Craig Morgan and his family will be the focus of a new docuseries, Morgan Family Strong, that will premiere on March 1 at 9:30 p.m. ET on Up TV.
The series will follow Craig and his family (wife Karen, daughter Alexandra, and sons Kyle and Wyatt) at home and on tour as they come together after the death of their son and brother, Jerry, in a tragic accident in July 2016, by launching the family’s passion project, Morgan Farms.
This season on Morgan Family Strong, viewers will see the Morgans juggling life at home and on the road, including opening The Gallery at Morgan Farms. The family will also explore the Alaskan wilderness on vacation, take the stage at the Grand Ole Opry and celebrate birthdays and other milestones along the way.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. —No. 10/10 Tennessee (16-3, 4-2 SEC) returns to Thompson-Boling Arena on Thursday night for its second straight home contest, playing host to Ole Miss (11-8, 1-5 SEC) at 7:02 p.m. ET.
The match-up will be the Lady Vols’ first against an unranked foe since Vanderbilt played on The Summitt on Jan. 7.
Facing a gauntlet of four ranked teams in 11 days, including three top-10 squads and two in the top five, UT has dropped two in a row and three of its last four games.
This will mark the second straight opponent from the Magnolia State, as the Lady Vols fell to #3/3 Mississippi State in Knoxville on Sunday, 71-52.
Ole Miss comes to Rocky Top also seeking a win, having lost three games in a row, five of six and seven of its last nine, including a 61-60 decision at Florida on Sunday.
The Rebels are 1-5 on the road this season, including 0-3 in league play.
Broadcast Information
Bob Kesling (play-by-play), Andraya Carter (analyst) and Maddy Glab (reporter) will describe the action for the Tennessee-Ole Miss online broadcast on SECN+.
Mickey Dearstone is handling the call for IMG College/Lady Vol Network radio/online broadcasts for the 19th season. A link to the live audio stream can be found on each game’s Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
Game Promotions
Pregame high-five tunnel for first 50 kids every game! Pick up a wristband for the tunnel at section 113 on the concourse.
Post-game autographs with Meme Jackson at section 116 on the concourse.
Free parking & shuttle from UT’s Ag Campus.
We Back Pat Week Continues
Jan. 21 – Jan. 28 marks the seventh annual observance of We Back Pat Week
Sunday’s Mississippi State contest was UT’s We Back Pat game, and a season-high crowd of 13,436 turned out to support the cause.
The initiative began in collaboration with the SEC basketball coaches is dedicated to remembering legendary Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Pat Summitt and bringing awareness to the Pat Summitt Foundation.
The Pat Summitt Foundation was created by Pat and (son) Tyler Summitt in 2011 to support organizations that deliver care to patients with Alzheimer’s disease, provide resources for caregivers and families, and conduct research for treatment and a cure.
You can visit www.patsummitt.org to learn more about the Pat Summitt Foundation.
UT Set To Hit 10 Million Attendance Mark
During the past 39 years, 9,858,831 fans attended Lady Vol games, both at home (5,615,310) and outside of Knoxville (4,243,521).
The Lady Vols entered the 2017-18 campaign needing only 141,169 in attendance to reach the 10-million plateau.
UT total attendance this season now stands at 132,939 through 19 games, meaning the Lady Vols need only 8,230 more to reach 10 million!
In 2016-17, Tennessee finished second among all Division I women’s programs in per game home attendance at 9,184, a mark that would have ranked 49th among all DI men’s programs.
UT has led NCAA Division I women’s basketball attendance 19 times.
RPI Watch
Tennessee ranks No. 9 in the NCAA Women’s Basketball RPI, as of the Jan. 23 report.
Below are teams on UT’s schedule this season that are ranked in the top 100. The teams the Lady Vols already have played are underlined.
2. Notre Dame (L), 3. Mississippi State (L), 10. Texas (W), 11. Missouri, 15. Texas A&M (L), 19. Marquette (W), 21.South Carolina (W), 22. Georgia, 25. Stanford (W), 36. Oklahoma State (W), 42. LSU, 74. Alabama, 82. Arkansas, 87.James Madison (W), 94. South Dakota (W), 95. Central Arkansas (W).
