Award-winning bluegrass artist Rhonda Vincent was surprised onstage by Jeannie Seely on Feb. 28 with an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry.
“One hundred percent yes,” said Rhonda. “Oh my gosh! I grew up listening to the Opry. Thank you dear God!”
Rhonda is a seven-time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year winner. She is known for bluegrass hits “The Storm Rage,” “One Step Ahead,” “Ragin’ Live,” “All American Bluegrass Girl,” “Good Thing Going” and more.
Rhonda will be formally inducted into the Opry on March 24.
Rhonda’s invitation to join the Opry follows recent inductees Gene Watson (February 2020), Luke Combs (July 2019), Kelsea Ballerini (April 2019), Mark Wills (January 2019), Dustin Lynch (September 2018) and Chris Janson (March 2018).
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team returns home to Thompson-Boling Arena for a Saturday afternoon matchup with the Florida Gators. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Saturday’s game can be seen on ESPN2, online through WatchESPN and on any mobile device through the ESPN App. Fans can access WatchESPN at espn.com/watch. Mike Corey and Jimmy Dykes will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertlekamp describing the action.
Last time out, the Vols fell on the road at Arkansas, 86-69, on Wednesday night. The Vols were led in scoring for the third consecutive game by senior Jordan Bowden. The Knoxville native scored 19 points, knocking down 7-of-16 attempts from the field, while draining four 3-point field goals. Bowden is currently riding a stretch of hot form, averaging 17.3 points per game in the Vols last seven outings.
A victory on Saturday would be the Vols fourth consecutive victory over the Gators and would stand as the 50th SEC regular-season victory for UT head man Rick Barnes.
Up next, Tennessee hits the road for a Tuesday night clash with SEC rival Kentucky. Tipoff inside Rupp Arena is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads the all-time series with Florida, 76-57, dating to 1927.
• The Vols have a 47-16 edge when the series is played in Knoxville.
• Tennessee has won three straight in the series and four of the last five.
A WIN WOULD…
• Give the Vols a four-game win streak in the series.
• Be Tennessee’s 50th regular-season SEC victory under head coach Rick Barnes.
STORYLINES
• Tennessee freshman Drew Pember and Florida freshman Ques Glover were teammates at Knoxville’s Bearden High School and led the Bulldogs to the Class AAA state championship last March.
• Pember remains in concussion protocol (day to day).
• UT is holding opponents to 58.1 points per game at Thompson-Boling Arena this season.
• During SEC play, freshmen account for 40.3 percent of Tennessee’s total minutes played.
• In UT’s last four games, Jordan Bowden is averaging a team-best 17.3 points while shooting .409 from 3-point range and posting a 2.1 assist/turnover ratio.
• With 182 career 3-point makes, Jordan Bowden ranks eighth on Tennessee’s all-time list.
• In SEC home games, junior forward John Fulkerson leads the Vols in scoring (14.4 ppg), rebounding (7.6 rpg) and field-goal percentage (.600).
LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee ranks fourth nationally in average home attendance, drawing 18,795 fans per game this season.
• During SEC play, Tennessee leads the league in blocks (5.9 bpg) and owns the conference’s best scoring defense (66.9 ppg).
• SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season. He leads the SEC and ranks 21st nationally with 2.4 bpg. His 2.5 bpg during SEC play also leads the league.
• Freshman point guard Santiago Vescovi is Tennessee’s leading scorer in home games, averaging a team-best 13.7 points per game at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Barring injury or illness, senior guard Jordan Bowden will finish his career in the top five on Tennessee’s list for career games played. Saturday will be the 130th game in which he’s appeared.
ABOUT FLORIDA
• Winners of four of its last five SEC contests, Florida has upped its record to 18-10 overall and 10-5 in the SEC over the last three weeks, good enough for third in the league with just three regular-season games remaining. Florida’s latest win came at home on Wednesday night over conference contender LSU, 81-66.
