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The 2011 CMA Awards

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Carrie and Brad have some fun with Miss Piggy.

The 2011 CMA Awards aired Wednesday night LIVE on ABC from the Country Music capital of the world. The CMA Awards are a long-lasting tradition to honor and celebrate the men and women who enhance the lives of millions of global fans. These artists yield the songs that become the soundtracks to our lives and the anthems we pass along, swearing our musical taste is superior to those of subsequent generations. With catching harmonies, heart pounding bass lines, electrifying drum solos, and synergistic musical accompaniments, upholding the value and virtue of Country Music is always the common goal.

“The 45th Annual CMA Awards” was a showcase of musical talent and countless industry feats. From the exhilarating pyrotechnics of Miranda Lambert’s “Baggage Claim” to the breathtaking acrobatics of Sara Evans’ “A Little Bit Stronger,” the performances further demonstrated the power of Country Music and the propensity of its stars go above and beyond in support of the genre…and each other.

Little Big Town pose with music icon Lionel Richie on the Macy's Walk of Stars Red Carpet.

Sure there were actual families among the night’s lineup including sibling trio The Band Perry (who earned Single of the Year for “If I Die Young” and New Artist of the Year, plus Song of the Year for writer Kimberly Perry), and a slew of industry marriages like Tim McGraw and performer Faith Hill, reigning Male/Female Vocalist victors Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, and the couples of Thompson Square, Steel Magnolia, and Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook of Little Big Town. But performances like Jimmy Webb, Vince Gill, Keith Urban, and Brad Paisley’s touching tribute to Country Music icon Glen Campbell, who silently mouthed the words from the crowd, left fans and artists alike with a true understanding of the indelible camaraderie permeating the Country community. Backstage, that sense of southern hospitality even superseded genre distinctions as Vocal Group of the Year Lady Antebellum raved about rocker Grace Potter and her undeniable talent as she performed “You and Tequila” with four-time Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney. Chesney himself echoed this reverence and explained, “’You and Tequila’ is such a tortured soul song about being addicted to a person who is not very good for you…The chemistry [between him and Potter] was evident from the moment we walked into the studio.”

Jason Aldean accepts Album of the Year honors for MY KINDA PARTY.

It’s this sense of amity that allows four-time hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood to poke fun at fellow industry members, even inciting Hank Williams Jr. to join them on stage after Paisley lampooned  controversies surrounding the Country legend. Barbie Doll effigies of Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, a surprise guest appearance Little Jimmy Dickens as a less-than-accurate depiction of sensation Justin Bieber, and some recent social commentary by comedic actor Eric Stonestreet further illustrate Carrie’s claim that Brad is “the single biggest and most shameless wiseacre on either side of the Mason-Dixon line.” With Awards doled out, entertainment appetites satiated, and an impossibly stronger appreciation for Country Music, we congratulate and thank the nominees, performers, presenters, volunteers, technicians, media members, fans, and viewers for supporting Country Music’s Biggest Night!

Did you know…

The 45th CMA Awards were the first time that…

  • Jason Aldean claimed a CMA Awards? In fact he earned two: Album of the Year (My Kinda Party) and Musical Event of the Year (“Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson)
  • The Band Perry received 3 Awards for New Artist, Single, and Song of the Year
  • Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter win Music Video of the Year for “You and Tequila”
  • Faith Hill has performed on the CMA Awards stage in 5 years
  • Miss Piggy attended as a presenter

The 45th CMA Awards were the second time that…

  • Taylor Swift won Entertainer of the Year (she joins Barbara Mandrell as the only female artists in CMA history to be names EOTY twice)
  • Miranda Lambert won Female Vocalist of the Year
  • Blake Shelton won Male Vocalist of the Year
  • Lionel Richie performed (first time was with Alabama in 1986)

The 45th CMA Awards were the third time that…

  • Lady Antebellum has scored consecutive wins for Vocal Group of the Year

The 45th CMA Awards were the fourth time that…

  • Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood were hosts
  • Mac McAnally has taken home consecutive wins for Musician of the Year

The 45th CMA Awards were the fifth time that…

  • Sugarland has won Vocal Duo of the year

The 45th CMA Awards were the forty-fifth time that…

  • CMA has hosted Country Music’s Biggest Night as the pinnacle of achievement in the Country Music industry

CMA Awards Artist Spotlight: CHRIS YOUNG

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Chris Young hits the Black Carpet at the 2010 CMA Awards in Nashville.