Bracketology Says…
ESPN’s Charlie Creme has Tennessee projected for a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and slotted in the Kansas City Regional.
Creme has the Lady Vols hosting a first round game vs. No. 14 Drake and meeting either No. 6 Oregon State or No. 11 Dayton in the second round.
UT’s Upcoming Schedule
Tennessee has another stretch of travel coming up, beginning with a trip to LSU for a noon CT (1 ET) tip Sunday on the SEC Network.
That contest is the beginning of three games out of four on the road.
UT then will host No. 15/15 Texas A&M at 6:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 1 before packing its bags to play at Vanderbilt at 1 p.m. CT (2 ET) on Feb. 4 and at Arkansas at 7 p.m. CT (8 ET) on Feb. 8. Those games will be carried by ESPNU and SECN+, respectively.
The Latest On Tennessee
UT is 12-0 vs. unranked teams this season and has won 13 in a row vs. squads outside the top 25, including last year’s NCAA First Round win over Dayton.
UT’s roster features seven players 6-2 or taller, tying the 2004-05 team as the second tallest in Lady Vol history behind the 2014-15 unit that boasted eight.
The Big Orange women have won 14 of 19 games by double-digit margins.
Tennessee is surrendering 56.6 points per game against unranked teams and 78.4 vs. ranked foes.
The Lady Vols shoot .489 vs. unranked teams and .450 vs. those in the top 25.
UT has led every game this season at the half except for two. UT trailed Mississippi State by 13 and was tied vs. Auburn.
Tennessee has owned a double-digit advantage at the intermission in 11 of 19 contests.
The Lady Vols have allowed only five opponents to score more than 71 points (Marquette – 99, Texas – 75, Vandy – 73, A&M – 79, Notre Dame – 84) and have allowed only four teams to shoot better than 41 percent from the field (Vanderbilt, .491, Notre Dame, .478, & Marquette, .437; Miss. State, .418).
It’s the longest Tennessee has opened a season with the same starting five since at least the 1977-78 season. Box scores that season and prior do not indicate who started.
In Lady Vol history, the most recent long streak for the same starting five reached 11 games in 2007-08, when Pat Summitt chose the same lineup of Candace Parker, Angie Bjorklund, Nicky Anosike, Shannon Bobbitt and Alexis Hornbuckle to report for the opening tip. UT went 10-1 in that span and went on to win the NCAA title with a 34-3 record and the SEC title with a 14-0 mark. In game 12, in the team’s visit to Chicago, Parker missed curfew and didn’t get the starting nod vs. DePaul on Jan. 2, 2008.
Mercedes Russell has tallied 1,414 points and 942 rebounds in her career, needing only 86 points to reach 1,500 and 58 rebounds to hit 1,000.
Evina Westbrook is seven assists away from hitting 100 for her brief career. It takes 158 to break onto the single-season top-10 list, and 162 is the top mark for a UT freshman.
Holly Warlick is six wins away from hitting 150 for her career.
Jaime Nared is eight free throws away from moving into the UT career top ten for free throws made.
Tennessee Notes vs. Ole Miss
UT enters the 53rd meeting in the series with a 44-8 edge, including a 20-2 record in games played in Knoxville, a 19-4 mark in Oxford and a 5-2 slate at neutral sites.
Tennessee had claimed 28 games in a row in the series (since last losing on Feb. 4, 1996, as #20/25 Ole Miss upended #3/3 UT, 78-72, in Oxford) before letting a 13-point, second-half lead slip away en route to a 67-62 Rebels’ victory at The Pavilion at Ole Miss on Jan. 12, 2017.
The Lady Vols have won 17 straight over the Rebels in Knoxville, with the last Ole Miss victory (69-65) coming on Jan. 31, 1987, in Stokely Athletics Center.
UT improved its record vs. the Rebels to 20-2 in Knoxville on Feb. 18, 2016, coming from behind and holding off Ole Miss, 57-51, at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Holly Warlick has had to face both Matt Insell (Ole Miss) and his father, Rick (Middle Tennessee), as Tennessee’s head coach, and she has a 7-1 mark vs. the family, including 5-1 vs. Matt Insell.
