Billboard Music Awards: The Winners

Billboard Music Awards: The Winners

Posted on May 2, 2019

Kelly Clarkson hosted the 2019 Billboard Music Awards from the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 1.

Luke Combs was the big winner in the country genre, earning three awards: Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist and Top Country Album. Additional winners included Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, Kenny Chesney, Maren Morris and Dan + Shay.

Check out all of the country-centric winners below.

Top Country Artist
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs WINNER
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line

Top Country Male Artist
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs WINNER

Top Country Female Artist
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood WINNER

Top Country Duo/Group
Dan + Shay WINNER
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion

Top Country Tour
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney WINNER
Shania Twain

Top Country Album
Jason Aldean, Rearview Town
Kane Brown, Kane Brown
Luke Combs, This One’s For You WINNER
Dan + Shay, Dan + Shay
Carrie Underwood, Cry Pretty

Top Country Song
Kane Brown, “Heaven”
Luke Combs, “She Got the Best of Me”
Dan + Shay, “Speechless”
Dan + Shay, “Tequila”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line, “Meant to Be” WINNER

Top Dance/Electronic Song
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, “The Middle” WINNER
DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B, “Taki Taki”
Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa, “One Kiss”
Marshmello & Bastille, “Happier”
Tiësto & Dzeko ft. Preme & Post Malone ,“Jackie Chan”

Billboard Chart Achievement Award
Dan + Shay
Drake
Ariana Grande WINNER
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Dua Lipa

Top Duo/Group (all genre)
Dan + Shay
BTS WINNER
Imagine Dragons
Maroon 5
Panic! At The Disco

Top Radio Song (all genre)
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line, “Meant to Be”
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, “The Middle”
Khalid & Normani, “Love Lies”
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B, “Girls Like You” WINNER
Post Malone, “Better Now”

photo by O\’Connor/AFF-USA.com

Darius Rucker to Open for Garth Brooks: “I’m About to Poop My Pants I’m So Excited”

Darius Rucker to Open for Garth Brooks: “I’m About to Poop My Pants I’m So Excited”

Posted on May 2, 2019

Fans who bought tickets to Garth Brooks’ sold-out show at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on May 4 are getting an unexpected surprise: Darius Rucker will open the show.

Garth recently revealed the news, saying: “So, who is opening May 4th? Darius! Sweet guy. And he [kept] saying, ‘When are we gonna do something?’ I said, ‘Well, what are you doing the 4th?’ He says, ‘I’ll be there!’ Sweetest guy on the planet. You’re gonna have fun with this cat, too.”

Let the fun begin—Darius shared an exuberant comment via Twitter, saying, in part: “I’m about to poop my pants I’m so excited!”

Garth has used a mixed bag of openers for his recent Stadium Tour, including Chris Young, Easton Corbin and King Calaway (May 3).

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Thomas Rhett Says He’s “Trying to Give Fans Something They’ve Never Seen” on Upcoming Tour

Thomas Rhett Says He’s “Trying to Give Fans Something They’ve Never Seen” on Upcoming Tour

Posted on May 1, 2019

Thomas Rhett is about to heat things up with his Very Hot Summer Tour, which kicks of on May 17 in Spokane, Wash. The 39-date tour features support from Dustin Lynch, Russell Dickerson and TR’s father, Rhett Akins.

With three studio albums under his belt—and his fourth, Center Point Road, dropping on May 31—TR has a trove of a dozen No. 1 hits that fans expect to hear at his concerts, including “It Goes Like This,” “Get Me Some of That,” “Make Me Wanna,” “Crash and Burn,” “Life Changes,” “Sixteen” and more.

As TR told Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown, trying to fit all those hits into one show is a good problem to have.

