Tim McGraw Hosts ‘CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock ‘ Wednesday, Sept 1

Summer gets even hotter when “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” airs Wednesday, Sept. 1 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network. Singer, songwriter, actor, and 11-time CMA Award winner Tim McGraw serves as host for the annual celebration of America’s music.

The special features performances by Jason Aldean, Billy Currington, Alan Jackson, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, McGraw, Justin Moore, Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton with Trace Adkins, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band filmed in front of a sold-out audience in June during CMA Music Festival in Nashville at LP Field, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

One highlight of the show is a special performance by reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Taylor Swift, who premiered her soon-to-be-released new single “Mine” for her fans at a top-secret private event in Nashville during CMA Music Festival. The song is the first single from her upcoming album Speak Now, in stores Oct. 25.

Offering an insider’s glimpse at the Festival, Lady Antebellum allowed cameras to follow them for a day at the event. Viewers will see the reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year perform at their fan club party, interact with Festival attendees during an unplanned appearance in the Fan Fair Exhibit Hall, and more.

Tim McGraw to Host ‘CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock’ on ABC

High voltage superstar performances are a hallmark of “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” so it makes sense that one of the most electrifying entertainers in the format – Tim McGraw – would be tapped to host when the special airs Wednesday, Sept. 1 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.

“The summer’s hottest concert special, just got hotter with the addition of Tim McGraw as host,” said Steve Moore, Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors. “He is a dynamic performer with an undeniable chemistry and relationship with the fans.”

Some of the artists already announced to appear at LP Field during CMA Music Festival include Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Billy Currington, Alan Jackson, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown Band, and more.

Taylor Swift will host a free 13-hour fan meet and greet event during the Festival at the Bridgestone Arena, which includes a short acoustic performance.

CMA Awards 2009 Winners

The CMA Awards 2009 winners are happy about their 2009 CMA Awards wins. Who won the various awards last night? Let me tell you what, there were plenty of surprises, laughs, and not-so-big surprises that made this night grand.

Taylor Swift won all of the awards that she was up for – but is that a surprise? The surprise was that Kanye West didn’t pop up on stage to talk about how someone else should have won the awards. Lady Antebellum had a good night as well with 2 wins. Before we get any further, here’s a list of the official CMA Awards 2009 winners:

Entertainer of the Year: Taylor Swift
Male Vocalist of the Year: Brad Paisley
Single of the Year: “I Run to You,” Lady Antebellum
Album of the Year: Fearless, Taylor Swift
Female Vocalist of the Year: Taylor Swift
Song of the Year: “In Color,” Jamey Johnson (w/ cowriters Lee Thomas Miller and James Otto)
Music Video of the Year: “Love Story,” Taylor Swift
Best New Artist of the Year: Darius Rucker
Musician of the Year: Mac McAnally
Event of the Year: “Start a Band,” Brad Paisley and Keith Urban
Vocal Group of the Year: Lady Antebellum
Vocal Duo of the Year: Sugarland

Although Taylor Swift didn’t have the most nominations (Brad Paisley did), she walked away with the most wins. Lady Antebellum had 2 wins, and Brad Paisley had 2 wins as well. Miss Swift had a whopping 4 wins, meaning she walked away with over 30% of the awards.

Carrie Underwood & Brad Paisley To Perform @ CMA Awards

A power-packed lineup of country stars including Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban will perform at the 43rd Annual CMA Awards show, the Country Music Association tells People.com.

The list of stars – which also includes Brooks & Dunn (the vocal duo, winners of 14 CMAs, have announced they will be parting ways after a farewell tour next year), Reba McEntire, George Strait, Sugarland and first-time nominee Darius Rucker – is the first round of performers announced for the show.

Brooks & Dunn To Perform At CMAs Before They Split

The 43rd annual Country Music Association awards will offer fans one of the last chances to see Brooks & Dunn before they split next year.

The popular duo joins a star-studded lineup, including all five entertainer of the year nominees, scheduled to perform during the Nov. 11 ceremony.

CMA also announced Monday that Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, Reba McEntire,George Strait, Sugarland, Darius Rucker and Keith Urban will perform. Also scheduled to play songs are co-hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.

Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn plan to tour next year, then will dissolve a partnership that’s sold 30 million albums and had 23 No. 1 hits. They’ll be competing for their 15th vocal duo award and are also nominated for top musical event with McEntire.

DARIUS RUCKER’S COUNTRY COUNTRY TRIUMPH IS NO FLUKE

 

With his second No. 1 country single, Hootie & the Blowfish’s Darius Rucker feels like his welcome to the country world isn’t a fluke.

“The acceptance has been really great, much more than I ever expected,” says Rucker, who’s spending a second week atop the Hot Country Songs chart with “It Won’t Be Like This For Long,” the second single from his 2008 album “Learn to Live.” Rucker credits the fact that “I’ve been going to Nashville for so long, and I’m on a Nanci Griffith record and the Radney Foster records and I worked with Mark O’Connor. I’ve been writing songs with people there and just have been around the whole country music world.

“It wasn’t that I was part of the scene, but I knew a lot of people that were. So I think when (‘Learn to Live’) came out, it wasn’t like, ‘What’s this guy doing making a country record?!’ I already had some credibility there, and I really love the music.”

“It Won’t Be Like This For Long” makes Rucker the first male artist to place his first two singles atop the Hot Country Songs chart since Clay Walker 15 years ago, and this week marks the first time that an artist’s first two format singles reigned for multiple weeks since March 1997.