Tuesday, April 6, 2010 | 5:47 p.m.
Green Valley Ranch hotel-casino in Henderson today was named "casino of the year" by the Academy of Country Music for its support of country music.
The Encino, Calif.-based Academy of Country Music is having its 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 18. The event will be televised live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The award for Green Valley Ranch was announced today with several other winners that will not be televised on April 18.
For Station Casinos Inc., co-owner of Green Valley Ranch, this is the fourth "casino of the year" award since 1999.
In the 45 years of the award program, no other gaming company has won the award more than once.
The Railhead at Station's Boulder Station hotel-casino in Las Vegas was named “Casino of the Year” in 1999, 2001 and 2003.
Over the past few years, Green Valley Ranch has hosted several country performers including Toby Keith, Rodney Atkins, Lady Antebellum, Chris Young, Montgomery Gentry, Blake Shelton, Phil Vassar and Bill Engvall.
The Greenspun family, owner of the Las Vegas Sun, is Station's partner in Green Valley Ranch.
Also today, Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth was named nightclub of the year and the Sommet Center in Nashville was named venue of the year.
Other awards announced today by the Academy of Country Music include the Jim Reeves International Award, which was won by Keith Urban for outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world.
Urban, who was born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, has become an international superstar since he moved to Nashville in 1992.
Also, the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award went to country music legends Marty Robbins and Mel Tillis.
