My Publicist Note Book

Country music royalty gathered in Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday night for the 52nd annual CMA Awards. For the 11th straight year, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley hosted the show, broadcast live on ABC from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, with Underwood also nabbing one of the top prizes — Female Vocalist of the Year. Meanwhile, Chris Stapleton, who led this year’s pack with five nominations, won Male Vocalist, Single of the Year and Song of the Year. But the night’s top award, Entertainer of the Year, went to Keith Urban, his second time taking that prize home and his ninth CMA award overall. Entertainer of the Year Jason Aldean Luke Bryan Kenny Chesney Chris Stapleton WINNER:  Keith Urban Single of the Year WINNER:  "Broken Halos" – Chris Stapleton "Drinkin' Problem" – Midland "Drowns the Whiskey" – Jason Aldean (Feat. Miranda Lambert) "Meant to Be" – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line "Tequila" – D...

The Stars! The Hits! The Surprises! Here's Why You Should Watch the CMA Music Fest Special Arguably the most important stage in country music, the festival's centerpiece shows, held in early June at Nashville's Nissan Stadium, will be trimmed down to a three-hour special to be aired Wednesday at 8 p.m. on ABC. Here's an inside look at our favorite moments:  TOP BILLING The annual ABC special always mixes up the performance order, but the actual concerts follow a fairly predictable order, starting with vintage stars and moving on to up-and-comers and A-listers, and finally, to the top acts. This year, Jason Aldean ,  Carrie Underwood ,  Blake Shelton  and  Luke Bryan  held down the four coveted closing spots. All four packed a full-length concert's worth of energy into seven- or eight-song sets, leaning on their most crowd-pleasing hits but also mixing in new material.  Carrie Underwood NANCY KRUH Yes, Underwood delivered...

The Country Music Association announced three newly elected inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Charlie Daniels will be inducted in the Veteran’s Era category. Fred Foster will be inducted in the Non-Performer category. Randy Travis will be the 2016 inductee in the Modern Era category. These artists will be inducted during a special Medallion Ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the CMA Theater later this year.  During the Medallion Ceremony, friends and colleagues pay tribute to each inductee through words and song. Bronze plaques honoring each inductee are unveiled, to be displayed later in the museum’s Rotunda. Meet the class of 2016!  Charlie Daniels, Fred Foster, and Randy Travis

“The 49th Annual CMA Awards” airs live Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 8|7c on ABC-TV.  Those vying for top award Entertainer of the Year include Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert and Garth Brooks.  Country superstars Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood preside over the evening, returning as hosts for the eighth consecutive year. ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR Garth Brooks Entertainer of the Year   Luke Bryan Entertainer of the Year   Kenny Chesney Entertainer of the Year   Eric Church Entertainer of the Year   Miranda Lambert Entertainer of the Year FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Kelsea Ballerini Female Vocalist of the Year   Miranda Lambert Female Vocalist of the Year   Kacey Musgraves Female Vocalist of the Year   Carrie Underwood Female Vocalist of the Year   Lee Ann Womack Female Vocalist of the Year MALE VOCALIST OF THE Y...