COLUMBIA, S.C. – Tennessee will look to earn its second straight road victory this Saturday night when it travels to Columbia to take on South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Saturday’s game will feature a primetime broadcast at 7:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network. Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Jordan Rodgers (analyst) will have the call in the booth while Cole Cubelic will be reporting from the sidelines. Vol Network radio affiliates will have a live audio broadcast with Bob Kesling, Tim Priest and Brent Hubbs. Sirius (Channel 103) and XM satellite radio (Channel 191) will also carry the game.
Need to Know
Chandler Makes History
With a 10-yard touchdown reception last Saturday against No. 1 Alabama, sophomore Ty Chandler became the first Tennessee running back in program history to record a receiving touchdown in three consecutive games. Chandler also had touchdown catches of 42 and 35 yards against No. 21 Auburn and No. 2 Georgia, respectively. Virginia’s Olamide Zaccheaus is the only FBS running back with more touchdown catches (six) than Chandler this season.
Phillips Continues to Make Plays on Defense
Vols’ senior defensive end Kyle Phillips has been a play-making machine over the past two weeks. In UT’s upset win on the road over No. 21 Auburn two weeks ago, Phillips led the team with a career-best nine tackles and forced a fumble that was recovered in the end zone for the Tennessee touchdown. Last week against top-ranked Alabama, Phillips made his first-career interception – snagging a deflected pass by Jalen Hurts in the third quarter – and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown, breaking numerous tackles on his way to the end zone.
Jennings Leading Receiving Corps
UT wide receiver Jauan Jennings continued his run of recent success in last week’s loss to No. 1 Alabama, becoming the first opposing wideout to post a 100-yard receiving day against the Crimson Tide this season (6 catches, 102 yards). The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native was named to the PFF College SEC Offensive Team of the Week for the second consecutive week on Tuesday.
Jennings’ 62.5 receiving yards per game ranks sixth in the SEC in conference play and the junior wideout leads the Vols with 23 catches this season. Over the past two games, Jennings has hauled in 11 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown. Eight of those 11 catches have gone for first downs.
Series History vs. South Carolina
Saturday will mark the 37th meeting all time between the Volunteers and Gamecocks. Tennessee leads the series with a 25-9-2 record, including a 9-6-2 mark in games played in Columbia.
The series has been closely contested in recent years with 13 of the last 18 contests being decided by one score, including the last six games between the two programs. South Carolina has won the previous two meetings, including a down-to-the-wire finish last season at Neyland Stadium. Redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano – who was making his first-career start – led the Vols on a 73-yard last-minute drive to the USC 2-yard line, but the Gamecock’s defense was able to hold UT out of the end zone to hang on for a 15-9 victory.
About South Carolina
South Carolina comes into Saturday’s game with a 3-3 overall record and a 2-3 mark in SEC play after falling at home to Texas A&M, 26-23, in its last game. However, the Gamecocks are coming off a bye, giving them an extra week to prepare for this week’s matchup.
Junior quarterback Jake Bentley leads the Gamecocks’ offense, averaging 230.2 passing yards per game, which ranks sixth in the SEC. The three-year starter has thrown 10 touchdown passes but also leads the league with seven interceptions. Bentley’s top target is explosive redshirt senior wideout Deebo Samuel, who leads the team with 33 catches for 382 yards to go along with four touchdowns. Bryan Edwards is also having a solid season with 28 receptions for 351 yards and a team-best five touchdown catches. Junior Rico Dowdle leads the rushing attack with 351 yards and two touchdowns on 83 carries.
South Carolina ranks 10th in the SEC in total defense (387.3) and scoring defense (25.8), but has been very stingy on third down, holding opponents to just a 25 percent conversion rate, which ranks second in the conference and fourth nationally. Junior linebacker T.J. Brunson leads the team with 35 tackles to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss while fellow linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams leads the Gamecocks with 9.5 tackles for loss and also has a pair of sacks. Junior defensive lineman D.J. Wonnum, who led the team with 13.0 tackles for loss and six sacks last season, is expected to return from injury this week as well. In the secondary, senior Rashad Fenton is having a very good year with 16 tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions and two pass breakups.
After Hurricane Michael destroyed her home in Mexico Beach, Fla., earlier this month, LeClaire Bryan—Luke Bryan’s mother—shared a video message on Luke’s Instagram page on Oct. 24, thanking well-wishers for their prayers and vowing to rebuild.