“Every year we’ve been on tour, me and my drummer have had this long-standing joke about needing one more hit to [finish the show],” says Thomas Rhett to Kix. “Now it’s like we have to pull one hit and that’s an interesting spot to be in. I remember watching Jason Aldean and Luke [Bryan] and asking, ‘How do y’all put all these hits in your show?’ And, they’re like, ‘We don’t put them all in there.’ So this year we’re just trying to figure out different renditions of songs, taking old hits that we have and making them a little bit fresher and newer and really just trying to give the fans something they’ve never seen from us.”

Very Hot Summer Tour

  • May 17 | Spokane, WA**
  • May 18 | Tacoma, WA**
  • May 25 | Orange Beach, AL
  • May 26 | Orange Beach, AL
  • June 13 | Virginia Beach, VA
  • June 14 | Charlotte, NC
  • June 15 | Bristow, VA
  • June 20 | Detroit, MI
  • June 21 | Indianapolis, IN
  • June 28 | Dallas, TX
  • June 29 | Houston, TX
  • July 11 | Toronto, ON
  • July 12 | Pittsburgh, PA
  • July 19 | Darien Center, NY
  • July 20 | Hershey, PA
  • Aug. 1 | Philadelphia, PA
  • Aug. 2 | Boston, MA
  • Aug. 3 | Holmdel, NJ
  • Aug. 8 | Raleigh, NC
  • Aug. 9 | Cincinnati, OH
  • Aug. 10 | Atlanta, GA
  • Aug. 15 | Rogers, AR
  • Aug. 16 | Southaven, MS
  • Aug. 17 | Birmingham, AL
  • Sept. 5 | Sioux Falls, SD
  • Sept. 6 |Des Moines, IA
  • Sept. 7 | St. Paul, MN
  • Sept. 12 | Kansas City, MO
  • Sept. 13 | St. Louis, MO
  • Sept. 14 | Chicago, IL
  • Sept. 19 | Bridgeport, CT
  • Sept. 20 | New York, NY
  • Sept. 21| Albany, NY
  • Oct. 3 | Greenville, SC
  • Oct. 4 | Jacksonville, TN
  • Oct. 5 | Orlando, FL
  • Oct. 10 | Knoxville, TN
  • Oct. 11 | Louisville, KY
  • Oct. 12 | Nashville, TN

**Shows without Russell Dickerson and Rhett Akins

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Two Marines Receive Top Non-Combat Honor for Heroism at Route 91 Harvest Festival

Two Marines Receive Top Non-Combat Honor for Heroism at Route 91 Harvest Festival

Posted on May 1, 2019

Two Marines received the Navy & Marine Corps Medal—the highest non-combat decoration awarded for heroism by the U.S. Navy—for their bravery and selfless actions during the Route 91 Harvest Festival in October 2017.

During the festival, a lone gunman opened fire on the crowd as Jason Aldean was performing, killing 58 people and wounding more than 500 people.

Sgt. Austin Cox, 26, and Sgt. Michael Vura, 26, Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron 303 helicopter mechanics, were attending the concert as part of their three-day weekend in Las Vegas.

“Both of us being from Ohio, country music is something we bonded on and is one of the reasons we became best friends,” said Sgt. Vura, according to a recent article in the Orange County Register.

When the shooting began, Sgt. Cox and Sgt. Vura sprang into action, helping concertgoers cross a barricade and administering first aid to wounded patrons. The two Marines applied tourniquets, carried the wounded via makeshift gurneys to ambulances and helped transport a severely injured woman to the hospital.

“We looked at each other and said, ‘We’ve got to go help,’” said Sgt. Austin Cox, according to the OCR. “Our adrenaline was rushing. You just full-blown go. As people ran out, we ran towards chaos.”

Past winners of the Navy & Marine Corps Medal include John F. Kennedy and Carl Brashear, whose heroics were chronicled in the 2000 film Men of Honor.

photo by by Sgt. David Bickel/Marines.mil

Take a Sneak Peek Inside Keith Whitley’s New Exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame

Take a Sneak Peek Inside Keith Whitley’s New Exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame

Posted on May 1, 2019

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum treated media, industry insiders and Keith Whitley’s family and friends to a sneak preview of its new exhibit, Still Rings True: The Enduring Voice of Keith Whitley.

