The star-studded 11th annual ACM Honors ceremony took place last night (Aug. 23) at Nashvilleâs Ryman Auditorium.
In addition to performances from George Strait, Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton, Kelsea Ballerini, Toby Keith, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Brad Paisley, Thomas Rhett, Charles Esten and Hillary Scott, the Academy recognized the special honorees and off-camera category winners from the 52nd ACM Awards.
Before the show started, many of the night’s stars walked the red blue carpet, including Reba McEntire, Brett Young, Jason Aldean, Charles Esten, Kelsea Ballerini, Cassadee Pope, Maren Morris, Chris Stapleton and more.
Take a look at our blue carpet photo galley, courtesy of photographer Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com.
The star-studded 11th annual ACM Honors ceremony took place last night (Aug. 23) at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
In addition to performances from George Strait, Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton, Kelsea Ballerini, Toby Keith, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Brad Paisley, Thomas Rhett, Charles Esten and Hillary Scott, the Academy recognized the special honorees and off-camera category winners from the 52nd ACM Awards.
Special Award recipients included Kelsea Ballerini (Gene Weed Milestone Award), Toby Keith (Poetâs Award), Bob Kingsley (Mae Boren Axton Service Award), Reba McEntire (Mae Boren Axton Service Award), Nashville (Tex Ritter Film Award), Dolly Parton (Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award), Shel Silverstein (Poetâs Award), George Strait (Cliffie Stone Icon Award) and Songwriter of the Year Lori McKenna. The evening also honored the winners of the Industry and Studio Recording Awards.
Performance highlights of the evening included:
Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott teamed with Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman to sing âLittle Rockâ in tribute to Reba McEntire.
Kelsea Ballerini sang âLegendsâ before receiving her award, which was presented to her by Lady Antebellum.
Little Big Town performed âWhen Someone Stops Loving You,â which was co-written by Lori McKenna, before presenting Lori with her Songwriter of the Year award.
Chris Stapleton performed âWhen Did You Stop Loving Me,â and Alan Jackson performed a medley of âMarina Del Reyâ and âThe Firemanâ in tribute to George Strait.
George Strait performed âHere For a Good Timeâ to close out the evening.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. â The No. 24/25-ranked Tennessee football team had four players named to the Preseason Coaches All-SEC teams as announced by the Southeastern Conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Senior Evan Berry collected second-team recognition as a return specialist, while senior offensive lineman Jashon Robertson, junior wide receiver Jauan Jennings and redshirt senior punter Trevor Daniel grabbed third team selections. All four players garnered 2017 Preseason Media Days All-SEC honors last month, as well.
Robertson, who has started 34 games during his time on Rocky Top, was also named by the Football Writers Association of America to the preseason watch list for the 2017 Outland Trophy. The Nashville native was a key part of a UT offensive line that paved the way to record-breaking offensive numbers in 2016. The Vols set program records in points scored (473) and touchdowns (63) last season and won their third consecutive bowl game by defeating Nebraska, 38-24, in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl. Robertson is one of the most versatile offensive linemen on the roster as he started 12 games in 2016 at left guard and worked at center for much of the spring. As a sophomore in 2015, Robertson helped the Vols rush for 2,908 yards, which was the second-most in UT history. He has been an anchor of Tennessee’s offensive line since his 2014 freshman year when he started all 13 games at right guard and earned Freshman All-SEC and ESPN True Freshman All-American honors.
Jennings is coming off a breakout 2016 sophomore campaign in which he set career highs with 40 receptions, 580 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns. He made two of the biggest catches of the 2016 season. In the Vols’ 38-28 comeback win against Florida on Sept. 24, Jennings caught three passes for 111 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown down the right sideline that gave the Vols the lead in the fourth quarter. He topped that the following week at Georgia on Oct. 1 when he outleaped several Bulldog defensive backs to catch Joshua Dobbs‘ 43-yard Hail Mary in the end zone to lift Tennessee to a 34-31 victory. He also completed a four-yard touchdown pass against Texas A&M on Oct. 8.
Berry was named an Athlon Preseason All-American earlier this preseason and was a 2016 Coaches Second Team All-SEC Selection after averaging 32.9 yards on 14 kick returns, including a 100-yard return for a touchdown at South Carolina on Oct. 29. In 2016, he also tallied 12 tackles and one tackle for loss. As a sophomore in 2015, he ranked first in the NCAA with a 38.3-yard kickoff return average and was named a First Team All-American by Walter Camp, Sporting News and Sports Illustrated. For his career, Berry has returned 49 kicks for 1,677 yards, a UT-record 34.2-yard average and four touchdowns. His 34.2-yard career kickoff return average is the best mark of any current player in the NCAA, regardless of division. Berry is also likely to break Tennessee’s all-time record for kickoff return yards this year as he enters the season just 177 yards shy of Willie Gault’s program record of 1,854.