• Florida’s head coach, Mike White, is currently in his fifth year at the helm and has helped the Gators sustain success as they look to make a fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
• On the court, preseason SEC Player of the Year Kerry Blackshear has been a force for the Gators, ranking second on the team in scoring (13.1 ppg) and assists (1.6 apg), while leading the squad in rebounding, with 7.5 boards per contest. Blackshear, a grad transfer from Virginia Tech, is fresh off a trip to the Sweet Sixteen with the 2018-19 edition of the Hokies.
• A big contributor on the defensive end for Florida has been freshman guard Scottie Lewis, who leads the Gators in both blocks (1.3 bpg) and steals (1.2 spg). His 1.3 blocks per contest places him eighth in the SEC, ranking first among guards.
• Florida’s leading scorer is sophomore forward Keyontae Johnson, who’s averaging 14.3 points per game. His scoring average places him in 13th in the SEC. During conference action, he also sits at 13th in the league, but has upped his average to 14.7 points per contest in 15 league games.
• The University of Florida is widely known for its creation of the popular sports drink Gatorade. The drink was developed by Robert Cade ahead of the 1965 football season. Cade was a professor in the university’s College of Medicine.
LAST TIME VS. FLORIDA
• In front of a season-high crowd of 22,261, No. 1 Tennessee’s high-flying second half helped the Vols top the Florida Gators, 73-61, on Feb. 9, 2019, in Knoxville.
• Tennessee pushed its win streak to 18 games, the longest streak in Rick Barnes‘ 32-year head coaching career.
• Tennessee had four players score in double figures, with Grant Williams’ team-high 16 points leading the way to go along with a team-high six rebounds. Admiral Schofield, who also grabbed six boards, finished with 14 points.
• The Vols pushed the lead to as many as 19 points when Jordan Bowden knocked down a left wing 3-pointer. The junior, who was fouled in the act of shooting, converted the and-one opportunity to make it 69-50 with 5:14 left on the clock.
• The Vols took that 36-30 edge into the locker room with Schofield and Williams leading the way with eight points each.
• Coming out of the halftime break, the game remained within two scores before a pair of 3-pointers from Lamonté Turner pushed the Tennessee lead back to double digits.
• With the victory, the Vols improved to 10-0 in SEC play, their best start since the 1976-77 season.
• And the Big Orange’s win streak in regular-season SEC games extended to a program-record 14 straight.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST GATORS
• The legendary Bernard King recorded the third-best scoring performance in school history with a 43-point, 20-rebound effort as the Vols topped the Gators 93-84 on January 17, 1976, in Stokely Athletics Center.
• During the 1983-84 season, Willie Burton averaged 16.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and shot .500 (17-of-34) from the floor against the Gators. UT was 3-0 vs. Florida that season.
• Dane Bradshaw’s breakaway layup with 20.1 seconds to play proved to be the winning basket as the Vols upset second-ranked Florida 80-76 in Knoxville on Jan. 21, 2006.
• The Vols upset fifth-ranked Florida, 86-76, on Senior Day in Knoxville behind Chris Lofton’s 21 points on Feb. 27, 2007. ESPN College GameDay broadcast live from Rocky Top, Peyton Manning addressed the Vols in the locker room before the game, and Pat Summitt donned cheerleader garb and led the sold-out crowd in a rendition of Rocky Top during a media timeout.
BOWDEN HAS PLAYED WELL IN HIS CAREER AGAINST FLORIDA
• Vols senior Jordan Bowden has faced Florida four times previously in his career, helping Tennessee post a 3-1 record vs. the Gators.
• Against Florida, Bowden averages 13.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting .533 from the field, .500 from 3-point range and .842 from the free-throw line.
BOWDEN AMONG SEC’s BEST
• Senior guard Jordan Bowden ranks among the SEC’s active career leaders in several statistical categories.
• He ranks third in points (1,327), fourth in steals (126), eighth in assists (250) and ninth in rebounds (449).
• Only Breein Tyree (Ole Miss) and Skylar Mays (LSU) have scored more career points among active players.
JB ALSO PROMINENT ON UT CHARTS
• Jordan Bowden also has placed his name prominently throughout the Tennessee career records book.
• His 1,327 points place him 25th on UT’s career scoring list.