Despite the brevity of his career, Keith, who died at age 33, produced many significant country hits over the course of his four albums. His music continues to influence today’s country singers, including Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Alison Krauss, Tim McGraw­, Dierks Bentley, Blake Shelton and others. The exhibit opens to the public on May 3 and runs through April 5, 2020.

Items featured in Still Rings True: The Enduring Voice of Keith Whitley include stage wear, instruments and personal artifacts from Keith’s childhood and music career. Some highlights include:

  • A Sony TC-540 reel-to-reel tape recorder with detachable speakers, used by Elmer Whitley to record the Lonesome Mountain Boys, a bluegrass group featuring his sons Dwight and Keith
  • A Dangerous Threads bolero jacket worn by Whitley at one of his final public performances in March 1989
  • A 1980 C.W. Parsons & Co. acoustic guitar with walnut finish used extensively by Whitley
  • Original draft of Country Music Hall of Fame member Don Schlitz’s handwritten lyrics to “When You Say Nothing at All,” a No. 1 hit for Whitley in 1988 (co-written with Paul Overstreet)
  • Whitley’s handwritten lyrics to “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” and “Wherever You Are Tonight”

Take a sneak preview of some of the items featured in the exhibit, courtesy of photographer Jason Kempin/Getty Images/Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

photo courtesy of Jim Shea/CMHOF

CMA Fest Adds More Than 100 Free Performances, Including Billy Currington, Randy Houser, Tenille Townes & More

CMA Fest Adds More Than 100 Free Performances, Including Billy Currington, Randy Houser, Tenille Townes & More

Posted on April 30, 2019

The Country Music Association revealed more than 110 additional artists slated to perform FREE daytime shows during this year’s CMA Fest, which takes place in downtown Nashville on June 6–9.

Chevy Breakout Stage

Located at Walk of Fame Park from 11:10 a.m–4:55 p.m. on June 6, and 10:30 a.m.–4:55 p.m. on June 7–9

Carlton Anderson, Tenille Arts, Kassi Ashton, Drew Baldridge, Chris Bandi, Kelleigh Bannen, Bailey Bryan, Austin Burke, Dillon Carmichael, Adam Craig, Travis Denning, Cale Dodds, Adam Doleac, Clare Dunn, Brooke Eden, Filmore, HARDY, Jillian Jacqueline, James Barker Band, Austin Jenckes, Brett Kissel, Love and Theft, Tegan Marie, Steve Moakler, Muscadine Bloodline, Brandon Ratcliff, Brandon Ray, Teddy Robb, Noah Schnacky, Dylan Schneider, Seaforth, Smithfield, Matt Stell, Sweet Tea Trio, Tenille Townes, Rachel Wammack, Waterloo Revival, The Wild Feathers and Carter Winter

The Maui Jim Broadway Stage

Located at Bridgestone Plaza from 10:45 a.m–4:30 p.m. on June 6–9, with the “BMI Tailgate” performances on June 6 from 2:45 p.m.–5:10 p.m.

Colin Elmore, House Whiskey, Josh Phillips, Dan Smalley, The Adelaides, Jay Allen, Roan Ash, Gabby Barrett, Stephen Carey, Troy Cartwright, Crowder, Kyle Daniel, Jaida Dreyer, Ross Ellis, Everette, Fairground Saints, Ray Fulcher, Noah Guthrie, Adam Hambrick, Levi Hummon, Hunter Brothers, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Lauren Jenkins, Willie Jones, King Calaway, The Last Bandoleros, Leaving Austin, Baylee Littrell, Hayley Orrantia, Drew Parker, Stephanie Quayle, Faren Rachels, Elvie Shane, Kalie Shorr, The Sisterhood Band, The Swon Brothers and Lainey Wilson

The Nashville Acoustic Corner Stage

Located inside the NCVC Visitor Center at Bridgestone Arena on June 6–9 from 11:00 a.m.–4:40 p.m.