Like a handful of the other 2011 CMA Awards nominees (Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Steel Magnolia, Kelly Clarkson) Chris Young made his start on television. In 2006, he won the fourth season of the popular Country competition series, Nashville Star (USA), earning Young a deal with RCA Records in Nashville. While it’s easy to group him with so many budding artists who have broken out from reality TV, the past five years have set Chris Young apart as one of Country’s shining new talents. Young joins The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Eric Church and Thompson Square as a New Artist of the Year nominee – his second consecutive nomination in the category.

More about Chris Young

Growing up in Murfreesboro, Tenn. just 35 miles from the Country Music capital of the world, it seemed destined for Chris Young to wind up in Music City.  So it came as no surprise to friends and family when Young was declared the winner of Nashville Star in May 2006 and released his self-titled debut album shortly after. The album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and produced the Top-50 singles, “Drinkin’ Me Lonely” and “You’re Gonna Love Me.”

Chris Young’s sophomore album, The Man I Want to Be, was the start of many “firsts” for the Country newcomer.  It became Young’s first Gold-certified release and generated his first No. 1 single with “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song),” which also earned Young his first GRAMMY nomination in 2010.  The album also produced the hit singles “The Man I Want to Be” and “Voices” which both claimed the top spot on the Country Songs chart.

On July 12, 2011 Young released his third studio album on RCA Nashville, titled Neon. It sold over 70,000 units in its first week, peaking at No. 2 on the Country Albums chart and No. 4 on the Top 200 all-genre chart. The album showcased Young’s clear talent as a songwriter, co-writing seven of the 10 tracks, including the No. 1 hit “Tomorrow” and the current single, “You.” Young has opened for Country superstars like Alan Jackson, Rascal Flatts and Blake Shelton, as well as opening dates for fellow CMA Awards nominee, Jason Aldean, in October.

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CMA Awards Artist Spotlight: CARRIE UNDERWOOD

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Carrie performs "Before He Cheats" at the 2006 CMA Awards.

As a five-time CMA Award winner, Carrie Underwood returns on Wednesday, Nov. 9, not only as a nominee, but as a host.  She joins Brad Paisley for the fourth consecutive year to co-host the “45th Annual CMA Awards” (8|7c on ABC.) Recently the pair’s duet single, “Remind Me,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and continues to climb the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. Underwood is nominated for CMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year, an Award she’s previously taken home three times (2006, 2007, and 2008.)

More about Carrie Underwood

Although Carrie Underwood earned her claim to fame as a contestant on the fourth season of FOX-TV’s talent competition series, American Idol, in 2005, she has since become one of the top-selling Country Music acts of the last decade, an impressive accomplishment having recorded only three studio albums.

Her debut, Some Hearts, is certified 7X-Platinum by the RIAA and remains the best selling debut album by a solo female Country Music artist in Billboard history. The album’s success was facilitated by Underwood’s hit singles “Jesus Take the Wheel,” “Before He Cheats,” and “Wasted,” all of which reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Underwood’s following releases, Carnival Ride and Play On, also claimed the top spot on both the Country and Pop album charts, solidifying her as one of Country’s most successful cross-over artists. Both albums produced a combined seven No. 1 singles and sold over 5 million copies in the US alone.

Recently, Carrie Underwood has pursued other entertainment ventures, proving her acting chops as a guest star on CBS-TV’s How I Met Your Mother in 2010 and starring alongside Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid in 2011’s feature film, Soul Surfer. Carrie Underwood headlined the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on Sept. 23-24, along with fellow CMA Award nominees, Kenny Chesney, Kelly Clarkson and Rascal Flatts.

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CMA Awards Artist Spotlight: MARTINA MCBRIDE

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Martina McBride wins Female Vocalist of the Year at the CMA Awards in 2002.

It’s no surprise that Martina McBride is nominated again this year for CMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year. Having earned the title a total of four times, she ties Reba McEntire for the most Award wins in the category. With a new album out and a 2012 tour lined up with the “King of Country” himself, George Strait, Martina McBride has a lot to look forward to. The “45th Annual CMA Awards” which air Wednesday, Nov. 9 (8|7c on ABC) earn McBride her 21st CMA Award nomination.