“Hey, this is LeClaire Bryan—we just want to thank you, thank everybody for all of their prayers and concerns,” says Luke’s mom in the video. “This community has come together like you could not imagine. We are a family. We are rebuilding. We love you. We know you are thinking about us and praying for us. Love Mexico Beach. It’s our heart and we’re gonna survive. Thank you all so kindly. We love y’all. Keep praying and we are gonna be strong. Mexico Beach strong.”
In addition, Luke shared a message of thanks within the Instagram caption, saying: “Thank you so much for all the outpouring of concern for my mama over the past couple of weeks. She and her friends are sticking together and helping each other in their communities during this devastating time. Many continued prayers for those along the gulf coast and South Georgia. Love y’all.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt said the Volunteer football team had one of its best weeks of practice on Wednesday as UT has turned its focus to this weekend’s road test against South Carolina.
“I think our guys have had a really good week of practice for three days,” Pruitt said. “There’s been a lot of energy and you see guys practicing with a purpose. I think we’ve improved in three days, which we need to.
“There’s really but one place to go for us right now and that’s up, and that’s good, but if we practice like that every single day, we’re going to continue to improve. I appreciate our guys’ effort and intensity that we’ve had and we’re looking forward to this weekend.”
This is the 37th time these two teams have met as the Vols look to snap a two-game losing streak to the Gamecocks. Tennessee’s last win at South Carolina came in 2014 when the Vols won a 45-42 thriller in overtime. Then-sophomore quarterback Josh Dobbs threw for 301 yards and ran for 166, while the team rushed for 344 yards as a whole. The Vols trailed 42-28 with under five minutes left, but battled back for the win.
The Gamecocks are 3-3 this season and are coming off a bye week. South Carolina dropped its last game to Texas A&M, 26-23, on Oct. 13.
“They’re very balanced, they’re multiple in their formations and they can beat you a bunch of different ways,” Pruitt said.
Saturday’s game will be played under the lights at Williams-Brice Stadium at night for the fifth time in series history. Tennessee is 2-2 in those games. This weekend’s game will be broadcasted live on the SEC Network with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. Tom Hart and Jordan Rodgers will be on the call with Cole Cubelic on the sideline.
Banks & Fils-aime Make Moves
At the start of the week the Vols saw a couple of players make position changes. Freshman Jeremy Banks has made the move to linebacker from running back while junior defensive back Carlin Fils-aimehas made the move back to running back for the Big Orange this week.
“Well, I think he’s (Banks) a runner and a hitter and he’s physical, he likes ball. He’s practiced for three days on defense, so he probably doesn’t have a whole lot of knowledge on what we’re trying to get done, but I think he’s a guy that can play there,” Pruitt said.
Banks, has played in all seven games for the Vols and has 41 carries for 161 yards and three touchdowns at running back this season. Fils-aime played running back for the Vols during the 2016 and 2017 seasons and has recorded 45 carries for 273 yards and four touchdowns during his career.
“I think if we’re going to move Jeremy to linebacker we need to have a fourth running back and Carlin is a guy that played snaps here before,” Pruitt said. “He’s a fast guy. He’s got good change of direction, so just trying to manage the roster and create possibilities for everybody.”
Could Be a Close One
The last six meetings between Tennessee and South Carolina have been decided by one possession, with the average margin of victory being 3.3 points. In last season’s contest at Neyland Stadium, the Gamecocks stopped the Vols on the 2-yard line as time expired, and escaped with a 15-9 win. In 2016, Tennessee kicker Aaron Medley’s 58-yard field goal attempt fell short as time expired to give the Gamecocks a 24-21 victory. In 2015, Malik Foreman forced a fumble by South Carolina tight end Jerell Adams inside Tennessee territory with under a minute to play, which was recovered by linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin. The Vols held on to win, 27-24.
Extra Time
The Vols are 13-7 in overtime games and their 20 overtime appearances are the most in FBS history. The Gamecocks have accounted for three of those overtime games, with Tennessee winning all three of those contests and all three being decided by a field goal.
Defense Making Plays
The Volunteer defense has stepped up the last two games. For the first time since 2007, Tennessee has scored a defensive touchdown in back-to-back games. Alontae Taylor recovered a fumble in the end zone at Auburn for a score and a week later Kyle Phillips picked off a pass from Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown. UT has scored three defensive touchdowns on the season. The other one came on a 33-yard interception return by Darrin Kirkland Jr. against ETSU on Sept. 8.