• And his 182 3-pointers rank eighth all-time. He needs just two more 3-pointers to tie former teammate and NBA rookie Admiral Schofield for seventh all-time.
TURNOVER WOES UNUSUAL
• Approaching the end of the regular season, this is the most turnover-prone team of Rick Barnes‘ tenure at Tennessee.
• These Vols average 13.9 turnovers per game (14.1 in SEC play). Tennessee’s previous high under Barnes was the 2016-17 squad, which averaged 12.5 tpg. It’s the highest average for any Barnes team since his 2012-13 Texas squad averaged 14.8 tpg.
• Upperclassmen are responsible for 52.7 percent of those turnovers (22.7 percent by seniors and 29.4 percent by juniors).
• Freshmen have committed 45.4 percent of the team’s turnovers.
• To add some context, upperclassmen account for 63.1 of the team’s total minutes played. Freshmen own 36.6 percent of the team’s minutes.
Oh, this is a doozy. Garth Brooks posted a pic on Instagram that depicted him wearing a “Sanders” jersey with the number “20” during his stadium show at Detroit’s Ford Field on Feb. 22.
Sanders. 20.
Let the insanity begin, as the jersey caused a bit of confusion among Garth’s conservative fan base on Instagram.
Garth was paying tribute to Barry Sanders, not Bernie Sanders.
Let me be clear:
Barry Sanders is an NFL Hall of Fame running back—and Oklahoma State alum—who played for the Detroit Lions from 1989 to 1998. Barry wore the number 20.
Bernie Sanders is a U.S. Senator—and democratic socialist—who is trying to secure the democratic nomination for President of the United States. Bernie is running in 2020.
Here are some of the comments in Garth’s Instagram feed:
“If this is for Bernie Sanders, I’m done with you. I thought you were a true American that loves Our Country?”
“Sorry Garth.. don’t think so. Just stick to music.”
“Well guess ur no different from other celebrities,,but thought u might be. We dont need to know who u vote for an especially at ur concert.”
“Lost some respect w that jersey.”
“Garth, Please don’t make the mistake of getting political!”
“Good grief. Can’t you just do what you get paid to do ???? Why why why does it have to involve politics !!! 🤢 So sad. We don’t pay good money for anything other than to watch you perform. 😡Thought you were different.”
“Nothing like supporting a communist to loss a few fans! How about going to a successful socialist country and doing some research? Oh yes, you can’t because there aren’t ANY successful socialist countries!”
“You just lost thousands of fans in Michigan Just stick to your music.”
“To each his own….but any “legend” who can support a socialist rather that the undisputed GREATEST POTUS OF ALL TIME @realdonaldtrump can take pride in knowing you’ve lost a fan who has been with you since day one. Perhaps you’ll wake up soon.”
“What are saying? Your a Communist or a Socialist. Either way your a loser. ❄️ Just threw out your cd
“So disappointed. Always loved that your brand here to clear a polarizing political statement”
“I had no idea you were a big freaking liberal socialist! I’ve listened to your songs for the last time!”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Lady Vols prevailed over an upset-minded Ole Miss team on Thursday, taking a 77-66 win on Senior Night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Junior Rennia Davis was Tennessee’s (19-9, 9-6 SEC) high scorer, recording her 28th career double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Tamari Key and sophomore Rae Burrell were also in double figures, with Key scoring a career high of 17 points and Burrell finishing with 14 in the final regular-season home game of the 2019-20 campaign.
Ole Miss (7-21, 0-15 SEC) was led by Deja Cage and Mimi Reid, who posted 22 and 21 points, respectively.
Burrell scored Tennessee’s first seven points, going 3-for-4 on field goals in just five minutes of competition. Her play sparked a 15-0 run from the Big Orange, which also included a team-high eight points from Key.
At the end of the first quarter, UT led 20-9 with four different players scoring for the Lady Vols. Defensively, Tennessee held Ole Miss to an icy 21.1 shooting percentage and out-rebounded the Rebels, 15-9.
