Foxtel’s CMC to broadcast Country Music Association Awards live from Nashville
Foxtel’s Country Music Channel (CMC) will broadcast the 51st CMA Awards live from Nashville on Thursday 9 November at midday.
Held at the Bridgestone Arena, it is hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood for the tenth time.
The biggest names in country music will gather to honour the best performers, songwriters, record producers and music video directors of the past year.
The show includes one-off pairings by Kelsea Ballerini & Reba McEntire; Dierks Bentley & Rascal Flatts; Maren Morris & Niall Horan; and Brad Paisley & Kane Brown.
It would be fair to say that many Australian viewers would be specifically checking to see how Keith Urban fares.
The ten-time CMA winner is up for ‘Entertainer of the Year against Garth Brooks (his 12th nomination in the category, which he’s won five) Luke Bryan, Eric Church and Chris Stapleton.
Urban is also nominated for Male Vocalist (for which he’s been nominated 13 times and won three) while ‘Blue Ain’t Your Color’ vies for Single and Music Video of the Year.
He comes off the success of his platinum ripCORD album, which debuted at #1 in Australia (certified Platinum) as well as the U.S. where it went on to sell 660,000 units.
The ripCORD world tour sold 612,543 tickets and grossed US$33.5 million.
In Australia, eight shows in December 2016 shifted 90,000 tickets through TEG Live,. The Australian run grossed over $5.72 million, although revenue figures were not available for shows at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, and at the Canberra CIO Stadium where he set a new attendance record.
Miranda Lambert leads with five nominations, bringing her total nomination tally to 44, of which she’s won 12.
Reba McEntire is the most nominated female in CMA Awards history with 50 (tying with Brooks & Dunn), from which she has had six wins.
Lambert and McEntire are up against each other in Female Vocalist of the Year, which also includes Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris and Carrie Underwood this year.
Vocal Group of the Year nominees are Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Old Dominion, Rascal Flatts and Zac Brown Band.
Taylor Swift received her 23rd for writing ‘Better Man’ marking her second nomination for Song of the Year and first CMA Awards nod since 2014.
The nominee list is at CMAawards.com.
The CMA Awards drew a record 16.6 million U.S. viewers in 2013, winning all demographics that showed off country music’s wide appeal.
It was watched by 13.68 million in 2015 but last year dropped to12.6 million as it was up against a historic Game 7 of the World Series and lost some younger viewers.
In Australia, the 51st CMA Awards will also have encore screenings on Thursday, November 9 at 8pm, Friday 10th at 9am and 6pm, Saturday 11th at 3pm and Sunday 12th at 7pm.
Jobs