Haley Mae Campbell, Seth Cook, Cross Atlantic, Jobe Fortner, Makayla Lynn, Jill Martin, David Ray, Maggie Renfroe, Joe Robinson and Anna Rose. Friday’s performances are presented by SESAC and feature Blanco Brown, Nora Collins, Spencer Crandall, Erin Enderlin, Aaron Goodvin, Kelly McGrath, Tom O’Connor, Jake Rose, Scott Stevens and Jenny Tolman. Saturday and Sunday’s lineups includes Beoga, Jordan Brooker, Brown & Gray, Shy Carter, Robert Counts, Crawford & Power, Hannah Dasher, Larry Fleet, Kylie Frey, Tony Jackson, Angie Keilhauer, Cory Marks, Jaden Michaels, Emily Ann Roberts, Shane Runion, SixForty1, Tiera, Tyler Reese Tritt, Anna Vaus and The Wandering Hearts

New additions to previously announced lineups include Billy Currington at the Chevy Riverfront Stage on June 6, Randy Houser at Firestone Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheater on June 6 and Pam Tillis at the Budweiser Forever Country Stage on June 9.

All outdoor daytime stages are free and open to the public.

Fourteen Student-Athletes Named Arthur Ashe Sports Scholars

Fourteen Student-Athletes Named Arthur Ashe Sports Scholars

Posted on April 30, 2019
Credit: UT Athletics

Fourteen Tennessee student-athletes earned Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar honors for the 2018-19 academic year.

Sponsored by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards honor undergraduate students who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field. To qualify for consideration, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore, maintain a GPA of 3.2 or higher and demonstrate a record of service to the campus or community.

“I am so proud of these 14 student-athletes,” Senior Associate Athletics Director and Assistant Provost Joe Scogin said. “The Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar recognition celebrates student-athletes that take advantage of every opportunity college athletics provides. These students choose to give their all for Tennessee – in the classroom, competitively and throughout our amazing community. I’m delighted that we get to take a moment to celebrate the incredible student-athletes that represent the University of Tennessee each and every day.”

Inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe, Jr.’s commitment to education as well as his love for the game of tennis, U.S. colleges and universities are invited to participate in this annual awards program by nominating their outstanding sports scholars. In addition to their athletic ability and academic performance, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars demonstrate a commitment to community service and student leadership. This is the 27th year of the awards, which began in 1992.

2018-19 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars
First Team
Colin Zeng – Men’s Swimming and Diving
Nick Boogades – Men’s Track and Field
Shae Yanez – Soccer
Chelsea Seggern – Softball

Second Team
Matthew Butler – Football
Mariah Smith – Women’s Golf
Waverly Whiston– Women’s Golf
Tjasa Pintar – Women’s Swimming and Diving
Ariadna Riley – Women’s Tennis
Ashley Morgan – Softball
Matty Moss – Softball

Third Team
Lenysse Dyer – Women’s Track and Field
Asha Phillips – Volleyball

Fourth Team
Cheyenne Labruzza – Football

 

UT Athletics

Florida Georgia Line to Make Ryman Auditorium Debut

Florida Georgia Line to Make Ryman Auditorium Debut

Posted on April 30, 2019

Florida Georgia Line will headline its first show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on May 29, but fans won’t be able to attend via conventional ticket purchases.

The invitation-only event will air live on SiriusXM’s The Highway (channel 56) at 8 p.m. CT on May 29. Fans can enter a sweepstakes at siriusxm.com for the chance to win tickets to the concert.

“The first time BK and I heard ourselves on the radio was on SiriusXM,” says FGL’s Tyler Hubbard. “So, to come together now for our first full-blown concert at the Ryman is really special.”