“We have a lot of guys that are obviously new to the system. The more they’re around it, obviously the more knowledge they’ll get, they gain confidence,” Pruitt said.
Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt Post-Practice Press Conference Transcript (Oct. 24)
Opening statement:
“I think our guys have had a really good week of practice for three days. There’s been a lot of energy and you see guys practicing with a purpose. I think we’ve improved in three days, which we need to. There’s really but one place to go for us right now and that’s up, and that’s good, but if we practice like that every single day, we’re going to continue to improve. I appreciate our guys’ effort and intensity that we’ve had and we’re looking forward to this weekend.”
On if Trevon Flowers is close to playing:
“No, he’s not ready yet. It will probably be a couple more weeks before he’s out there, but it’s good for him to get around. He’s itching to do it, so I was glad to see him out there.”
On Jeremy Banks moving to linebacker:
“Well, I think he’s a runner and a hitter and he’s physical, he likes ball. He’s practiced for three days on defense, so he probably doesn’t have a whole lot of knowledge on what we’re trying to get done, but I think he’s a guy that can play there. He hasn’t had any carries in the last couple of games. Not that he couldn’t be a running back and a good running back, and he still might go back there, but it’s been good for him. The first day he thought he was about to die out there because he took a bunch of reps. I told him it’s a little different over there then it is sitting there and swapping out. You know, there’s only one ball, so you’ve got four running backs and they sit there and kind of rotate through, but he got a bunch of reps the last few days.”
On if the team has thought of changing pregame routines to help with slow starts:
“No, I bet you we did the same pregame routine as the last team we played, but they haven’t had a problem. It’s not the routine, I can assure you.”
On his relationship with South Carolina offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon:
“B-Mac is a phenomenal recruiter, really good coach and very detailed. He got an opportunity to be an offensive coordinator and has done a really good job. They’re very balanced, they’re multiple in their formations and they can beat you a bunch of different ways. He’s a great guy to work with, has a great family and does an outstanding job.”
On generating big plays in the passing game:
“We have some guys that can compete for the ball and our quarterbacks, when they have time, can put the ball on them. I think our offensive coaches have done a really good job finding ways to get some of these guys the ball. We have to be more consistent. Lots of times creating explosive plays is the hard thing to do. We’ve been able to do that some, we have to continue to do that and we need to create more, but we need to have more consistency and we’ve had way too many negative plays.”
On the outside linebackers position group:
“We have a lot of guys that are obviously new to the system. The more they’re around it, obviously the more knowledge they’ll get, they gain confidence. If you don’t know exactly what to do, sometimes you don’t play fast, but I think the longer we go I see guys that are improving every day.”
On when Jeremy Banks asked to move to linebacker:
“He asked me to move to linebacker in the fourth quarter of the Georgia game. I told him that I didn’t think now was the time to talk about it. He’s just looking for an opportunity to play, and I think he’s a guy that has the skill set to do it.”
On if he was concerned how the team would practice after Alabama:
“We actually had really good practice last week too, and our guys have really for the last several weeks since the bye week. There’s very few days that we don’t improve as a team. We have to put it all together. I see it every day. We had a few injuries along the way and we had some guys that have played for the first time. We have to come together a little bit offensively where we don’t have negative plays. Defensively, obviously we can’t give up explosive plays, but there’s lots of guys last week that played really good. Unfortunately, it takes all 11 and if you give up negative plays on offense or you give up explosive plays on defense, the way the score gets, a lot of people don’t realize how well some guys actually play.”
On Carlin Fils-aime moving back to running back:
“Well, I think if we’re going to move Jeremy (Banks) to linebacker we need to have a fourth running back and Carlin is a guy that played snaps here before. He’s a fast guy. He’s got good change of direction, so just trying to manage the roster and create possibilities for everybody.”
On if Carlin Fils-aime is up to speed on the offense:
“I would say he’s like Jeremy (Banks). It’s tough to transition during the middle of the year. It’s something that you’d probably want to do maybe during an off week, or you would really never want to do it, but both guys have a lot of football ahead of them. Carlin has worked really hard at being a defensive back and I think that he feels more natural playing running back. Just like with him and Jeremy, I would never move a guy unless that’s what they wanted to do. After a couple years, you know hey, if it wasn’t working out for them and we said, ‘hey, maybe we think you might be better [here]’, but it’s not going to do us any good as a program if we move guys to positions they don’t want to play. Both of those moves were really instigated by the players.”