More about Martina McBride

It’s not just award wins and albums sales that distinguish a true “leading lady” of Country Music. It’s also character and longevity.  Good thing for Martina McBride, she has all of these qualities and then some.  Since the release of her first album in 1992, McBride has continuously wowed audiences with her impressive vocal range, positive attitude, charitable generosity and long list of awards and recognitions.

As a well-respected member of the music community, Martina McBride has participated in a number of charity and music events, including the “Stand Up 2 Cancer” telethon in 2010 and the Academy of Country Music’s Girls’ Night Out Benefit Concert in 2011, which featured fellow CMA Award nominees Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Nettles (of Sugarland.) She is the current spokeswoman for the “National Domestic Violence Hotline” and has hosted the Middle Tennessee’s YWCA Celebrity Auction every year since 1995.  In Feb. 2011, McBride took the stage with Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welch and Yolanda Adams at the 53rd GRAMMY Awards to pay tribute to vocal legend, Aretha Franklin.

Over the course of her nearly twenty-year career, McBride has released ten studio albums, as well as a Greatest Hits, Christmas and Live compilation. She has sold over 18 Million albums worldwide and released fifty singles.  On Oct. 11 2011, McBride released her long-awaited eleventh studio album, appropriately titled, Eleven.

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CMA Awards Artist Spotlight: MIRANDA LAMBERT

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Miranda Lambert's Revolution wins Album of the Year in 2010.

Miranda Lambert will return to defend her reigning Female Vocalist of the Year title at “The 45th Annual CMA Awards” (Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 8|7c on ABC) alongside fellow nominees Sara Evans, Martina McBride, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood. A collaboration with Sheryl Crow and Loretta Lynn on Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter” also netted Lambert a 2011 nomination for Musical Event of the Year. Lambert’s husband, Country star Blake Shelton, is one of this year’s top nominees with an impressive five nominations. The power couple took to Twitter to share each other’s excitement and to acknowledge their own honors:

“@blakeshelton:  Wow!!! Five CMA nominations?!!!!! No way… So this is what it’s like to be Miranda Lambert….”

“@Miranda_Lambert: Yay!!!! Noms Female and collaboration with 2 of my heroes!!!! Thanks CMA. And congrats to my hubby for dominating!!!!:)”

More about Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert performs "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" at the 2006 CMA Awards.

Miranda Lambert has never been one to sit back and wait for things to happen. The Lindale, Texas, native has always had unstoppable determination and admirable initiative when it comes to her career. Her big break came when she was 21 years old and took third place in the television talent competition “Nashville Star.” Soon after, Lambert hit the studio to record her 2005 Platinum debut album Kerosene. Kerosene put her in a league of seven exceptional artists who debuted at No.1 on a freshmen album. Two years later, Lambert continued her winning streak with the release of her second album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which also debuted at No.1 on the Country chart and produced her first top 10 hit, “Gunpowder and Lead,” in July 2008.

Any doubts about the infallibility of Country’s newest bad girl were shattered with her third platinum album Revolution which was released in 2009 to universal acclaim from the industry’s mainstream critics. The album features five singles including “White Liar” which became Lambert’s first No. 1 hit, the follow-up No. 1 “The House That Build Me” which also earned her a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, and “Heart Like Mine.” The unequivocal success of the album earned Lambert nine CMA Awards nominations in 2010, earning her a record for the most nominations in a single year by a female artist.

Lambert’s May 2011 marriage to Blake Shelton has hardly curbed this artist’s ambitions. Shortly before the wedding, Lambert revealed a new project: a promising musical collaboration with singer/songwriters Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley. The Pistol Annies’ introductory album Hell On Heels debuted at No.1 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart and sold more than 44,000 units its first week. On top of all that, Lambert’s fourth album Four The Record releases November 1. The first single from the album, “Baggage Claim” features Josh Kelley on background vocals and legendary Steve Winwood on the B-3 organ. With similar collaborations throughout the album’s 14 tracks, Four The Record guarantees to thrill Lambert fans.

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CMA Awards Artist Spotlight: KELLY CLARKSON

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Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson perform "Don't You Wanna Stay" at the 2010 CMA Awards.

