Kristen Bell, Jamie Foxx, Julianne Hough, LL COOL J, Matthew McConaughey And LeAnn Rimes Scheduled to Present
Laura Bell Bundy, Billy Currington, John Fogerty, Jack Ingram featuring Dierks Bentley, Toby Keith with Dave Koz, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts and Darius Rucker have been added as performers on the 45TH ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, to be broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Sunday, April 18 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. The special, produced for television by dick clark productions, honors country music’s top talent as well as the industry’s hottest emerging artists. Kristen Bell, Jamie Foxx, Julianne Hough, LL COOL J, Matthew McConaughey and LeAnn Rimes are scheduled to present.
Previously announced performers include Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton & Trace Adkins, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood.
Performers:
Dierks Bentley won Top New Artist of the Year in 2003 and was nominated for Top Male Vocalist in 2005. Bentley’s next studio album, Up on the Ridge, will be released this summer. As a prelude to the release, Bentley will kick off his Up on the Ridge Tour on April 21.
Laura Bell Bundy is a singer/songwriter/dancer/entertainer from Lexington, KY, who began her performing career at Radio City Music Hall at the age of nine. Bundy’s singing, dancing and acting abilities led to numerous roles on Broadway, including originating the role of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical, which earned her a Tony nomination. The music video for Bundy’s debut single, “Giddy on Up,” has been streamed over one million times to date. Her Mercury Records debut album, Achin’ and Shakin’, hits stores April 13.
Billy Currington is nominated for three ACM Awards. He is nominated for Song of the Year for “People are Crazy” and as both an artist and a producer for Single Record of the Year for the same title. Previously, he was nominated in 2004 for Vocal Event of the Year for “Party for Two” and in 2005 for Top New Male Vocalist. Currington’s recently released single, “That’s How Country Boys Roll,” from his third studio album, Little Bit of Everything, became his fifth Number One hit in March 2010.
John Fogerty is a quintuple threat: songwriter, singer, lead guitarist, arranger and producer — from his legendary recordings with Creedence Clearwater Revival to his Grammy award-winning solo work and recent 2009 acclaimed sequel, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again, which includes a collaboration with Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles. Fogerty is responsible for an entire songbook of hits that have become part of the fabric of American music including: “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Travelin’ Band,” “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” “The Old Man Down The Road,” “Fortunate Son” and “Centerfield.” Fogerty’s songbook also reflects his deep roots in country, “Jambalaya (On the Bayou),” “Lookin’ Out My Backdoor” and “Down On The Corner,” among others.
Jack Ingram is nominated as both an artist and a producer for Vocal Event of the Year for the song “Seeing Stars.” Previously, Ingram won the ACM Award for Top New Male Vocalist in 2007. Ingram’s latest single, “Barefoot and Crazy,” from his album Big Dreams & High Hopes, is his second Top 10 hit.
Toby Keith is nominated for Entertainer of the Year. Previously, he won the category twice – first in 2002 and then again the following year. Keith has won 10 ACM Awards, including two wins for both Top Male Vocalist and Album of the Year. Keith has two Number One singles, “American Ride” and “Cryin’ for Me (Wayman’s Song),” off his current album American Ride.
Dave Koz is a platinum-selling artist, radio host and instrumental music advocate who received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2009. Koz is currently working on his next studio album and preparing for a summer tour.
Miranda Lambert is a six-time ACM nominee this year. She is nominated for Top Female Vocalist, Album of the Year for Revolution, Single Record of the Year for “White Liar,” Song of the Year for “White Liar” as both an artist and composer, and Video of the Year for “White Liar.” Previously, Lambert won Top New Female Vocalist in 2006 and Album of the Year in 2007 for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Rascal Flatts has taken home 10 ACM Awards and is nominated for Top Vocal Group of the Year. In 2007, the group was honored for their philanthropic work with The Home Depot Humanitarian Award. The band’s current single, “Unstoppable,” is the title track off their 2009 album.
This year, Darius Rucker is nominated for Top Male Vocalist, his first ACM Award nomination. Rucker’s current single, “History in the Making,” is from his first country album, Learn to Live. Previously, Rucker was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish.
Presenters:
Actress Kristen Bell starred in the 2009 comedy “Couples Retreat,” and is also the voice of Cora in “Astro Boy.” In 2007, she joined the cast of “Heroes,” playing the character Elle Bishop, and “Gossip Girl” as the off-screen titular narrator. Additionally, she played the lead character in the comedy movies “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “When in Rome.”
As an actor, Jamie Foxx’s work in the film “Ray” earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a musical/comedy. He is also a Grammy Award-winning musician, producing two albums that have charted highly on the Billboard 200: Unpredictable, which topped the chart, and Intuition. Foxx performed on “George Strait – ACM Artist of the Decade All-Star Concert,” which aired on the Network in 2009.
Last year, Julianne Hough took home the ACM Awards for Top New Female Vocalist and Top New Artist. Her self-titled debut album, released in 2008, debuted at Number One on the Billboard Country Album chart and Number Three on the Billboard 200. She is also a two-time winner of “Dancing with the Stars.” She’s currently working on her second studio album for Mercury Nashville.
LL COOL J is an iconic rapper and actor, author of four books (including a second fitness book out this May) and founder of Boomdizzle.com, a world-wide digital platform for everyone to create, promote, perform and distribute music. Currently, he plays Special Agent Sam Hanna on the Number One new drama series, NCIS: LOS ANGELES, on the CBS Television Network.
Actor Matthew McConaughey has played the leading man in several romantic comedies, including “The Wedding Planner,” “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” “Failure to Launch,” “Fool’s Gold” and “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.” McConaughey was also a presenter at the ACM Awards in 2009.
LeAnn Rimes was honored at last year’s ACM Awards with The Home Depot Humanitarian Award for her philanthropic work and has won three ACM Awards – Top New Female Vocalist as well as Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Blue.” A multi-platinum, two-time Grammy Award winning artist, Rimes will release a new album later this year.
The 45TH ANNUAL Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry. The show is produced for television by dick clark productions. Orly Adelson and R.A. Clark are executive producers; Barry Adelman is the producer and Bob Bardo serves as the executive in charge of production.
(source: CBS)