In the second period, the Lady Vols forced an early timeout from Ole Miss after stringing together another 5-0 run that featured freshman Jessie Rennie’s second three-pointer of the game and a lay-in from Davis. UT resumed its scoring surge to build the run to 9-0, holding the Rebels to no points over four and a half minutes.
Ole Miss responded late in the second quarter, going on a 7-0 spree and holding Tennessee without a field goal for the last two minutes to cut UT’s lead to 37-28 going into the locker room.
During the opening half, Key led Tennessee with 12 points in seven minutes of play, while Davis recorded a team high of seven boards. Horston, meanwhile, tallied five assists in the first half, while UT out-rebounded the Rebels, 25-16.
Ole Miss opened up the third quarter with a three-pointer, cutting the Tennessee lead to 37-31. Key scored UT’s first points of the half, making a bucket from underneath the basket.
Midway through the third, the Rebels’ hot shooting from long range cut the UT lead to three, but the Lady Vols took back control of the game via a 5-0 run with points from both Key and Davis, extending the Big Orange’s lead to 50-42.
With four seconds remaining in the third stanza, Brown took a charge, her 12th of the season, to give Tennessee possession. The quarter ended with a last-second bucket from way beyond the arc by Davis, improving UT’s advantage to 65-50 entering the final frame.
Davis scored an early basket in the fourth, but it was countered by back-to-back threes from the Rebels. The Big Orange stiffened to prevent a comeback, as the Lady Vols scored seven more points to keep at least a nine-point lead for the remainder of the game.
Overall, UT out-rebounded Ole Miss, 45-27, and held the Rebels to only a 37.7 shooting percentage. The bench contributed 47 points and outscored the Rebels 34-18 from inside the paint.
Up Next: The Lady Vols will close out the regular season on the road, traveling to Auburn for a 3:05 p.m. ET (2:05 p.m. CT) contest. The match-up will be broadcast on Lady Vol Network radio stations and included in whiparound coverage on the SEC Network.
Explosive First Half: The Lady Vols strung together a 15-0 run in the first quarter against UM. It marked their fourth longest run of the season and the 19th time they have managed a run of 10 or more points.
J3SSI3 R3NNI3: Jessie Rennie went two of three from behind the arc against Ole Miss, moving her season shooting percentage to .489. She is shooting at an even higher rate in SEC play, hitting .571 of her 3-point attempts. She went five of six from three-point range in two games against the Rebels this season.
Senior Salute: Tennessee seniors Lou Brown and Kamera Harris were honored before the contest in their final regular-season appearance on The Summitt. Both will earn master’s degrees in communication and information with emphasis in journalism and electronic media from UT.
Cashing In At The Line: For the second time in three games, Tennessee shot 80 percent or better from the line, hitting 16 of 19 (.842) attempts against Ole Miss. The team previously hit eight of nine (.889) free throws against Arkansas.
Lou Taking Charge: Redshirt senior Lou Brown drew her 12th charge of the season against Ole Miss. That total leads the team and ties UT’s total for the 2018-19 season.
Double-Double Davis: Rennia Davis recorded her 28th career double-double against UM with 19 points and 11 rebounds. She is now just one double-double away from tying Bashaara Graves for 10th all-time among Lady Vols.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Due to the weather forecast on Friday in Johnson City, Tenn., the Buccaneer Classic tournament has been pushed back to Feb. 29-March 2.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 19 Tennessee will look to keep things rolling as the Vols continue their 10-game homestand with a weekend series against George Washington at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Big Orange are coming off two dominant midweek wins over Northern Kentucky and UNC Asheville , outscoring the Norse and Bulldogs by a combined score of 27-2.
Weekend Broadcast Info
All three games this weekend will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app. Michael Wottreng (PxP) and Charlie Puleo (color) will call the games on Friday and Sunday while Andy Brock will handle play-by-play duties with Puleo for Saturday’s contest.
Fans can also listen to the entire series for free on UTSports.com.
Due to weather, there is a chance that Saturday’s game time could be moved to earlier in the day. Updates will be posted to UTSports.com and on the Tennessee baseball Twitter account (@Vol_Baseball).