The Lady Vols are 1-1 vs. UM in overtime games.
UT played its longest game in program history versus Ole Miss in 1983, as the two teams battled to triple overtime in the NCAA Mideast Regional semifinal with the Lady Vols winning, 90-83, on March 25.
The 2016 meeting in Oxford was the first time these teams had met with neither program ranked.
The last time these programs met with both teams ranked was on March 2, 1996, when #5 UT defeated #23/22 Ole Miss at the SEC Tournament in Chattanooga, 73-51.
In one of the more unique games in the series, a Feb. 24, 2011, contest in Oxford was shortened due to torrential rains leaking through the roof onto the playing floor. Tennessee was a 66-39 victor in that game, which was halted with 5:24 remaining.
Former Ole Miss All-American Peggy Gillom still holds a share of the UT school record for most points in a single game by an opponent. Gillom rang up 45 points (on a record 21 field goals) against the Lady Vols on Feb. 4, 1978 in Stokely Athletics Center.
Last Meeting Between UT & UM
Despite overcoming a 12-point deficit in the first half and leading by as many as 13, Tennessee could never close it out in a 67-62 loss to the Rebels at The Pavilion at Ole Miss on Jan. 12, 2017.
Redshirt junior Diamond DeShields recorded her third double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds, which tied a career high. Junior Jaime Nared posted another dominant performance, scoring a career-high 23 points to go along with seven rebounds.
Ole Miss (13-4, 2-2 SEC) snapped a two-game losing skid with the win over Tennessee (10-6, 2-2 SEC).
Madinah Muhammad led the charge for the Rebels, finishing with 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting. Shandricka Sessom chipped in 14 points, 11 rebounds and four assists on the night.
The Lady Vols started slow in the game, shooting only 25 percent from the field compared to Ole Miss’ 50 percent in the first quarter. Nared tallied five points and rebound, as the Rebels led, 21-11, after 10 minutes of play.
Facing a 10-point deficit, UT came out firing on all cylinders in the second stanza. Tennessee outscored Ole Miss, 21-6, behind 12 points by Nared in the quarter. The Rebels struggled to get shots to fall, converting only three of their 13 attempts. The Lady Vols went into halftime with a 32-27 lead.
Ole Miss fought back into the game during the third period after UT pushed the margin to 13 with 7:30 left in the stanza, cutting Tennessee’s lead to two points at 49-47. The momentum stayed in the Rebels’ favor, as they held off the Lady Vols at home.
Last Time In Knoxville
Bashaara Graves posted a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and No. 24/RV Tennessee enjoyed timely contributions off the bench from Meme Jackson and Kortney Dunbar to take a 57-51 win over Ole Miss on Feb. 18, 2016, at Thompson-Boling Arena the last time these teams played in Knoxville.
Tennessee (16-10, 7-6 SEC) surged in the second half to post its 28th-straight win over Ole Miss (10-16, 2-11 SEC). UT came back from a 33-30 halftime deficit, marking the Lady Vols’ first win of the season after trailing at the half. Tennessee entered the night 0-5 when behind at halftime.
Graves scored 11 of her 15 points in the first half and her 12 boards were her most since collecting 12 against Kentucky on Jan. 25. Te’a Cooper and Jaime Nared scored 10 points each.
Shandricka Sessom led Ole Miss with 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting. A’Queen Hayes added 12 points and eight boards for the Rebels.
The Rebels went on a 10-0 run in the middle of the fourth quarter and briefly led 51-50 with 2:30 remaining. Dunbar answered with a fast-break layup and hit a 3-pointer from the left wing in UT’s next possession to spark Tennessee’s game-ending 7-0 run.
The Lady Vols caught fire in the third quarter, outscoring Ole Miss 16-6 to seize a 46-39 lead. Jackson brought energy off of the bench for Tennessee and capped the quarter with a pair of jumpers in the final minute of the third, including a pull-up 10-footer with three seconds left that ignited the crowd. UT forced 10 straight misses by the Rebels, as the Lady Vols swung momentum in their favor.
Ole Miss Reset
Ole Miss will try to get back on the winning track after dropping three straight and five of its last six.