On the job the medical staff has done getting players healthy:
“You know, I saw Brandon (Kennedy) today and he kind of was bouncing down the hall, so I asked him if he was ready to play. I went in there and sat down in my office and I’m looking at the calendar just trying to see, and I think he’s maybe seven or eight weeks out of surgery. Riley (Locklear) is back really fast, so that’s good. These guys come here to get a degree and to play ball and unfortunately, because it’s a physical game sometimes there are injuries along the way, so you want to have a medical staff that can get them out there as fast as possible as long as they’re fine, and I think our guys do a fantastic job and I think it’s showing.”
On what goes into the team getting better every day:
“I think we’re kind of creating the right habits. I think that we have guys that really want to be good football players and they’re starting to demand it from their teammates. If you’ve got positive energy it can be contagious and if you’ve got negative energy it can be contagious. I think our guys are liking to come to work. They’re working hard out there at improving and we are improving. We got to play better on Saturdays. We got to be more efficient and stay away from negative plays and explosive plays on defense.”
On the status of Dominick Wood-Anderson for Saturday:
“When you have a pulled hamstring, it’s kind of day-to-day. Sometimes it depends on the severity of the injury and some guys heal faster than others. He’s practiced this week every day, so he’ll be a guy that’ll be questionable and we’ll have to make a game time decision.”
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today the 20 watch list candidates for the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award, and Tennessee sophomore forward Rennia Davis is among them.
Named after the three-time Naismith Player of the Year and Class of 1995 Hall of Famer, the annual award in its second year recognizes the top small forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.
Davis, a 6-foot-2 standout from Jacksonville, Fla., averaged 12.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last season, starting 32 of 33 contests.She is the Lady Vols’ top returnee in both scoring and rebounding and was named to the seven-player 2018-19 Preseason All-SEC Team by a panel of league and national media members.
Twice named SEC Freshman of the Week, Davis finished the 2017-18 season ranked No. 11 in rebounding in the conference and made the SEC All-Freshman Team. She posted the sixth-best rebounds-per-game average ever by a Lady Vol freshman at 7.6, leading the team on the boards six times during the 2017-18 season. She shot .483 from the field, .329 on three-pointers and .740 from the free throw line, knocking down 25 threes to rank fourth on the team.
The Ribault High School graduate notched nine double-doubles to tie Tamika Catchings for the fifth-most double-doubles recorded by a Lady Vol freshman. Tennessee players ahead of her on the list are Chamique Holdsclaw (16), Sheila Frost (11), Bashaara Graves (10) and Candace Parker (10).
“At USC, Cheryl Miller dominated, winning two NCAA Championships and cementing herself among the game’s all-time greats,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “The women recognized on this watch list should feel honored and we’re thankful to have Cheryl’s input and expertise as we select our Naismith Starting 5 this season.”
The Selection Committee for the Cheryl Miller Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Miller and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist at www.hoophallawards.com.
The winner of the 2019 Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award will be revealed on an ESPN platform during the 2019 Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Florida. Additional awards being presented and recognized at the WBCA Convention include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, and the Lisa Leslie Center Award. Also being awarded is the Wade Trophy, the sport’s oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award which is presented annually by the WBCA’s community of coaches to the best player in college women’s basketball.
Last season, Gabby Williams of Connecticut was named the inaugural winner of the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award.
For more information and the latest updates on the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #MillerAward on Twitter and Instagram.
*Players can play their way onto &off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season*
About Cheryl Miller: Cheryl Miller took women’s basketball to a new level, literally and figuratively. With her tremendous leaping ability, athletic dexterity and grace, Miller established a legacy throughout her high school and college career that is unparalleled. Playing for Riverside Polytechnic High School (CA), in 1982, Miller set the single game scoring record of 105 points. As a collegiate forward at the University of Southern California from 1982 to 1986, Miller helped bring women’s basketball to the forefront of American sports. In 1984, she led the Olympic team to gold averaging more than 16 points per game. Her superior athletic ability and engaging persona placed her among the elite in the world of college and professional athletics. In 1986, Sports Illustrated named Miller as the best male or female player in college basketball. In a spectacular career, Miller scored 3,018 total career points and was a four-time All-America. Miller was named Naismith Player of the Year three times and earned the Wade Trophy once. Miller was indicted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010. Since retiring from professional play, Miller has had a very successful career as a WNBA GM, professional and collegiate coach, and sportscaster for TNT, ESPN and NBC for the 1996 Olympics.