Kelly Clarkson returns to the “45th Annual CMA Awards” on Wednesday, Nov. 9 (8|7c on ABC) as a nominee for Single and Musical Event of the Year for her duet with Entertainer of the Year nominee, Jason Aldean.  The pair debuted their single, “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” at last year’s CMA Awards, paving the way for a chart topping hit. The song went on to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and has sold nearly 2 million digital downloads since its release, making it the best-selling country collaboration in digital history.

More about Kelly Clarkson

It’s been almost a decade since Kelly Clarkson was crowned the inaugural American Idol winner on FOX-TV’s now-smash talent competition series.  Although the program has aired for an astounding 10 seasons and produced a number of superstars (including fellow CMA Awards nominee and co-host, Carrie Underwood) Clarkson remains the most successful Idol contestant in the show’s duration, having sold over 23 million albums and 36 million singles worldwide.

Since 2003, Kelly Clarkson has released four multi-Platinum studio albums and a number of popular singles, including the power pop hits “Breakaway,” “Since U Been Gone,” “Behind These Hazel Eyes” and “My Life Would Suck Without You.” Although 2011 earns Clarkson her first CMA Awards nominations, she is no stranger to Country collaborations.  She joined Country Music star, Reba McEntire, for a cover of Clarkson’s “Because of You” on McEntire’s 2007 Reba: Duets album.

Clarkson will release her fifth studio album, Stronger, this fall on RCA Records.  Clarkson co-wrote five of the album’s 13 tracks and collaborated with songwriters such as Ester Dean (Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera) and Bonnie McKee (Britney Spears, Miranda Cosgrove.) The album’s lead-off single, “Mr. Know It All,” debuted at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and continues to climb the charts. Stronger hits stores on Oct. 24.

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CMA Awards Artist Spotlight: STEEL MAGNOLIA

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The Country coeds of Steel Magnolia received their second nomination for Vocal Duo of the Year for “The 45th Annual CMA Awards.” The newly-engaged couple took to Twitter to show their gratitude in the playful banter that fans have come to know and love:

“@steelmagnolia11: We are nominated for a CMA! Boom ! Get ta tweeting sweet Meggie …”

“@steelmagnolia11: Yay! We’re up for a CMA! Woohoo! Xo Meg”

Meghan Linsey and Joshua Scott Jones of Steel Magnolia got their start by winning CMT-TV’s talent competition series “Can You Duet?” in 2009. As an increasingly popular channel into the music industry, television competitions have produced a handful of this year’s venerable nominees, including Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson from”American Idol,” and Miranda Lambert and Chris Young from “Nashville Star.” Even top nominee Blake Shelton sits on the coaches panel for NBC-TV’s “The Voice.”

More About Steel Magnolia

Steel Magnolia’s history reads almost like a fairytale. New Orleans native Meghan Linsey set her sights on a singing career early in life and enrolled at Belmont University in Nashville to pursue her dreams. Taking advantage of Nashville’s music hubs, Linsey began work at a downtown karaoke bar where she eventually met fellow visionary and future fiancé Joshua Scott Jones of Charleston, IL. True to the fairytale plot, the two almost instantaneously developed a rare chemistry both on and off the stage.

In 2009, the duo won over a panel of judges with their striking rendition of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and found their new home at Big Machine Records, a label which also plays host to CMA nominees Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts. Wasting no time, the duo debuted their first single “Keep on Lovin’ You,” watched it climb the Billboard country charts, and eventually land at No.4. It holds the record as the highest charting debut single by a coed duo in Billboard history and garnered over 1 Million digital downloads after landing a feature in the major motion picture Valentine’s Day. Two additional singles, ”Just by Being You (Halo and Wings)” and “Last Night Again,” earned the duo even more fans at Country radio.

After touring alongside Brad Paisley on his “H2O Tour” in 2010, Linsey and Jones returned to Nashville to launch their self-titled debut album in early 2011. Steel Magnolia reached No.7 on the Billboard 200 and No.3 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart. With the August 2011 release of their fourth single, “Bulletproof,” an opening slot on Reba‘s upcoming “All The Women I Am” tour launching in October, and a July 2012 wedding to plan, Steel Magnolia seems ready to take on the world… and then some.

