ACA announces this year’s nominees, fan voting opened

October 13th, 2011

Trace Adkins (Photo:FOX)

Kristin Chenoweth

Kristin Chenoweth (Photo:FOX)

The second-ever American Country Awards will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will air live on December 5th, 2011 on FOX network. The show will be hosted by Trace Adkins, a second-time veteran, who will be joined this year by  Kristin Chenoweth. She is is an award-winning actress and entertainer, and she just recently released her new country album “Some Lessons Learned“.

As the ACA winners are picked up by most fan votes, the voting is already open for registered users at the ACA’s voting page.

Here’s the main nominees announced today:

A R T I S T S

Artist of the Year

  • Jason Aldean
  • Kenny Chesney
  • Lady Antebellum
  • Taylor Swift
  • Zac Brown Band

Artist of the Year-Male


  • Jason Aldean
  • Luke Bryan
  • Kenny Chesney
  • Brad Paisley
  • Blake Shelton

Artist of the Year-Female

  • Sara Evans
  • Alison Krauss
  • Miranda Lambert
  • Taylor Swift
  • Carrie Underwood

Artist of the Year – Duo or Group

  • The Band Perry
  • Lady Antebellum
  • Rascal Flatts
  • Sugarland
  • Zac Brown Band

Artist of the Year-Breakthroough Artist

  • Eric Church
  • Eli Young Band
  • Chris Young
  • Justin Moore
  • Jake Owen

Artist of the Year-New Artist

  • The Band Perry
  • Scotty McCreery
  • Jerrod Niemann
  • The Pistol Annies
  • Thompson Square

There are many additional categories for Albums, Singles and Tours. Please visit the official website of the ACA‘s for complete lists of nominees.

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American Music Awards Country nominees announced

October 12th, 2011

The nominees for the American Music Awards were read yesterday in a press conference in LA. The AMA Awards winners will be determined by public online voting. In the Country nominations, Taylor Swift and the Band Perry took the most nominations this year.
Here’s a list of the Country Music nominees by category:
• AMA Favorite Country Male Artist: Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton
• AMA Favorite Country Female Artist: Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Taylor SwiftAMA Favorite Country Band, Duo or Group: The Band Perry, Zac Brown Band, Lady Antebellum
• AMA Favorite Country Album: “My Kinda Party” by Jason Aldean, “The Band Perry” by The Band Perry, “Speak Now” by Taylor Swift
• AMA New Country Artist Of the Year: The Band Perry, Thompson Square
• AMA  Artist Of the Year: Adele, Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift

Anyone can vote for the 2011 American Music Awards – just make your picks in all the categories before voting ends on Friday November 11, 2011 at 11:59PM PT at the AMA Awards website. The winners will be revealed LIVE during the 2011 American Music Awards on Sunday November 20, 2011 8|7c on ABC Networks.

Source credits: ABC Networks

Follow more AMERCAN MUSIC AWARDS official website.

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Rascal Flatts Earn Their Opry Membership

October 10th, 2011

[Nashville, October 10, 2011]

“Blessed, Honored, Humbled…” those were some of the first words heard by Joe Don Rooney upon taking the stage on last Saturday  during Rascal Flatts’ official induction to the Grand Ole Opry®.

Timed perfectly with the Opry’s 86th birthday, Rascal Flatts’ induction ceremony could have not have a better reason for celebration. While some Flatts fans may have duly said this day was long overdue, one thing is sure – these guys have definitely earned it: In the past decade their music has impacted millions of lives, gathered more packed concert venues than any other country act, have sold over 20 million albums which all  seven (7) of them  have reached platinum or multi-platinum certification®, they have released three-dozen Billboard Hot Country Chart®-topping singles and at least eleven (11) #1 singles. They have won a Grammy Award®, seven (7) ACM Awards, seven (7) CMA Awards of which six (6) the honors of CMA Vocal Group Of the Year in consecutive years 2003-2008, numerous CMT Awards, ACA Decade Artist Award, The Rascals’ got their own star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and just earlier this year they received the Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award.

Some of the highlights of the induction, lead  by Opry member Little Jimmy Dickens, included a surprise video message from former President George W. Bush. In his message President Bush congratulated the trio and and gave accolades to their long history of supporting the men and women in the US Armed Forces and acknowledged their generosity in helping such organizations as the Make  Wish Foundation, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and the American Red Cross.

In the press conference held  the day of the induction, Gary LeVox were asked how he would describe the meaning of induction into the Grand Ole Opry® he replied”…It was mind blowing.  It was so humbling and we’re just so honored and proud to carry the Opry flag and be a part of this legacy and the Grand Ole Opry is the epitome.  There’s no bigger pinnacle than the Grand Ole Opry.  It is country music.” And Joe Don added to this: “…[W]e are just humbled by this.  We are absolutely blown away by this and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us through the Opry.”

See the video clip of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney induction to the Grand Ole Opry®.