On top of his Preseason All-SEC accolades, Daniel is also on the preseason watch list for the 2017 Ray Guy Award, awarded annually to the nation’s top punter. In 2016, Daniel posted a 44.6-yard average with 28 of his 70 punts inside the 20, 29 fair catches and 21 punts of 50 or more yards. His 44.6-yard average ranked third among SEC punters and his 70-yard punt against South Carolina was the longest in the SEC in 2016. Daniel was a candidate for the Ray Guy Award in both 2015 and 2016. Daniel’s 45.1-yard career punting average ranks fourth among active NCAA punters, regardless of division.
The Big Orange begin the 2017 season in less than two weeks with a showdown against ACC foe Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Labor Day (Sept. 4) at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game will feature an 8 p.m. ET broadcast on ESPN.
The Vols’ home opener is slated for Sept. 9 against Indiana State, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. Tickets for that contest are still available. Fans can purchase tickets on AllVols.com or by calling or visiting the Thompson-Boling Arena box office (1-800-332-VOLS).
Michael Ray will hit the road this fall for his headlining Get To You Tour, with support from Devin Dawson. The 15-date tour kicks off on Oct. 5 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and makes stops in San Antonio, Charlotte, Louisville and more before capping in Warrendale, Pa., on Dec. 9.
If you donât have time to comb through social media all day, hereâs what youâve been missing over the last 24 hours or so in the country music world:
Miranda Lambert performs in England for the first time.
Dierks Bentley presents Jon Pardi with a gold record.
Kelsea Ballerini celebrates Top 40 success.
Reba visits Jackson Hole.
Shania Twain surprises fans.
Brantley Gilbert unveils new Harleys.
Terri Clark sings in the studio.
Brothers Osborne share a 92-year-old fanâs video.
A post shared by Terri Clark (@terriclarkmusic) on
Millie Seiver, 92 and Sgt. Kim Lenz have a dance party to SALL. God bless our friends in blue and may we all be as young as Millie one day. pic.twitter.com/yux7LREIsr
Tennessee and Georgia Tech have met 43 times, with the Volunteers holding a 24-17-2 series lead over the Yellow Jackets. One-time SEC rivals, this yearâs meeting will mark the first between the programs in 30 years. In the most recent 1987 matchup, Tennessee defeated Georgia Tech 29-15 in Knoxville.
It will be Tennesseeâs second appearance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, the first a 2012 win over N.C. State. Georgia Tech will be making its first appearance in the game.
This yearâs clash between the storied rivals will be the second college game to be played in the new state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Stadium and will be the 10th ACC vs. SEC matchup in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. The SEC currently holds a 7-1 advantage over the ACC in those games.
The Yellow Jackets carry a three-game winning streak against SEC opponents, including triumphs over Georgia and Kentucky to close the â16 campaign. The ACC won 10 of the 14 games played between the two Power 5 conferences last season, including a 4-1 mark in the postseason.
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, with its Monday-night slot, marks the third time in the last four years that Tennessee will open the season on a non-Saturday. The Vols are 12-11-1 all-time on Monday night, last playing a regular season game on Monday when they opened the 2008 season at UCLA.
The Tennessee-Georgia Tech game will pay tribute to legendary coach Bobby Dodd and The Dodd Trophy coach of the year award in his name. Dodd played at Tennessee (1928-1930) and coached at Georgia Tech (1931-1966), leading the Yellow Jackets to the programâs 1952 National Championship.
About the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game:
Created in 2008 by Peach Bowl, Inc., the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is the preeminent bowl-style, neutral-site game featuring two elite football programs and has been nationally televised on the first Saturday of the college football season since its inception. The game has hosted teams with national rankings of No. 1, 2, 5 (twice), 6, 7, 9, 14, 16, 18 (twice), 19, 22, 24 (twice) and 25 (twice). The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game boasts an average attendance of 67,645, has been watched on television by 47.4 million viewers, and has distributed $51.9 million in total team payouts. Since its inception in 2008, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game has featured seven national coaches of the year, 19 players who were recipients of national awards during their collegiate careers and a total of 48 first-round NFL Draft picks. For more information, visit WWW.CHICK-FIL-AKICKOFFGAME.COM.
“Vol Calls”, the official statewide call-in radio show for the University of Tennessee Volunteers, kicks off its 30th season Wednesday night, Aug. 23, on location from Calhoun’s On the River in downtown Knoxville. The one-hour show airs at 8 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. CT across the state of Tennessee.
Bob Kesling, the voice of the Tennessee Volunteers and UT’s director of broadcasting, serves as the show’s host and is joined by Vol Network veteran Brent Hubbs to answer questions and provide insight into University of Tennessee athletics.
Wednesday’s season debut will feature a special recorded interview with Tennessee head football coach Butch Jones and an appearance by a trio of Tennessee tight ends â brothers Ethan and Eli Wolf along with Jakob Johnson â on-site at Calhoun’s. Weather permitting, the show will be held outside each week during the fall on the restaurant’s large patio deck overlooking the Tennessee River and Neyland Stadium.