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CMA Awards Artist Spotlight: LITTLE BIG TOWN

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The four members of Country harmonizers Little Big Town have been hard at work this year promoting their newest album The Reason Why and touring with friends Sugarland on the 2011 “Incredible Machine Tour.” But the group took a quick break from their hectic schedules to recognize their sixth consecutive nomination for Vocal Group of the Year for “The 45th Annual CMA Awards,” which airs live Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 8|7c on ABC.

“@LBTmusic: We are honored and excited to be nominated for CMA Vocal Group of the Year. Thank you!”

Little Big Town performs "Boondocks" at the 2007 CMA Awards.

Little Big Town has received the prestigious nomination every year since 2006 and will face familiar competition from last year’s Awards ceremony including Zac Brown Band, The Band Perry, Rascal Flatts, and reigning winner Lady Antebellum.

More About Little Big Town

If you ask the members of Little Big Town for an insider’s tip on how to make it as a vocal group in a notoriously tough industry, don’t be surprised if the response is relatively simple: music. It may seem like a cliché or an oversimplification but for the Country quartet, a shared dedication to making music gave them the strength and tenacity needed to overcome some jarring personal tragedies and group disappointments since they formed the band.

Before presenting the 2010 Album of the Year Award, Little Big Town acknowledged Taylor Swift's 2009 winner by harmonizing on "You Belong With Me."

Founded by members Kimberly Roads Schlapman and Karen Fairchild, the foursome was complete with the addition of Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet in 1998. Early in the collaboration, a volatile period for any developing group, the members of Little Big Town experienced a succession of serious breakups, divorces, and the unexpected death of Kimberly’s husband in 2005. Professionally, two label changes within the first 5 years of the group’s alliance did little to mitigate already turbulent waters.

Yet the group leaned on one another for support and used the experiences to enrich their music. Tides began to change with the release of the group’s second album The Road to Here, which is certified Platinum and yielded two top 10 country singles “Boondocks” and “Bring It On Home.” In 2008, the group hit the road to open for Carrie Underwood and promote its third studio album A Place to Land. In 2009, the group launched a headlining tour of their own, and that year they received their fourth CMA nomination for Vocal Group of the Year.

In 2010, the group released its fourth studio album The Reason Why, which debuted at No. 5 and eventually became its first No. 1 Billboard Country album. The album features several singles including the top ten hit and lead-off “Little White Church,” the group’s fastest rising single, plus its newly-released poignant “Shut Up Train.” With numerous accolades, critical favor, and more than 1.5 Million albums sold to date, Little Big Town has come a long way since their inception. To top it off, all four members are now married and have had children within the last five years. Members Fairchild and Westbrook, who married in 2006, welcomed their first baby boy last year. Along with Sweet’s 3-year-old and Schlapman’s 4-year-old daughters, Little Big Town is quickly becoming a big family themselves. One with an inspiring story and a promising future.

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Aldean, Paisley, Shelton, Swift & Urban to Rock the CMA Awards Stage!

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(from CMA Corporate Communications Dept.)

The Five Nominees for CMA Entertainer of the Year Are the First Artists Announced as Performers on “Country Music’s Biggest Night”

NASHVILLE – The star-packed lineup for “The 45th Annual CMA Awards” launches with today’s announcement that all five nominees for Entertainer of the Year, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban, are the first group of performers confirmed for “Country Music’s Biggest Night(TM).” With five nominations each this year, Aldean, Paisley, Shelton, and Swift are also the top CMA-nominated artists.

“The 45th Annual CMA Awards,” hosted by Paisley and Carrie Underwood, airs live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 9 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Aldean received first-time nominations in five categories in 2011 including Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for My Kinda Party; and Single and Musical Event of the Year for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson.

CMA’s reigning Entertainer of the Year, Paisley received five nominations in 2011 for Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for This is Country Music; and Musical Event and Music Video of the Year for “Old Alabama,” featuring Alabama. Paisley remains in the No. 3 spot for the most career nominations in CMA Awards history. He has been nominated every year since 2000 and has amassed an incredible 57 career nominations to date. Only George Strait (81) and Alan Jackson (80) have more. Paisley has won 14 CMA Awards to date, including three consecutive Male Vocalist awards (2007-2009) and Album of the Year (in 2006 for Time Well Wasted). He is No. 5 for the most career wins in CMA Awards history, behind only George Strait (22), Brooks & Dunn (19), Vince Gill (18), and Alan Jackson (16).

