Thompson Square, Liam Hemsworth, KISS and more added to list of ACM Awards presenters
Thompson Square (AP file)
Up-and-coming country stars Thompson Square, Zac Brown, Brantley Gilbert, Scotty McCreery and The Band Perry, “The Hunger Games” star Liam Hemsworth, “NCIS: Los Angeles” star LL COOL J and legendary rockers KISS are scheduled to be presenters on the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday on the CBS Television Network.
It’s ACM Awards Week here on BAM’s Blog, leading up to my live blog of the show Sunday night.
They join previously announced presenters Beth Behrs, Hunter Hayes, Lionel Richie, Taylor Swift and Nancy O’Dell. Additionally, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sara Evans, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride with Pat Monahan, Scotty McCreery, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Lionel Richie, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Chris Young, The Band Perry, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts with Steve Martin and Little Big Town have been announced as performers on the ACM Awards broadcast, with Zac Brown Band hosting the second annual ACM Fan Jam at Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Thompson Square, the duo of Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson and wife Shawna, are nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year, their first ACM Awards nomination. The chart-topping duo’s No. 1 platinum and radio smash, “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not,” was iTunes’ Country Song of the Year (2011) and has grown meteorically to become the most played song at Country radio in 2011 (Mediabase), as well as reach the top of the Billboard Heat Seekers Chart. “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” spent five consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Country Digital Soundscan chart and 12 consecutive weeks as the No. 1 Country Ringtone.
Zac Brown is the frontman of Zac Brown Band, who are nominated for Vocal Group of the Year, the band’s third consecutive nomination in that category. The group has won two ACM Awards, including Vocal Event of the Year for “As She’s Walking Away” featuring Alan Jackson in 2010 and New Vocal Duo or Group in 2008. They also tout a historic series of nine consecutive No. 1 hit singles from their double-platinum major label debut, The Foundation, and platinum No. 1 follow-up album, You Get What You Give.
At the age of 27, Brantley Gilbert already has an impressive list of industry accolades. The deluxe version of the rising star’s sophomore album, Halfway to Heaven Deluxe, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart in September 2011. Collectively, the standard and deluxe versions of Halfway to Heaven have already sold almost 500,000 albums to date. Brantley’s first single on The Valory Music Co., “Country Must Be Country Wide,” recently scored the No. 1 spot at Country radio. As a celebrated songwriter, Gilbert also penned three #1 hits, “My Kinda Party,” “Dirt Road Anthem,” and most recently, “Country Must Be Country Wide.” In addition to playing his own headlining dates, Gilbert is currently on the road with Eric Church for his “The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour.” For tour dates and more on Brantley, go to www.facebook.com/BrantleyGilbertMusic.
Scotty McCreery’s album, Clear As Day, was certified platinum in just three months, and he was recently named #1 on Billboard magazine’s list of Top New Country Artists for 2011. Clear As Day debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts, making him the youngest man in history to open at the top of the all-genre chart with a debut release. It garnered the highest sales of any country solo album released last year and held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for six weeks. The album’s first two singles, “I Love You This Big” and “The Trouble With Girls” have been certified gold. Currently, he is touring as part of Brad Paisley’s “Virtual Reality Tour 2012,” presented by Chevrolet.
The Band Perry returns to the ACM Awards this year as a first-time Vocal Group of the Year nominee. In 2011, they were honored with the New Artist of the Year award after the largest fan vote in the category’s history. On the heels of celebrating a recent two-week No. 1 with their gold-certified single, “All Your Life,” platinum certification of their self-titled Republic Nashville debut album and recent quadruple-platinum status for sales of more than 4 million for their quintessential No. 1 hit “If I Die Young,” the excitement only continues for The Band Perry.
Currently, Liam Hemsworth stars in the record-breaking movie adaptation of “The Hunger Games,” directed by Gary Ross, in which he portrays Gale Hawthorne and stars opposite Jennifer Lawrence. Hemsworth will next be seen this August starring opposite Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Expendables 2.” This April, the actor begins production on Dito Montiel’s “Empire State,” in which he plays opposite Dwayne Johnson and Emma Roberts. Hemsworth finished production on the independent feature film “AWOL,” which is set for release this year. Liam’s character, Wright, is a young soldier in Vietnam who decides to go AWOL after being dumped by his hometown girlfriend.
Hemsworth’s breakout role as Will Blakelee in Disney’s hit “The Last Song” earned him a 2010 Young Hollywood Award as well as three Teen Choice Award nominations, winning for “Choice Movie: Male Breakout.” Starring opposite Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear and Kelly Preston, “The Last Song” is based on best-selling author Nicholas Sparks’ novel, who also co-wrote the screenplay.
LL COOL J is an entertainment icon who has found great success crossing into multiple mediums. A two-time Grammy Award winner, recording artist, talented actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur and philanthropist, he continues to display his wide range of talents with every project. First introduced to the world in 1984 as a Def Jam Records flagship artist, LL is the first rap artist to amass 10 consecutive platinum-plus selling albums. The multi-platinum artist and two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee is currently tied for third place for most Billboard chart debuts by a rap artist. As an actor, LL has successfully transitioned to one of the consistently highest-rated shows on television. He currently stars in the hit CBS primetime drama series, “NCIS: Los Angeles,” and his performance on the show garnered him an NAACP Image Award in 2011 and 2012 for his role of Special Agent Sam Hanna.
KISS remains one of the most influential bands in the history of rock and roll. As one of America’s top gold-record champions, KISS has released 44 albums and sold more than 90 million albums worldwide. Decades of record-breaking tours around the globe have included high-profile appearances at Super Bowl XXXIII, the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and the Rockin’ The Corps concert, dedicated to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The KISS legacy continues to grow, generation after generation. The unparalleled devotion and loyalty of the KISS Army to the “Hottest Band in the World” is a striking testament to the band’s unbreakable bond with its fans and just one of the reasons KISS was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. KISS is currently in the studio recording Monster, the follow up to their 2009 chart-topping album, Sonic Boom, and recently announced a major world tour starting in summer of 2012. For more information on the band, go to www.KISSonline.com or follow the band on Twitter at @KISSonline.
-BAM
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