blogging about country music, both mainstream and underground, since 2004. Over the years we have consistently gotten more and more successful through reader traffic, advertiser interest, and industry accreditation. Throughout all this, we have built a business model that ensures that we will continue to grow successfully for years to come. With that growth in mind, we have just signed a lease on our first free-standing office building! I have to say I’m EXTREMELY excited! Talk about a Christmas present to myself! This means I will have the space to bring in more writers, perhaps another web designer, and some extra special treats I can’t share yet. As an independent web publisher, the ability to evolve this site and our partner sites into an enterprise that provides jobs and career paths for our local community is something that I am quite proud of. Our ability to “run with the wolves” as some would say, by gaining the same kind of notoriety as some of our major corporate counterparts is a thrilling experience, and one that I am ready to share with an expanded staff and greater gusto in 2011! Here’s the part where I ask for YOUR HELP: I am constantly inspired by my readers through their pictures and messages. I think it would be fantastic to give my readers a way to help create an inspiring workplace as well. I am looking for original artwork to be displayed in our new headquarters. I am also looking for a collection of fun, colorful, and interesting postcards from all my readers, showing off some of the best things about where they live. If you have artwork that you would like to see hung on the walls of the CMNB headquarters, please email me for details on how we can make that happen. If you would like to send a postcard to be included in a special project for the headquarters, please mail them to: Country Music News Blog RR 3 Box 51548 Westville, OK 74965 Thank you so much! ~WC~Country Music Photo Gallery

Win With Toby Keith and Trace Adkins

Win an autographed CD from Trace Adkins OR a poster or signed guitar from Toby Keith! Just in time for the holidays, Show Dog Universal is giving away a few awesome prizes from a few of their finest artists! Visit their sweepstakes page and complete their form to enter the sweepstakes for the chance to win a guitar signed by Toby Keith, a framed Toby Keith poster or a signed copy of Trace Adkins’ Cowboy’s Back in Town. This contest is not hosted by, or ran by CMNB or its staff. Contest winners will be selected by Show Dog Universal and all entries are subject to their sweepstakes terms of service. Country Music Photo Gallery

Josh Kelley – Georgia Clay

Josh Kelley’s 3-song EP is now available in stores and online! Josh Kelley has been referred to in most media circles as “Lady Antebellum’s Big Brother”, but country music fans are about to find out that he’s so much more! Josh’s 3-song EP released into stores and digital retailers yesterday and it’s already seeing mounds of success. Of course, touring with Miranda Lambert helps that quite a bit as well. Take a look at Josh performing “I am super excited about these songs,” Josh says. “These are the perfect three songs for a three-song EP to give people a little taste of what’s to come. “Everybody that knows me has said it’s by far the best album I’ve ever made. Everything I’ve learned over the last seven years has led up to this point.” I guess it’s up to fans to make an honest man out of him! iTunes purchase link Amazon MP3 purchase linkCountry Music Photo Gallery

Aaron Lewis – Country Boy Video

Staind frontman Aaron Lewis surprises fans by releasing a 5-song country EP, including the leading single Country Boy. Aaron Lewis may be best known as the lead singer and frontman from the rock group Staind, but he’s not ashamed to show his roots and is doing just that in his new 5-song EP titled “Town Line“. Take a listen to his first country single “Country Boy” on Stroudivarious Records: [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ertNb6myic] For the official video, visit cmt.com and watch for “Town Line” to hit stores in early February.

CMT Artist Of The Year Special

CMT honors their top 5 artists in a special celebration which will air Friday Dec 3rd. Zac Brown Band, Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Lady Antebellum were all celebrated at a special event last night in Nashville as CMT recognized their contributions to the country music industry in 2010. The high-class gala featured performances, an amazing food from Chef’s Market, and the hosting skills of renowned actor and musician Kevin Costner. Take a peek below! Country Music Photo Gallery