Projected Starting Pitchers
Game 1: RHP Chad Dallas (2 GS, 2-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. RHP Harrison Cohen (2 GS, 1-0, 3.18 ERA) Game 2: RHP Chase Wallace (2 GS, 1-0, 2.70 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Solt (2 GS, 0-1, 3.46 ERA) Game 3: TBD vs. RHP Elliott Raimo (2 GS, 2-0, 0.96 ERA)
Series History vs. George Washington
Overall: First Meeting
In Knoxville: N/A
In Washington, DC: N/A
Neutral Sites: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A
Notable Pitching on Point
Much like last season, the Tennessee pitching staff is off to a fantastic start. The Vols enter this weekend ranked among the top 10 nationally in ERA (6th – 1.56), hits allowed per nine innings (9th – 5.33), shutouts (9th – 2), strikeout-to-walk ratio (6th – 5.26), WHIP (5th – 0.83) and walks allowed per nine innings (10th – 2.11).
UT’s bullpen has been a major factor in the team’s early success, holding opposing hitters to a paltry .147 batting average while posting a 0.81 ERA. Tennessee’s relievers have struck out 51 batters and issued just six walks in 44.1 innings.
Starting Fast
The Vols have made a habit of getting off to fast starts and building early leads this season. UT has scored in either the first or second inning in all nine of its games this season and has outscored its opposition 27-1 over the first two innings of games.
Lots of Dingers
Tennessee hitters have been crushing balls out of the park at an incredible rate so far this season. The Vols’ 16 home runs through nine games rank second in the country, trailing Ole Miss by just one homer. Ten different players have gone yard for the Big Orange this season and UT has hit multiple home runs in seven of its nine games this year, including every home game.
Kings of Round Rock
Tennessee won last weekend’s inaugural Round Rock Classic in dominant fashion, outscoring its three opponents 21-8, including two wins over ranked teams in No.1 Texas Tech and No. 25 Stanford. The Vols led all teams with five players on the all-tournament team: Zach Daniels (Tournament MVP), Jake Rucker, Connor Pavolony, Jordan Beck and Jackson Leath.
Opponent Scout George Washington Colonials (6-2)
2019 Record: 30-24 (11-13 Atlantic 10)
2019 Postseason: N/A
Head Coach: Gregg Ritchie (8th season) // Has led the Colonials to three straight seasons of at least 30 wins.
The Colonials were picked to finish eighth in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
GWU returns 22 letterwinners, including six starting position players and 13 pitchers from last year’s team.
The Colonials have won four straight games after a weekend series win over Marist and back-to-back midweek victories over UMB and Coppin State.
GWU is led by sophomore second baseman Noah Levin, who was named the 2019 A10 Rookie of the Year and earned Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-America honors last season after batting .305 with 43 RBI.
Levin enters this weekend as the team lead in batting average (.360) and RBI (eight).
Projected Sunday starter Elliott Raimo is 2-0 and has been lights out on the mound with a 0.96 ERA and nine strikeouts over his two starts.
Game Promotions
Upcoming promotions for all Tennessee athletics home events can be found on the UT Fan Experience page by clicking HERE.
ALL SERIES
Knox and Surrounding Counties School Day: Free general admission ticket with the donation of two school supply items.
FRIDAY
Free Food Friday: First 100 fans receive a free cup of Petros chili | First 75 students will get free Chick-fil-A
SATURDAY
BASEketball: Free admission to the baseball game if you show your men’s basketball ticket for the game versus Florida.
SUNDAY
Kids Day: All kids 12 and under receive free admission. Run the bases and get postgame autographs from select players (weather permitting).
First 50 kids in attendance will receive a free Kids Combo meal
On Deck
Following this weekend’s series, the Vols welcome Longwood to Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Tuesday, March 3. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
The nomination for the 55th ACM Awards were announce on Feb. 27, and while artists like Dan + Shay, Maren Morris and Thomas Rhett racked up multiple nominations, there were more than a few questionable omissions—as well as inclusions—in the nomination process.
Based on my first glance, here are the snubs and surprises from the 55th annual ACM Awards nominations, which recognized artists’ works from January 1, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2019.