A bowl game is on the table if Tennessee finishes this season with three wins out of its last five games.
That would suit junior right tackle Drew Richmond just fine.
He’s got some pent up frustration that he would like to relieve.
So what would going to a bowl game mean to the Memphis product?
“It’s the ultimate goal,’’ Richmond said. “That’s the only goal – to get better as a team, to get to a bowl. That’s all we want to do.’’
Why is that so important?
“We were the worst team in Tennessee history last year,’’ Richmond said of the 4-8 season, 0-8 in SEC play. “That doesn’t feel good at all.
“To have an opportunity to go to a bowl game to finish on a high note, that means everything to a lot of people around here.’’
Richmond knows it will be a battle to make a bowl – which would be on the fourth in eight years for the Vols.
“We’re not where we need to be,’’ he said. “You’re never gonna be where you need to be, where you want to be. You just gotta keep climbing the mountain, and I feel like that’s what we’re doing.’’
Richmond was upset with Tennessee’s performance in a 58-21 home loss to top-ranked Alabama after beating a ranked Auburn team on the road the week before.
“I don’t want people to feel Auburn was a fluke win,’’ Richmond said.
Richmond said the team will keep pushing “until we get everything right.’’
That starts with a game at South Carolina this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. UT has lost two in a row and five of the last eight to the Gamecocks.
Moreover, the Vols are 0-6 against South Carolina coach Will Muschamp (2-0 at USC, 4-0 while at Florida).
South Carolina is a seven-point favorite.
Rebounding from the Alabama defeat has been difficult, Richmond admitted.
“It’s not easy at all,’’ Richmond said of moving past the Bama bashing. “It was hard. I’m still a bit disappointed. But we’ve got to move on to South Carolina. We can’t let a game like that deter us from what we’re trying to do these next five weeks.’’
Richmond sees a “window of opportunity’’ to improve UT’s record and “make a late push.’’
Richmond said he’s confident the Vols can finish strong and that coach Jeremy Pruitt will accept nothing less than maximum effort.
“Coach Pruitt is tough, he’s hard, he’s really hard,’’ Richmond said. `But Coach Pruitt has got a passion and Coach Pruitt wants to win just as bad as anybody.’’
Iconic country group Alabama will be recognized with the Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award at the 11th annual T.J. Martell Foundation Nashville Honors Gala on Feb. 25.
The T.J. Martell Foundation is the music industry’s leading foundation that funds innovative medical research focused on finding treatments and cures for cancer. Since 2009, the Foundation has provided more than $3.5 million for research at eight flagship hospitals in the United States.
In addition, Sally Williams, GM of the Grand Ole Opry, will be recognized with the Frances Preston Outstanding Music Industry Achievement Award.
Last year’s Honors Gala featured performances by Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett, Lauren Alaina, Natalie Grant, Danny Gokey and Jeff Foxworthy. The Gala’s 2019 lineup will be announced in the coming weeks.
This year’s honorees include:
Kings of Leon – Spirit of Nashville Award
Alabama – Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award
Sally Williams – Frances Preston Outstanding Music Industry Achievement Award
Dr. Kathryn Edwards – Medical Research Advancement Award
The National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 28 will include some country twang from Chris Lucas and Preston Brust of Locash.
The duo revealed they will perform three songs during the ceremony, which typically involves performers from many musical genres. Last year’s Tree Lighting ceremony featured the Beach Boys, Wynonna, Mannheim Steamroller and more.
“We got a call from the White House to perform at the Christmas Tree Lighting this year,” says Chris to NCD. “Isn’t that incredible? We’re going to bring some of our positivity to D.C. with Christmas songs.”
“We get to perform three songs,” added Preston. “We just told them we wanted to be upbeat, perform songs like ‘Santa Clause Is Coming to Town’ or ‘Jingle Bells.’ There are gonna be a lot of kids in the crowd and we just want to pump them up and be positive.”
This year marks the 96th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting, first celebrated in 1923 by President Calvin Coolidge.