The Rebels have one-point losses in league play to Arkansas and Florida, beat Florida in Oxford in two overtimes by three and were blown out by South Carolina, Mississippi State and Missouri.
Florida overcame a 13-point Ole Miss lead at the end of the third frame to prevail, 61-60, in Gainesville on Sunday.
UM is averaging only 70.4 ppg. while giving up 67.8, and it is being out-rebounded, 41.6 to 37.5.
Ole Miss is led in scoring by Madinah Muhammad, who is averaging 17.2 per game. Alissa Alston chips in 14.7 ppg., while Promise Taylor is just shy of scoring in double figures at 9.7.
The Rebels are missing the talents of Shandricka Sessom, whose leadership and 15.1 ppg. were lost for the season due to a knee injury suffered vs. MTSU.
Head coach Matt Insell is the son of MTSU coach Rick Insell, and the son ended up beating his father’s team in their match-up this season in Oxford, 65-56.
UM Last Time Out (UF 61, UM 60)
Ole Miss fell in heartbreaking fashion at Florida, with the Gators knocking down a go-ahead layup with 27 seconds to play for a 61-60 win over the Rebels on Sunday.
Ole Miss (11-8, 1-5 SEC) and Florida (10-10, 2-5 SEC) went into double-overtime in Oxford on Jan. 7, and they decided to repeat history with another nail-biter. This time the Gators came out on top.
Florida took its first lead in nearly two quarters at the 3:22 mark, but Promise Taylor (12 points, two blocks) broke the run with a layup at 2:31 to cut the Gator lead to 59-58, setting up a wild run during the final minutes.
Junior Alissa Alston, the leading scorer for the Rebels at 17 points, took the lead right back for Ole Miss on the next possession on a layup, making it a 60-59 game, but Florida’s Haley Lorenzen (18 points, 13 rebounds) put back a missed three-pointer for the game-winning layup with 27 seconds to play.
The Rebels had a chance with 8.1 seconds to play, but Alston’s layup was blocked by Lorenzen and picked up by the Gators for the win.
Four Rebels were in double-digits: Alston (17), Madinah Muhammad (12), Taylor (12) and Shelby Gibson (10).
Tenn. Last Time Out (MSU 71, UT 52)
Mercedes Russell recorded 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting, but No. 6/7 Tennessee was unable to overcome a 13-point halftime deficit in a 71-52 loss to No. 3/3 Mississippi State on Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Jaime Nared added 12 points for the Lady Vols (16-3, 4-2 SEC), who now have dropped three of their last four. Victoria Vivians led the Bulldogs (20-0, 6-0 SEC) with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Teaira McCowan recorded 12 points and 18 boards.
After Anastasia Hayes made it a seven-point game with a free throw early in the fourth quarter, MSU was able to shut down UT offensively, allowing no field goals over the final eight minutes while closing the game on a 14-2 run.
The Lady Vols cut the lead to seven, 57-50, with 7:19 to go in the contest, but they were met with more offensive struggles the rest of the game and recorded a season-low eight points on 2-for-14 shooting during the period. MSU, meanwhile, shot 47 percent from the floor, and was able to pull away down the stretch thanks to a Tennessee scoring drought that lasted 3:44.
Rennia Davis grabbed 10 rebounds in addition to scoring seven points in the losing effort. Johnson netted 16 for MSU, while Blair Schaefer added four 3-pointers for 12 points.
Holly Warlick – Lady Vols HC / Credit: UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Head Coach Holly Warlick met with members of the media ahead of No. 10/10 Tennessee’s practice on Wednesday. The Lady Vols (16-3, 4-2 SEC) will continue SEC play on Thursday, hosting Ole Miss in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Answering questions from the media, Warlick discussed UM’s offense and how UT has bounced back after a tough four games.
Tennessee will tip off against Ole Miss at 7:02 p.m.Thursday in Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will be available for streaming online via SECN+.
On how many many minutes Jaime Nared and Mercedes Russell have been playing:
“We’re going to try to get them a little more rest. I thought it was important in these last couple of games that they be on the court. We’ll try to get some more people in and see how the game goes. We have to make our kids come in and maintain the level that we have on the floor.”