Album of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett
Girl – Maren Morris
Heartache Medication – Jon Pardi
What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs
Wildcard – Miranda Lambert
Snub: Country Squire – Tyler Childers
Snub: While I’m Livin’ – Tanya Tucker
Snub: The Highwomen – The Highwomen Country Squire was the best country album of 2019, period. But Tanya and The Highwomen could have—and should have—been nominated. The question becomes, whose nominated album(s) do you remove? I ain’t going there.
Single of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
“One Man Band” Old Dominion
“Rainbow” – Kacey Musgraves
“Rumor” – Lee Brice
“What If I Never Get Over You” – Lady Antebellum
Snub: “Beautiful Crazy” – Luke Combs Seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and 11 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart…this was a no-brainer.
Snub: “Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus. The song spent a record 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. If it deserved a nomination for Musical Event of the Year, it deserved a nomination for Single of the Year.
Snub: “The Git Up” – Blanco Brown The song spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, which is one of the two charts (Mediabase) referenced in the ACM Single of the Year voting criteria.
Surprise: “Rainbow” – Kacey Musgraves “God’s Country,” “One Man Band,” “Rumor” and “What If I Never Get Over You” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. “Rainbow” peaked at No. 33 on the Airplay chart and No. 17 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Yes, “Rainbow” is a fantastic song (see Song of the Year Snub) . . . but is it a fantastic single? I just can’t figure out how one single earns a nomination and one single doesn’t, when chart performance is such a big factor.
Song of the Year (Awarded to Songwriter/Publisher/Artist)
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay feat. Justin Bieber, written by Justin Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Jessie Jo Dillon, Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere” – Ashley McBryde, written by Jeremy Bussey, Ashley McBryde
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton, written by Devin Dawson, Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt
“One Man Band” – Old Dominion, written by Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi
“Some of It” – Erich Church, written by Eric Church, Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde, Bobby Pinson
Snub: “Beautiful Crazy” – Luke Combs, written by Luke Combs, Wyatt Durrette, Robert Williford
Snub: “Rainbow” – Kacey Musgraves, written by Kacey Musgraves, Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally
Songwriter of the Year
Ashley Gorley
Michael Hardy
Hillary Lindsey
Shane McAnally
Josh Osborne
Surprise: It will be a surprise if anyone other than Ashley Gorley wins.
Entertainer of the Year
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Carrie Underwood
Snub: Garth Brooks Come on, get real. Dude deserved a nomination, even if you are Garthed out.
New Male Artist of the Year
Jordan Davis
Russell Dickerson
Riley Green
Cody Johnson
Morgan Wallen
Surprise: Cody Johnson I’m happy Cody got a nomination, but the guy is about as “new” as a horse and buggy. He’s been releasing albums as long as Eric Church.
Snub: Jimmie Allen
Video of the Year [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay featuring Justin Bieber
Surprise: “One Man Band” – Old Dominion It’s definitely a great song, but I actually had to go back—just now—and re-watch the video because I couldn’t remember it.
Music Event of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay featuring Justin Bieber
“Dive Bar” – Garth Brooks featuring Blake Shelton
“Fooled Around and Fell in Love” – Miranda Lambert featuring Maren Morris, Elle King, Tenille Townes, Ashley McBryde and Caylee Hammack.
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
“What Happens in a Small Town” – Brantley Gilbert featuring Lindsay Ell
Snub: “Brand New Man” – Brooks & Dunn feat. Luke Combs
I dare you to try to listen to this song without singing it at the top of your lungs.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – 37 points from Arkansas guard Mason Jones led Arkansas past the Tennessee basketball team, 86-69, on Wednesday at Bud Walton Arena.
For the third consecutive game, senior Jordan Bowden led UT (15-13, 7-8 SEC) in scoring, pouring in 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting, while knocking down four 3-point baskets.
The Razorbacks (18-10, 6-9 SEC) controlled the game’s opening six minutes, running out of the gates to the tune of a 16-3 run, led by 11 points from Jones.
Just past the midpoint of the opening half, the Vols cut into the Arkansas advantage, using an 8-0 run over a period of 4:25 to bring the deficit to 24-17.
