AP Photo/Darron Cummings
Alan Jackson performs during the 42nd Annual CMA Awards show on Wednesday Nov. 12, 2008, in Nashville, Tenn. Jackson is expected to be among the performers attending this weekend’s Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Friday, April 3, 2009 | 4:24 p.m.
Beyond the Sun
While Alan Jackson proclaimed the world had “gone country” in 1994, Las Vegas is going undeniably country this weekend, as the Academy of Country Music Awards takes over the MGM Grand.
The 44th annual awards show will see dozens of the industry’s biggest, brightest and newest stars descend upon the city.
Unsurprisingly, Jackson is among those expected to attend.
The legendary icon will play Terrible’s Star of the Desert arena in Primm tonight, on the eve of ACMA weekend.
No one knows whether or not Jackson will sing his ’94 hit single, but one thing is for sure: It will be a country star-studded weekend in the southern Silver State.
While another famed country crooner, Trace Adkins, will play Star of the Desert on Saturday, country music fans need not venture out to Primm in hopes of catching a glimpse of country greatness in advance of Sunday’s awards show.
In fact, a galaxy of Nashville’s stars will be shining across Las Vegas all weekend.
Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott will party twice as hard tonight, as she celebrates both her birthday and her group’s ACMA nomination for top vocal group of the year at The Bank.
From left, musicians Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood of the band Lady Antebellum pose backstage with their New Artist of the Year award at the 42nd Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008. Scott celebrated her birthday -- and her group's nomination as vocal group of the year -- at The Bank in Las Vegas the weekend of April 3-5, 2009.
While it’s not known if Scott’s bandmates, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, will join her at the Bellagio hotspot, it would hardly be a surprise if the two popped by to celebrate alongside their leading lady.
Meanwhile, Fremont Street will be abuzz with country music all weekend, with a handful of free concerts today and Saturday.
Four performers will play each night, split between the First and Third Street stages. The music is scheduled to start at 6:45 p.m. and will continuing on until midnight.
This year’s ACMA top new male and female vocalists, Jake Owen and Julianne Hough, will play tonight. Owen will take to the First Street stage for an hour-long show starting at 9 p.m., while Hough, who is also nominated in the top new artist category, will play the Third Street stage from 7:45 until 8:30 p.m.
Tonight’s headliner is Jason Aldean, while LeAnn Rimes will take to the Third Street stage in Saturday’s main event spot at 10:45 p.m.
ACMA’s top new vocal duo or group winner and top new artist nominees, the Zac Brown Band, will also play the Third Street stage tomorrow night, from 7:40 p.m. until 8:55 p.m.
Still, there’s far more to country star gazing than simply going to concerts. In fact, spotting a star in the “wild” can be just as thrilling as seeing them onstage.
To get an idea for who to be on the lookout for this weekend, one needs to look no further than the ACMA program.
The collection of ACMA nominees reads like a who’s who of Nashville. Add to it the list of performers and one red hot, redheaded host and you’ve got dozens of reasons to shoot for the stars – or at least keep your eyes open for them – this weekend.
The show will be hosted by 11-time Academy of Country Music Award winner Reba McEntire. The redheaded singer has enjoyed 41 ACMA nominations since her first, 28 years ago, in 1981.
She will join performers including Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Heidi Newfield, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Miley Cyrus, Jamey Johnson, John Rich and Lee Ann Womack.
Toby Keith will also perform during Sunday’s awards show. Who knows, maybe he’ll pop by his namesake bar and grill at Harrah’s before (or after?) the show.
Dozens of nominees will be filtering around town, too. Here’s a list of the key nominees, divided by category, to keep an eye out for this weekend:
Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Top Male Vocalist
Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Keith Urban
Top Female Vocalist
Miranda Lambert
Heidi Newfield
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Lee Ann Womack
Top Vocal Group
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
Randy Rogers Band
The Lost Trailers
Top Vocal Duo
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Joey + Rory
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland
Top New Male Vocalist
Jamey Johnson
James Otto
Jake Owen (already declared the winner)
Top New Female Vocalist
Sarah Buxton
Julianne Hough (already declared the winner)
Ashton Shepherd
Top New Vocal Duo or Group
Eli Young Band
The Lost Trailers
Zac Brown Band (already declared the winner)
Top New Artist
Julianne Hough
Jake Owen
Zac Brown Band
Album of the Year
Back When I Knew It All – Montgomery Gentry
Carnival Ride – Carrie Underwood
Fearless – Taylor Swift
That Lonesome Song – Jamey Johnson
Troubadour – George Strait
Single Record of the Year
Gunpowder & Lead - Miranda Lambert
In Color - Jamey Johnson
Johnny And June - Heidi Newfield
Waitin' On A Woman - Brad Paisley
You're Gonna Miss This - Trace Adkins
Song of the Year
I Saw God Today - George Strait
In Color - Jamey Johnson
Johnny And June - Heidi Newfield
Waitin' On A Woman - Brad Paisley
You're Gonna Miss This - Trace Adkins
Video of the Year
Johnny And June - Heidi Newfield
Just A Dream - Carrie Underwood
Love Story - Taylor Swift
Troubadour - George Strait
Waitin' On A Woman - Brad Paisley
Vocal Event of the Year
Another Try - Josh Turner featuring Trisha Yearwood
Cowgirls Don't Cry - Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire
Down The Road - Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnally
Life In A Northern Town - Sugarland featuring Little Big Town and Jake Owen
Start A Band - Brad Paisley and Keith Urban
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