On Jaime Nared being in a shooting slump:
“We’ve talked to Jaime (Nared), and she wants everybody to do well. She has been focusing on making sure everyone gets to where they need to be. I think Jaime is going to be fine. She is putting a lot of pressure on herself for this basketball team. We talked and watched tape. She had a great practice yesterday. Jaime has taken it upon herself to think she has to do everything, and she doesn’t. She has to let her teammates help her now.”
On how she has addressed her team after recent losses:
“It’s been a tough stretch, I will tell you that. It’s been a little brutal, to be honest. To play three teams in the top five has been tough. These kids are resilient and we had to get back on the practice floor. Yesterday, we had a great practice. We had to go back to defending one-on-one, just doing the basic things that we really haven’t been able to practice because we had to get ready for some pretty tough competition.”
On whether the players are down on themselves:
“They aren’t down on themselves; they just know they can do better. Watching tape has been an excellent tool for us. We’ve really taken advantage of that. They understand the emphasis on practice and the tempo and what we need to do better. Yesterday, we watched tape, and it was so good for us to watch it and then get on the practice floor.”
On extending the bench:
“Yeah, we are going to try and do that. I think the kids, especially Jaime (Nared) and Mercedes (Russell), need a little break. It starts in practice and what we see and get confident in. Our plan is to extend the bench.”
On what Holly Warlick has learned about her team from the tough stretch:
“Well, we’re going to get better. We did some really good things. We did some young team things. I think they understand the importance of taking care of the basketball, taking quality shots, being able to defend one-on-one, and how important defense is. And (you can) throw in rebounding, because we have been doing that. Just being consistent with those (things). We are not going to stop someone from scoring every night, but when we really put pressure on someone defensively we’ve been solid. We’ve started out doing it, but we’ve let up on it. They understand it’s a four-quarter game, and we cannot, no matter the score, back off.”
On the primary problem of turning the ball over in games:
“We’re wanting to play fast. Our freshman are understanding the tempo of the game now, and it’s not just freshman, it’s upperclassmen as well. We have to understand the importance of not turning it over, and when to run, when not to run, and not getting in a bind and feeling like we have to get rid of the basketball. I tell them I’d rather them get a five second call then throw it and it lead to a layup. But (they’re) understanding what we need to learn and the importance of possessions and getting a shot. You can’t have 28 possessions and not get a shot off.”
On what Ole Miss does well:
“They penetrate well. They set a lot of ball screens. They have outside shooters. They have a kid that plays inside that can step outside and shoot the three. To me, it is a typical SEC team. They are athletic, physical, and can rebound and run the ball.”
On how the team is quick to learn from mistakes despite being young:
“I think they understand (their mistakes) before we even say it. They know. They are not a team that you cannot say anything to. That is what I think is special about them. They hear it, they listen, they try to correct it, and then we refocus.”
On positives that can be taken from recent games despite losses:
“We, overall, have played hard. We have been competitive. We have been in games. We have played well together. I think we are in great shape. To me, we could even be in better shape, but we still have a comradery that we need. When we lose, we hurt for everybody. When we win, we are excited for everybody. I’m not down on this team at all. We had a couple bumps. We are going to straighten it out. This team is special, and we are going to get back on track.”
CMA New Artist of the Year Jon Pardi has teamed with truth, one of the largest youth smoking prevention campaigns, for an ad that explores ways low-income communities are targeted to start smoking.
According to truth, “Big Tobacco engineers tobacco plants with two times the natural levels of nicotine and lowers the cost of cigarettes so consumers can spend less and smoke more. It hits those in low-income communities the hardest, with 72 percent of remaining smokers coming from low-income communities.”
“Just because [Big Tobacco] sees you that way, doesn’t mean you have to be that way,” says Jon in the ad spot, which also features Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons.
Brett Young, Chase Rice and Lindsay Ell will perform as part of the NHL All-Star game on Jan. 28 in Tampa Bay, Fla.
Brett will sing the U.S. national anthem, while Canadian-born Lindsay Ell will sing her home country’s anthem. Chase will perform during player introductions. In addition, Kid Rock will perform after the second period.