“There is a magical feeling when you walk into the Ryman and this is a place that has always been on our bucket list to play,” adds FGL’s Brian Kelley. “We are so excited for this show and can’t wait to bring our FGL vibes to the Mother Church!”

photo by Jason Simanek

Everything You Need to Know About the Billboard Music Awards on May 1 With Dan + Shay, Kane Brown, FGL, Kelly Clarkson & More

Everything You Need to Know About the Billboard Music Awards on May 1 With Dan + Shay, Kane Brown, FGL, Kelly Clarkson & More

Posted on April 30, 2019

From nominations and notes to performers and presenters, here’s everything a country music fan needs to know about the 2019 Billboard Music Awards on May 1.

  • Date: Wednesday, May 1
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET/PT
  • Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas
  • TV Channel: NBC
  • Online Stream: NBC.com/live
  • Host: Kelly Clarkson
  • Performers: Taylor Swift and Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie, Halsey, Ciara, Lauren Daigle, Dan + Shay with Tori Kelly, Halsey, Jonas Brothers, Khalid, Madonna and Maluma, Panic! at the Disco, Paula Abdul, Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande
  • Presenters: Asher Angel, Becky G, Chrissy Metz & Justin Hartley, Cobie Smulders, Dave Bautista & Kumail Nanjiani, David Guetta, Erin & Sara Foster, Eva Longoria, Florida Georgia Line, Jennifer Hudson, Jesse Spencer, Julia Michaels, Julianne Hough, Kane Brown, Olivia Wilde, Beanie Feldstein & Kaitlyn Dever, Ralph Macchio, Rob Gronkowski, Ross Lynch & Kiernan Shipka, Sabrina Carpenter, Sophie Turner & Tye Sheridan, Terry Crews, and William Zabka
  • BBMA Icon: Mariah Carey
  • Red Carpet Coverage: @BBMAs on Twitter at 6 p.m. ET / 3p.m. PT with hosts Sway Calloway, Sofia Reyes and Jaymes Vaughan

Check out all of the country-centric nominations below.

Billboard Chart Achievement Award (all genre)
Dan + Shay
Drake
Ariana Grande
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Dua Lipa

Top Duo/Group (all genre)
Dan + Shay
BTS
Imagine Dragons
Maroon 5
Panic! At The Disco

Top Radio Song (all genre)
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line, “Meant to Be”
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, “The Middle”
Khalid & Normani, “Love Lies”
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B, “Girls Like You”
Post Malone, “Better Now”

Top Country Artist
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line

Top Country Male Artist
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs

Top Country Female Artist
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

Top Country Duo/Group
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion

Top Country Tour
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Shania Twain

Top Country Album
Jason Aldean, Rearview Town
Kane Brown, Kane Brown
Luke Combs, This One’s For You
Dan + Shay, Dan + Shay
Carrie Underwood, Cry Pretty

Top Country Song
Kane Brown, “Heaven”
Luke Combs, “She Got the Best of Me”
Dan + Shay, “Speechless”
Dan + Shay, “Tequila”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line, “Meant to Be”

Top Dance/Electronic Song
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, “The Middle”
DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B, “Taki Taki”
Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa, “One Kiss”
Marshmello & Bastille, “Happier”
Tiësto & Dzeko ft. Preme & Post Malone ,“Jackie Chan”

photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

Jake Owen & Girlfriend Erica Hartlein Welcome Baby Girl

Jake Owen & Girlfriend Erica Hartlein Welcome Baby Girl

Posted on April 30, 2019

Jake Owen and girlfriend Erica Hartlein welcomed daughter Paris Hartley Owen into the world on April 29.

Jake shared the news via Twitter, noting that his daughter shares a birthday with Willie Nelson: “It’s a Willie great day!! Well Happy Birthday to born on this day April 29th, 1933. Also, happy birthday to my little beautiful daughter, Paris Hartley Owen born today April 29th, 2019. .”

Jake and Erica have been dating since 2017. Jake also has a six-year-old daughter, Pearl, with ex-wife Lacey Buchanan.

Congrats to Jake and Erica.

photo by Arroyo/O\’Connor, AFF-USA.com

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