Source credits: Big Machine Label Group, The Grand Ole  Opry®

Follow more Rascal Flatts’ official website.

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Rodney Atkins Fourth Album, “Take a Back Road”, Released

October 7th, 2011

“]Rodney Atkins [Photo Courtesy of Curb Records]Rodney Atkins released his fourth album, “Take a Back Road“, on Tuesday, October 4. Rodney’s single of the same name has already enjoyed substantial success – released in April, it is Rodney’s sixth number one hit.

For “Take a Back Road“, Rodney collaborated with producer, Ted Hewitt, co-producer of two other Atkins albums. This album features 12 new songs and a bonus track – “Farmer’s Daughter“, originally released on Rodney’s third album. Rodney strives to make each song tell a story – from “Feet“, about a married couple that takes their battles to bed, but still sleep touching feet, to “He’s Mine“, about a father’s love and pride for his son.

The album, his first project in three years, is Rodney’s authentic expression of feelings and emotions – the songs and the stories they tell portray the real emotions that Rodney was striving for during the recording process. For Rodney, “. . . real life is there are ups and downs, and if you can, get both sides of that in a song.” (http://www.rodneyatkins.com/bio.html)

Rodney’s latest album release comes in the middle of his tour with Darius Rucker. Leave it to Rodney to make time for his own kind of celebration, even amidst his busy schedule. Having been an avid baseball fan since he was a child – in particular, a huge fan of the Cubs – to celebrate the album’s release, Rodney spent the day at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. He met with the press, threw a few balls and even took a turn mowing the field.

Make sure to “Like Us” on Facebook to follow our giveaways…and late October we will be giving away  a few copies of Rodney’s Albums, so stay tuned!

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45th CMA Awards Nominees announced!

September 6th, 2011

The official countdown for this year’s “Country’s Biggest Night” – The CMA Awards – began officially this morning as the the final nominees  were  announced on ABC’s Good Morning America. The 45th CMA Awards show will be held in Nashville on November 9th, 2011 and televised live  on ABC networks 8pm/7pm Central, hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. Stay tuned for exclusive Nashville Music Minute CMA Award giveaway with our participating affiliates to be announced soon!

Here’s the nominees in the main categories – please see more details at CMA Awards website:

Entertainer of the Year

• Jason Aldean
• Brad Paisley
• Blake Shelton
• Taylor Swift
• Keith Urban

Male Vocalist of the Year

• Jason Aldean
• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• Blake Shelton
• Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year

• Sara Evans
• Miranda Lambert
• Martina McBride
• Taylor Swift
• Carrie Underwood

New Artist of the Year

• The Band Perry
• Luke Bryan
• Eric Church
• Thompson Square
• Chris Young

Vocal Group of the Year

• The Band Perry
• Lady Antebellum
• Little Big Town
• Rascal Flatts
• Zac Brown Band

Join in the discussions and get the updates! “Like” NMM on Facebook.

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NMM ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Jason Michael Carroll “Numbers”

August 30th, 2011

Photo Courtesy of Cracker Barrel®

We recently chatted with Jason Michael Carroll and he told all about the story behind his title track and first single “Numbers“. The song is penned by  Patrick Davis and Rodney Clawson, and is the only song on the new album not written by Carroll himself. He felt compelled to record this song due to its strong message: “In life, sometimes numbers don’t mean anything….but sometimes they mean everything”, he explained. The same numbers can also have completely different meanings…Jason went on to reveal that the idea behind  ”Numbers” was born from the personal life events of one of the song’s co-writers, Patrick Davis. He lost his brother in 2008 in a tragic traffic accident on the same day as his wife’s birthday. When we asked what is his favorite number he answered “6″ – that has had a cyclical meaning in his life, having six family members and being born in June, the 6th month of the year. Catch Jason’s tour at a city near you! Here’s the link to tour dates.

“Numbers” from Cracker Barrel® which was released July 25, 2011 and has total of 12 songs on it, including the title track  “Numbers”and older hit “Alyssa Lies” from his 2007 album Waitin’ in the Country which put Carroll on the map topping at spot # 5 on the Billboard® Country Chart.

Jason Michael Carroll’s Numbers, is the latest in Cracker Barrel®’s exclusive music program line, which features many projects by new and emerging as well as established country artists.  Some of the most recent releases from Cracker Barrel® have included Kenny Rogers’ The Love of God which debuted at #8 on the Billboard® Top Country Albums chart,  The Grascals’ Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin which debuted at #1 on Billboard magazine’s Bluegrass Albums chart and at hit #26 spot on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. Cracker Barrel® has also released exclusive CDs with Alan Jackson, Zac Brown Band, George Jones, Montgomery Gentry, Dolly Parton, Bill Gaither, Ricky Skaggs, Aaron Tippin, Alison Krauss,  Josh Turner, Amy Grant, Kenny Rogers, Sara Evans, and Charlie Daniels.