Check out their performances starting at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC in the U.S., while CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports will carry the game in Canada.
photo of Lindsay Ell by Jason Simanek; photo of Brett Young by JPA/AFF-USA.com
Brothers Osborne announced they will release their highly anticipated sophomore album, Port Saint Joe, on April 20. The album’s title reflects the small town on the Florida coast where the siblings, John and TJ, recorded the album.
John and TJ co-penned every track on the 10-song offering, including lead single, “Shoot Me Straight.” Other songwriters featured on the album include Kendall Marvel, Shane McAnally, Troy Verges, Laura Veltz and more.
“Port Saint Joe is a sonic representation of who we’ve become not only as a band but as people,” says John. “Every show we’ve ever played together is on this record. Every song we’ve ever written and every mile we’ve ever ridden has led to the making of this record. Imperfections and all.”
“We shacked up for two weeks to make an unabashed record that would reflect who we are in every way, and in the process we had the most enjoyable and memorable recording experience of our lives,” says TJ.
Port Saint Joe Track Listing & Songwriters
“Slow Your Roll” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Barry Dean, Troy Verges)
“Shoot Me Straight” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Lee Thomas Miller)
“I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Shane McAnally, Matt Dragstrem)
“Weed, Whiskey and Willie” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Laura Veltz)
From nominations and notes to performers and presenters, here’s everything a country music fan needs to know about the 2018 Grammy Awards on Sunday, Jan. 28.
The Notes
Date: Jan. 28 Location: Madison Square Garden Time: 7:30 p.m ET Channel: CBS Live Stream: CBS All Access
Host: James Corden
Red Carpet: CBS/6:30 p.m. Non-Televised Awards:Grammy.com at 3 p.m. ET
Country Performers
Chris Stapleton
Little Big Town
Emmylou Harris
Maren Morris
Brothers Osborne
Eric Church
Presenters
Tony Bennett, Dave Chappelle, Kelly Clarkson, Victor Cruz, Eve, Jim Gaffigan, Katie Holmes, Nick Jonas, Anna Kendrick, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Shemar Moore, Trevor Noah, Sarah Silverman, Hailee Steinfeld and Donnie Wahlberg.
Country Nominations
Best Country Solo Performance
“Body Like A Back Road”—Sam Hunt
“Losing You”—Alison Krauss
“Tin Man”—Miranda Lambert
“I Could Use A Love Song”—Maren Morris
“Either Way”—Chris Stapleton
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“It Ain’t My Fault”—Brothers Osborne
“My Old Man”—Zac Brown Band
“You Look Good”—Lady Antebellum
“Better Man”—Little Big Town
“Drinkin’ Problem”—Midland
Best Country Song (awarded to songwriters)
“Better Man”—Taylor Swift (Little Big Town)
“Body Like A Back Road”—Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne (Sam Hunt)
“Broken Halos”—Mike Henderson & Chris Stapleton (Chris Stapleton)
“I Wish You Well”—Raul Malo & Alan Miller (The Mavericks)
“If We Were Vampires”—Jason Isbell (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit)
“It Ain’t Over Yet”—Rodney Crowell (Rodney Crowell Featuring Rosanne Cash & John Paul White)
“My Only True Friend”—Gregg Allman & Scott Sharrard (Gregg Allman)
Best Americana Album
Southern Blood—Gregg Allman
Shine On Rainy Day—Brent Cobb
Beast Epic—Iron & Wine
The Nashville Sound—Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit
Brand New Day—The Mavericks
Best Bluegrass Album
Fiddler’s Dream—Michael Cleveland
Laws Of Gravity—The Infamous Stringdusters
Original—Bobby Osborne
Universal Favorite—Noam Pikelny
All The Rage: In Concert Volume One [Live]—Rhonda Vincent And The Rage
While country artists were absent in the four all-genre categories (Record, Album, Song and Best New Artist of the Year), a handful of country artists secured multiple nominations.
Chris Stapleton picked up three nominations for Best Country Solo Performance (“Either Way”), Best Country Song (“Broken Halos”) and Best Country Album (From A Room: Vol. 1).
