50th ACM Awards This Sunday

Country’s top stars are heading to Dallas for the 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.  The special show will be televised live this Sunday night on CBS-TV.  Over 70,000 fans will attend at AT&T Stadium, where the Dallas Cowboys play.

Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley told Country Countdown USA’s Lon Helton he is looking forward to Sunday’s show: “I think for us to be a part of that show, it’s the 50th ACM Awards, and to have it in Dallas, we did the National Anthem for the NCAA college football championship there, and it’s a pretty enormous beautiful building.  When you’re inside it, I can’t imagine what it’s going to feel like having that many country fans in one place.  To feel that energy will be amazing.”  Hillary added, “They’re pulling out all the stops for these performances.  Every year you want to be there, but out of all of them, this is one you don’t want to miss for sure.”

Country legend Reba McEntire agreed: “I couldn’t miss this one.  It’s the 50th anniversary, I’ve hosted 14 times, either by myself or with other folks, and the ACMs mean a lot to me, it’s very special.  I’m gonna get a chance to hang with my buddies and meet a lot of the new kids in country music.”

Reba will perform her new single, “Going Out Like That,” on the show.  Other Hall of Famers on the show include George Strait, Alabama, and Garth Brooks.   Previously announced performers for the star-studded event include Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Reba, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Keith Urban, Brooks & Dunn, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts, special duets by Christina Aguilera with surprise artists as well as Nick Jonas with Dan + Shay plus Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett and Cole Swindell.

Presenters will include: Troy Aikman, Beth Behrs, Clint Black, Lee Brice, Kelly Clarkson, Brett Eldredge, Brantley Gilbert, Mickey Guyton, Hunter Hayes, Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev, Justin Moore, Jake Owen, Thomas Rhett, Tony Romo, Darius Rucker, Steven Tyler, Keith Urban, Reese Witherspoon, Jason Witten, Trisha Yearwood, Dwight Yoakam, and Big & Rich.

Luke Bryan is nominated for three awards, including Entertainer of the Year.  He talked with Lon about being in that category with his hero Garth Brooks: “That’s pretty crazy.  I never thought I’d be in a category with Garth Brooks.  I see the paper and I almost want to frame it.  It’s mind-boggling, and flattering.”

Jason Aldean is nominated for four awards, including Entertainer.  He wasn’t shy when Lon asked which of the four he wanted to win the most: “I want the one I haven’t won yet.  The one we haven’t gotten their hands on yet is that Entertainer.  That’s the big one.  It’s nice to be one of a handful of guys who has a shot at it.  I just want it once.  After that, you don’t even have to nominate me any more.  Just give it to me once.  It’s a big deal.”  In addition to Jason, Luke, and Garth, Miranda Lambert and Florida Georgia Line are nominated for that award.

Luke Bryan is co-hosting the show with Blake Shelton for the third year in a row.  Luke told Lon it will be a very special show: “Just the enormity and the size, being in Texas, it’s going to be fun.  There’s gonna be so many things going on in the 50th anniversary show, that’s going to cut into me & Blake going off the cuff.  They’re doing a lot of cool things, tributes to legendary artists, and you’ll see some artists you haven’t seem in a while, so it’s going to be neat.”

Once again, the 50th Annual ACM Awards will take place this Sunday night, broadcast live on CBS-TV.

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