In the half’s final seven minutes, the Razorbacks regained control, increasing their lead to as many as 16 points, taking a 40-27 lead into the halftime break.
Out of the locker room, Arkansas opened the half with a layup from Adrio Bailey, before UT broke off an 11-0 run and managed to cut its deficit to two points, 45-43.
The Razorbacks responded to the Vols run, stretching their lead back to double digits, never leading by fewer than nine points over the contest’s final 12 minutes.
The Streak is Still Alive: SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate Yves Pons finished the night with one block. He increased his season total to 68 blocks and is now just six blocks away from breaking UT’s single season blocks record with three regular-season games left to play.
Bowden Moves up the Ranks: Jordan Bowden’s four 3-point makes increased his career 3-point field goal total to 182, moving him into eighth all-time in program history, surpassing VFL’s Vincent Yarbrough and Jordan McRae. Bowden is just two 3-point makes away from tying VFL Admiral Schofield for seventh all-time.
Up Next: Tennessee returns home to Thompson-Boling Arena for a Saturday matinee matchup with SEC rival Florida. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen and Brad Tursi of Old Dominion, 6 nominations
Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay, 5 nominations
Maren Morris, 5 nominations
Thomas Rhett, 5 nominations,
Dann Huff, 5 nominations
Geoff Sprung & Whit Sellers of Old Dominion, 5 nominations
Justin Bieber, 4 nominations
Blake Shelton, 4 nominations
Eric Church, 3 nominations
Luke Combs, 3 nominations
Miranda Lambert, 3 nominations
Ashley McBryde, 3 nominations
Kacey Musgraves, 3 nominations
ACM Awards Nominees: Notes From the Academy
Maren Morris earned five nominations in four categories, including her fourth Female Artist of the Year nomination and first Group of the Year nomination as a member of The Highwomen. She is also nominated in the Album of the Year category twice, as both artist and producer, for GIRL. Additionally, Morris is nominated for Music Event of the Year for “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” with Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack and Elle King.
Reigning Male Artist of the Year Thomas Rhett received five nominations in four categories, including his first-ever Entertainer of the Year nomination. Rhett is also nominated twice, as both artist and producer, for his album Center Point Road in the Album of the Year category. Additionally, he received his first Video of the Year nomination for “Remember You Young,” and his fourth Male Artist of the Year nomination.
Producer Dann Huff received five nominations, including a nod for Album of the Year with Thomas Rhett as a producer for Center Point Road. He is also nominated for Music Event of the Year as a producer for “What Happens in a Small Town” with Brantley Gilbert and Lindsay Ell, and Single of the Year as a producer for “What If I Never Get Over You” with Lady Antebellum. Huff also received two nominations across the Studio Recording Award categories, including Guitar Player of the Year and Producer of the Year, an award he won previously in 2006, 2009 and 2013.
Reigning Duo of the Year Dan + Shay earned four nominations, including their seventh nod for Duo of the Year. They received nominations in the Video of the Year, Music Event of the Year, and Song of the Year categories for “10,000 Hours.” Shay Mooney received his first individual nomination as a songwriter in the Song of the Year category for “10,000 Hours.” Additionally, Dan Smyers received two individual nominations as a songwriter in the Song of the Year category and as a producer in the Music Event of the Year category for “10,000 Hours.”
First-time Academy of Country Music Award nominee Justin Bieber earned four nominations for “10,000 Hours” (featuring Dan + Shay). Bieber is nominated for Music Event of the Year, Video of the Year, and twice, as both artist and songwriter, for Song of the Year.
Blake Shelton received four nominations, including Single of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year for “God’s Country.” He is also nominated for Music Event of the Year for “Dive Bar” with Garth Brooks; Shelton previously won in this category in 2009 for “Hillbilly Bone.”
Reigning Group of the Year Old Dominion earned four nominations, including their fifth nod for Group of the Year. They are also nominated for Single of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year for “One Man Band.” Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen and Brad Tursi each received individual nominations as songwriters in the Song of the Year category for “One Man Band.”