Calhoun’s On the River returns as the home of “Vol Calls” for the sixth straight season. Famous for its award-winning ribs, BBQ and other delicious Southern dishes, Calhoun’s is one of Tennessee’s most popular restaurant destinations. Calhoun’s will give away special prizes each week during football season through its Facebook and Twitter (@calhouns) pages, including “Best Seats in the House” for the show, game tickets, hospitality passes and a collection of special signature sauces.
“Vol Calls” is the exclusive radio program and event where Tennessee fans can call in and talk with the head coaches of the Tennessee Volunteers. Fans can place a “Vol Call” anywhere in the United States by dialing 1-800-688-8657, or Tennessee customers of Verizon can dial #TENN. Patrons at Calhoun’s On the River may ask a question in person, and fans may also submit questions through the IMG-Vol Network Facebook page. The program can be heard on 50-plus radio stations across the state of Tennessee on the Vol Radio Network and all over the world through UTsports.com and the UT GameDay App.
During the black-and-white clip, Blake walks from his tour bus and backstage area to center stage at one of his concerts as the titles to his 24 No. 1 tunes appear onscreen. Snippets of five of those No. 1 hits play throughout the video, including “Every Time I Hear That Song,” “Boys âRound Here,” “Honey Bee,” “All About Tonight” and “Austin.”
Watch the video below, which includes a cameo by RaeLynn, who served as support on Blake’s recent Doin’ It To Country Songs Tour.
Family, friends, colleagues and industry insiders gathered at the Country Music Hall of Fame last night (Aug. 22) to celebrate Loretta Lynnâs new exhibit, Loretta Lynn: Blue Kentucky Girl.
Although Loretta was not presentâshe hasn’t made a public appearance since suffering a stroke in Mayâartists Margo Price, Brandy Clark and Kacey Musgraves stepped onto the stage to pay tribute to the country music legend.
Margo Price kicked off the evening by performing Loretta’s 1968 No. 1 hit, âFist City,â before Kacey Musgraves took the stage to read the forward that she wrote for the book based on the new exhibit.
âImagine how many little girls or boysâshining diamonds like Lorettaâsit in their rooms, observing the world around them, learning from their parentsâ mistakes, and spilling their songs into notebooks, waiting to be plucked out of their subdivision to become someone that we’re going to herald as the one who broke the mold and established the new normal. I can’t wait to see who’s gonna emerge,â Kacey said. âBut for now, I’ll cherish the memories and moments that I’ve been wildly fortunate enough to share with miss Loretta. And I’m going to keep her voice very loud in my head and in my ears, listening to the one whoâs never going to be replaced.â
Brandy Clark capped the tribute by performing âCoal Minerâs Daughter,” a tune Loretta took to the top of the charts in 1970.
Loretta’s fans can revisit the past in her new exhibit that opens on Friday, Aug. 25, and runs through Aug. 5, 2018. Lorettaâs exhibit features dresses she wore in some of her most well-known album covers, personal memorabilia, photos, awards, instruments and more.
Early this morning (Aug. 23), Luke Bryan released a new single, “Light It Up,” which is the first single from his upcoming sixth studio album due later this year. The new tune focuses on the singerâs unrequited love for a girl as he beckons her to âlight it up,â a reference to calling him back on the phone.
On the heels of today’s release, Luke stopped by the Nash Country Daily campus to talk about the new single as well as his upcoming album.
â[The single] is a good mid-tempo, and I think it just really defines kinda where people are these days,” says Luke to NCD. “You use your phonesâweâve both got our phones right here. You use your phones so much and you use text messaging so much. The song is about a guy who is just waiting for his phone to buzz and light up and see if sheâs gonna call him up for a late-night rendezvous. When Brad [Tursi] and I sat down to write the song, I just remember going, âThis is kinda what people do these days. They use their phones to break-up and get back together.ââ
As far as his upcoming sixth studio album, Luke admits it was a stressful endeavor but that he feels he’s created some pretty special stuff for his fans.
âI still get as stressed as ever,” says Luke. “I may be more stressed about [the new album] than ever. You just wanna keep making the best music you can make, and you obviously want to move the needle and sound a little different but you donât want to do anything to freak your fan base out. So itâs a daunting challenge when you think about sitting around trying to put a new album together. But itâs still fun, too. When you get it completed, youâve got something youâre proud ofâitâs pretty special stuff.”
![Performances From George Strait, Little Big Town, Kelsea Ballerini, Charles Esten, Thomas Rhett & More Highlight ACM Honors Ceremony [Watch]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/1446/2017/08/24075446/Thomas-Rhett4.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
“Vol Calls”, the official statewide call-in radio show for the University of Tennessee Volunteers, kicks off its 30th season 