Join in the discussions and get the updates! “Like” NMM on Facebook.

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Tragedy strikes Sugarland tour

August 13th, 2011

Sugarland's "Incredible Machine" Stage set (earlier photo) ©2011 Nashville Music Minute

The worst nightmare for any perfomer became a reality Saturday night when Sugarland‘s elaborate stage props for the “Incredible Machine” came crushing down in seconds just moments before the group was about to take the stage at an Indiana State Fair.

The performance stage, comprised of heavy steel structures, grid lights and multi-way speaker systems collapsed as a severe storm was passing through the area with high winds said to exceed 70mph. So far 5 people have been confirmed dead and 45 reported injured – some of them still in critical condition, youngest one including a 11-year old boy. Associated Press reported earlier there were at least 12,000 fans present at the time of the accident.

Sugarland canceled their Sunday show at Iowa State fair after releasing a short statement to the press. According to the tour information their next performance will be on schedule August 18th at Hard Rock Casino in Albuquerque , NM.

The most recent fatal concert accident involving a country star happened just last year at the Big Valley Jamboree in Canada. Billy Currington was just finishing up his set when the stage collapsed resulting to 1 death and  75 injured, including himself and his band members. A strong wind gust was also blamed for the accident.

Our hearts and thoughts go out to anyone involved  and hope for the complete physical and emotional recovery for all the victims of this terrible tragedy. Join in the discussion and “like” us on Facebook.

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Gretchen Wilson giveaway and her latest Xtreme Muzik tour.

June 27th, 2011

Gretchen Wilson just celebrated her birthday  this past weekend and we thought spotlighting her latest Xtreme Muzik Tour this summer. This tour is like blast from the past as Gretchen is rejoining Big Kenny and John Rich of Big & Rich, whom all were the original founders of Muzik Mafia – the 2001 Nashville based country artists’ collective. Muzik Mafia was active touring artist pact and even made it to a TV-series on CMT. The Xtreme Music The Tour has beefed up the tour with an on stage full service bar and will also feature Cowboy Troy and Two-Foot Fred. Check out the tour dates here – they maybe coming to a tow near you!

If you want to check out the recent rockin’ from the Xtreme Muzik The Tour – Gretchen Wilson guest vocalist on their smash hit “Fake I.D.” Gretchen shows up about 1 minute into the performance in this capture on Youtube.
WANT  TO WIN A COPY of an exclusively signed Gretchen Wilson‘s “I Got Your Country Right Here” CD ?Visit our Facebook page for details and bring along some new “likes” !!

Update: Congratulations to Dawn Southerland from Nashville, TN winning the Gretchen CD! Thanks for all the contest participants – stay tuned for more new NMM MINUTE GIVEAWAYS!

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NMM ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: The Band Perry

March 27th, 2011

THE BAND PERRY – winner of ACM’s Top New Artist Of The Year Award

We had a pleasure chatting with THE BAND PERRY in Las Vegas, just a couple of days before they won the ACM AWARD for the fan voted “TOP NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR” AWARD. Watch our first exclusive NMM ARTIST SPOTLIGHT EPISODE and  spend a minute with Neil, Reid and Kimberly Perry!

The Band Perry in Las Vegas with NMM's Laura Lynn.


Make sure to check out The Band Perry‘s official website and follow them on TWITTER.

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Kenny Rogers Cracker Barrel CD + Dinner for 2 Giveaway!

March 10th, 2011

Your favorite Cracker Barrel dishes now  come with more  delectable side dishes than ever! In fact, these side dishes are so good, they might as well be the main dishes!

What we are referring to here is the ever-growing artist line-up and the exclusive CD catalog from the true country friends of Cracker Barrel ! They have kept producing some incredible intimate collections available nowhere else except at  your favorite Old Country Stores® nationwide. These albums have featured of songs with and by such stellar country icons as George Jones, Dolly Parton, Alabama, Merle Haggard,  Alan Jackson and Smokey Robinson. Make sure to check out Cracker Barrel‘s website for exclusive content featuring Kenny Rogers at crackerbarrel.com>artists>kenny-rogers.


NMM CRACKER BARREL & KENNY ROGERS GIVEAWAY   (ENDS JUNE 1, 2011)



We are  happy to be able to offer this one-of-a-kind collection to our NMM fans in this giveaway: We are giving away Cracker Barrel Certificates for a complimentary Meal for two (gratuity not included) and a copy of Kenny Rogers brand-new CD “The Love Of God” exclusively from Cracker Barrel Music.

[CD description courtesy of Cracker Barrel Music]

“The Love of God” is an inspirational collection of classic songs that Kenny Rogers remembers from his childhood, along with new recordings of contemporary songs.  Two of the classics feature other artists: The Whites and Winfield’s Locket.  Point of Grace is also featured on one of the album’s contemporary recordings.  This touching CD, certain to spark old memories and create new ones, is now available exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations and online.

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