Miranda Lambert earned two nods for Best Country Solo Performance (“Tin Man”) and Best Country Song (“Tin Man”), while Sam Hunt scored two nominations for Best Country Solo Performance (“Body Like A Back Road”) and Best Country Song (“Body Like A Back Road”).
Midland’s “Drinkin’ Problem” picked up two nominations for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Country Song. Little Big Town copped two nominations for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“Better Man”) and Best Country Album (The Breaker), while Lady Antebellum netted two nominations for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“You Look Good”) and Best Country Album (Heart Break).
Reba McEntire’s Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope earned a nomination for Best Roots Gospel Album. Glen Campbell’s “Arkansas Farmboy” was nominated for Best American Roots Performance.
Jason Isbell was nominated for Best American Roots Song (“If We Were Vampires”) and Best American Roots Album (The Nashville Sound), while Alison Krauss was nominated for Best Country Solo Performance (“Losing You”) and Best American Roots Performance (“I Never Cared For You”).
Grammy-winning country stars Chris Stapleton and Emmylou Harris have been added to the lineup for the Grammy Awards on Jan. 28.
Chris, who has won two Grammys, and Emmylou, who has won 13 Grammys, join previously announced country performers Brothers Osbourne, Eric Church, Maren Morris and Little Big Town.
Other performers include Alessia Cara, Cardi B, Childish Gambino, Gary Clark JrMiley Cyrus, Daddy Yankee, DJ Khaled, Jon Batiste, Luis Fonsi, Elton John, Kesha, Khalid, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Logic, Patti LuPone, Bruno Mars, P!nk, Ben Platt, Rihanna, Sam Smith, Sting, SZA, Bryson Tiller, U2 and Zuleyka Rivera.
Hosted by James Corden, the Grammy Awards will be broadcast live from Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday, Jan. 28, 7:30–11 p.m. ET, on CBS.
In the lead-up to the Grammy Awards on Jan. 28, the boys from Midland—Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy and Mark Wystrach—dropped by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Jan. 23 to perform their single, “Make a Little.”
Co-penned by the trio with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, “Make a Little” is currently No. 17 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after 18 weeks.
Midland is nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Country Song. Tune in to CBS on Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET to watch the show.
Watch Midland perform “Make a Little” from The Late Show With Stephen Colbert below.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Despite a strong second half by Vanderbilt, No. 22 Tennessee held on to complete the regular-season sweep over its in-state rival, defeating the Commodores, 67-62, in Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday night.
The Commodores (7-13, 2-6 SEC) would fight back in the second half after facing a 17-point halftime deficit, using a run with eight consecutive made fields goals to pull within four points at 51-47. During the stretch, Vanderbilt senior Riley LaChance connected on four treys and had 15 straight points.
Vanderbilt stayed within striking distance of the Vols (14-5, 5-3 SEC) but could never capture the lead because of 2-of-8 shooting during the final minutes of the game. Tennessee countered Vandy’s 47 second-half points by converting on 14 of its 20 free throws in the period.
Tuesday’s contest was a low-scoring affair out of the gates, as the Vols totaled just four points over the first six and a half minutes of play in the game. The Big Orange turned its scoring around, though, shooting 42 percent (10-of-24) from the floor in the frame.
The Volunteers used a 14-2 run to take a 32-15 lead into halftime behind 11 points from Jordan Bowden. Vanderbilt’s 15 points at the break marked the fewest points Tennessee has allowed in a half during SEC play this season.
UT was lead by Bowden, who finished with a team-high 19 points and tied a career-high five 3-pointers, while Grant Williams posted his 17th game with double-figure scoring with 18 points. Williams was 12-for-14 from the charity stripe.
Vanderbilt was led by LaChance and Jeff Roberson who both scored in double figures. LaChance finished with a game-high 25 points, and Roberson added 21 for the Commodores, who shot 40.4 percent from the floor on 23-of-57 shooting.
UP NEXT: The Vols head to Ames, Iowa, to face Iowa State as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU. Tennessee will then return home to face LSU on Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the game televised on the SEC Network.
1ST HALF DOMINANCE: For the third time this season, Tennessee held an opponent to 15 points or fewer in the first half. Vanderbilt scored just 15 in the first half a season-low.