The Country Music Association announced its second round of performers for the 52nd annual CMA Awards: Dierks Bentley with Brothers Osborne, Florida Georgia Line with Bebe Rexha, Kacey Musgraves, Pistol Annies, and Thomas Rhett
Previously announced performers include Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Dan + Shay, Old Dominion, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.
Hosted for the 11th consecutive year by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, the CMA Awards will air live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. CT on ABC.
Nominees are below.
Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean Luke Bryan Kenny Chesney Chris Stapleton Keith Urban
Female Vocalist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini Miranda Lambert Maren Morris Kacey Musgraves Carrie Underwood
Male Vocalist of the Year
Dierks Bentley Luke Combs Thomas Rhett Chris Stapleton Keith Urban
Vocal Duo of the Year
Brothers Osborne Dan + Shay Florida Georgia Line Maddie & Tae Sugarland
New Artist of the Year
Lauren Alaina Luke Combs Chris Janson Midland Brett Young
Single of the Year (Awarded to Singer, Producer and Engineer)
“Broken Halos” – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
Mix Engineer: Vance Powell
“Drowns the Whiskey” – Jason Aldean (Feat. Miranda Lambert)
Producer: Michael Knox
Mix Engineer: Jeff Braun
“Meant to Be” – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
Producer: Willshire
Mix Engineer: Serban Ghenea
“Tequila” – Dan + Shay
Producers: Scott Hendricks, Dan Smyers
Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano
Album of the Year
From A Room: Volume 2 – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Daniel Tashian, Kacey Musgraves
Graffiti U – Keith Urban
Producers: Keith Urban, Dan McCarroll, J.R. Rotem, Josh Kerr, Jason Evigan, Greg Wells, Benny Blanco, Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid, Jesse Shatkin, Jimmy Robbins, Oscar Holter, Matt Rad, Eric Valentine, Ian Kirkpatrick, Mike Elizondo, Captain Cuts, Ross Copperman, Dann Huff, Peter Karlsson
Life Changes – Thomas Rhett
Producers: Julian Bunetta, Jesse Frasure, Dann Huff, Joe London, Thomas Rhett
The Mountain – Dierks Bentley
Producers: Ross Copperman, Jon Randall Stewart, Arturo Buenahora Jr.
Vocal Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
LANCO
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Song of the Year (Awarded to Songwriters)
“Body Like A Back Road” – Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
“Broken Halos” – Songwriters: Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton
“Drowns the Whiskey” – Songwriter: Brandon Kinney, Jeff Middleton, Josh Thompson
“Drunk Girl” – Songwriter: Scooter Carusoe, Tom Douglas, Chris Janson
“Tequila” – Songwriter: Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers
Musical Event of the Year
“Burning Man” – Dierks Bentley feat. Brothers Osborne
“Dear Hate” – Maren Morris (Feat. Vince Gill)
“Drowns the Whiskey” – Jason Aldean (Feat. Miranda Lambert)
“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” – David Lee Murphy (with Kenny Chesney)
“Meant to Be” – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
Music Video of the Year (Awarded to Artist & Director)
“Babe” – Sugarland (Featuring Taylor Swift)
Director: Anthony Mandler
“Cry Pretty” – Carrie Underwood
Director: Randee St. Nicholas
“Drunk Girl” – Chris Janson
Director: Jeff Venable
“Marry Me” – Thomas Rhett
Director: TK McKamy
“Tequila” – Dan + Shay
Director: Patrick Tracy
Musician of the Year
Jerry Douglas, Dobro
Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar
Dann Huff, Guitar
Mac McAnally, Guitar
Derek Wells, Guitar
photos: Thomas Rhett by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com; Miranda Lambert by Jason Simanek
Following in the Sin City footsteps of country artists like Shania Twain, George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire and more, Lady Antebellum has announced a 15-date Las Vegas residency in 2019.
Lady A’s Our Kind of Vegas residency will kick off on Feb. 8 in the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino, with additional stints in May and August. The stripped-down performances will feature some of the songwriters behind the group’s fan-favorite hits.
“Las Vegas has always been a special place for us both personally and as a band,” said Hillary Scott. “I’ve celebrated my birthday in Vegas, and we won our first award ever as Lady A at the ACM Awards. So, we are looking forward to making it our second home, bringing along some of our friends from Nashville and creating a show unlike we’ve ever put together before.”
Pre-sale tickets will be available to fan club members on Oct. 29. 