CMA’s current Male Vocalist of the Year, Shelton also received five nominations this year including Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for All About Tonight; and Single, and Music Video of the Year for “Honey Bee.” These are Shelton’s first nominations in the Entertainer and Album categories. Shelton has won two CMA Awards thus far in his career. In addition to Male Vocalist, he also won Musical Event of the Year in 2010 for his performance of “Hillbilly Bone” with Trace Adkins.

Swift also received five nominations including Entertainer; Female Vocalist; Album for Speak Now; Music Video for “Mean”; and Song of the Year for writing “Mean.” Swift received five nominations, but can receive an additional trophy as co-producer of her album. Swift won the Horizon Award in 2007 and two years later was named Entertainer of the Year (2009).

Urban received two nominations this year including Entertainer and Male Vocalist. He won Entertainer in 2005 and was named Male Vocalist for three consecutive years (2004-2006). Urban is currently touring North America in support of his album, Get Closer.

Tickets for “The 45th Annual CMA Awards” go on sale to the public this Saturday, Sept. 24 (10:00 AM/CT). Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or Ticketmaster outlets; by calling (800) 745-3000; or at the Bridgestone Arena Box Office, located at 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, Nashville). Ticket prices for the CMA Awards start at $110 for Upper Level seating. Ticket prices include tax, but exclude applicable service fees. Purchase tickets early for the best available seats. In 2009 and 2010, the CMA Awards sold out in advance.

CMA Awards Artist Spotlight: BRAD PAISLEY

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Brad joins Carrie Underwood for their first turn hosting the CMA Awards in 2008.

In addition to returning as co-host of “The 45th Annual CMA Awards” alongside Carrie Underwood in 2011, CMA’s reigning Entertainer of the Year Brad Paisley is up for five Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 9! With his five nominations this year (for Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for This is Country Music; Musical Event and Music Video for “Old Alabama”), Paisley has amassed an incredible 57 career nominations to date. Only two artists have earned more in their careers (George Strait with 81, and Alan Jackson with 80). Paisley joins a pack of artists with five nods apiece in 2011, including Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, and Taylor Swift.

More about Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley’s laundry list of well-deserved awards illustrate a male vocalist and entertainer who has produced some of the most highly-revered albums, videos, and musical pairings of the past 11 years. A consummate musician, Paisley delivered his first public performance at age 10 and began to write his own songs at age 12. Studying at Nashville’s Belmont University, Paisley’s natural talent, hard work, and ideal placement within the Country Music capital poised him for success. Among Paisley’s list of successes are:

  • 12 million: Albums sold worldwide
  • 20: No. 1 Country singles to date
  • 14: CMA Awards
  • 4: Years as CMA Awards host (2008-2011)
  • 3: Grammy Awards
  • Many additional industry honors

In 2000, Brad captured the Horizon Award, the first of 14 CMA Awards he's received through 2010, when he was named Entertainer of the Year.

With his ninth studio album, 2011′s This is Country Music, Paisley continued his tradition of excellence, as evidenced by the album’s impressive sales debut (152,000 copies first week) which placed it atop the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart. The album marks Paisley’s sixth consecutive album to debut as a national best-seller, and it also racked up rave reviews from some of the industry’s toughest critics who recognized Paisley’s instinctual ability to masterfully communicate the heart and soul of the Country format. Paisley co-wrote 12 of the album’s 15 tracks and collaborated with stars including Alabama, Clint Eastwood, Sheryl Crow, Carrie Underwood, and Blake Shelton to capture a variety of musical tones that push the boundaries of Country Music. The album’s first three singles (the title track, “Old Alabama” and “Remind Me”) have already ascended to No. 1.

Paisley toured internationally in 2011, featuring fellow musicians along the way including Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Jerrod Niemann, and the JaneDear girls. In late August, Paisley wrapped up a two-week, eight-show European tour during which he performed for more than 40,000 fans. Sold out shows and unscheduled surprise guests on tour (e.g. Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones joined Paisley in London and performed “Let The Good Times Roll”) have combined with the favorable response and support for the album to make 2011 a tremendous success for Paisley.

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