Eric Church received three nominations, including his second nod for Entertainer of the Year. Church was also nominated as artist and songwriter in the Song of the Year category for “Some of It” – marking his eighth and ninth nominations in the category.
Reigning New Male Artist of the Year Luke Combs received three nominations including Male Artist of the Year and his first nomination for Entertainer of the Year. He also received his first nomination for Album of the Year for What You See Is What You Get.
Miranda Lambert received three nominations including Female Artist of the Year, which she has won nine times, more than any other female in the history of the ACM Awards. Lambert was also nominated for Album of the Year for Wildcard and received a nomination for Music Event of the Year for “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” featuring Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack and Elle King.
Reigning New Female Artist of the Year Ashley McBryde received three nominations. She received two nominations in the Song of the Year category as both artist and songwriter for “Girl Goin’ Nowhere,” her first in the category. Also, she received her first nomination for Music Event of the Year for her contribution to Miranda Lambert’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love.”
Reigning Female Artist of the Year Kacey Musgraves earned three nominations including her seventh nod for Female Artist of the Year. Additionally, she received her first Single of the Year nomination as both artist and producer for “Rainbow.”
ACM Award-winning producer busbee is posthumously nominated for two awards, including his third nod for Album of the Year with Maren Morris as a producer for GIRL. Also, he is nominated for Producer of the Year, his third nomination in this category.
This year’s nominations list includes 25 artists and industry creators receiving their first-ever ACM Awards nomination. The first-time nominees include Mason Allen, Ingrid Andress, Dan Atchison, Gabby Barrett, Justin Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Jeremy Bussey, Clint Daniels, Carlo Glorioso, Riley Green, Caylee Hammack, Michael Hardy, The Highwomen, Cody Johnson, Alexa Kinigopoulos, Stephen Kinigopoulos, Lil Nas X, Angie Lorenz, Sophie Muller, Michael Trent Reznor, Matthew Atticus Ross, Jordan Schmidt, Tenille Townes, Morgan Wallen and YoungKio.
As the nominations for the ACM Awards are announced across various platforms beginning at 7.30 a.m. CT on Feb. 27, Nash Country Daily will update this post.
Song of the Year (Awarded to Songwriter/Publisher/Artist)
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay feat. Justin Bieber, written by Justin Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Jessie Jo Dillon, Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere” – Ashley McBryde, written by Jeremy Bussey, Ashley McBryde
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton, written by Devin Dawson, Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt
“One Man Band” – Old Dominion, written by Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi
“Some of It” – Erich Church, written by Eric Church, Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde, Bobby Pinson
Songwriter of the Year
Ashley Gorley
Michael Hardy
Hillary Lindsey
Shane McAnally
Josh Osborne
Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae
Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
The Highwomen
Male Artist of the Year
Dierks Bentley
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
Female Artist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
Entertainer of the Year
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Carrie Underwood
New Female Artist of the Year
Ingrid Andress
Gabby Barrett
Lindsay Ell
Caylee Hammack
Tenille Townes
New Male Artist of the Year
Jordan Davis
Russell Dickerson
Riley Green
Cody Johnson
Morgan Wallen
Album of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett
Girl – Maren Morris
Heartache Medication – Jon Pardi
What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs
Wildcard – Miranda Lambert
Single of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
“One Man Band” Old Dominion
“Rainbow” – Kacey Musgraves
“Rumor” – Lee Brice
“What If I Never Get Over You” – Lady Antebellum
Video of the Year [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay featuring Justin Bieber
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
“One Man Band” – Old Dominion
“Remember You Young” – Thomas Rhett
“Sugarcoat” – Little Big Town
Music Event of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay featuring Justin Bieber
“Dive Bar” – Garth Brooks featuring Blake Shelton
“Fooled Around and Fell in Love” – Miranda Lambert featuring Maren Morris, Elle King, Tenille Townes, Ashley McBryde and Caylee Hammack.
Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
“What Happens in a Small Town” – Brantley Gilbert featuring Lindsay Ell
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Due to the weather forecast on Friday in Johnson City, Tenn., the Buccaneer Classic tournament has been pushed back to Feb. 29-March 2.
