10. Celebrities were flocking into Nashville this week, which led to a little mess-up in traffic. Jason Jones (@Jonesville) posted this “Dear Mr. Vice President, thank you for flying into Nashville RIGHT BEFORE I have to pick someone up at the airport.”

9. The CMA’s played host to many collaborations and @MattNathanson realized what he was getting himself into when he arrived in Nashville. “it’s rapidly dawning on me how big a f***ing deal the CMAs are in this town #iamindenial”

8. After coming off of American Idol, @DannyGokey has been able to make his charity, Sophia’s Heart, come to life. He posted this amazing tweet this week “Tomorrow we are taking in a new homeless family off the streets & into Sophia’s Heart. Trying to get 2 more families by the end of the year!”

7. Country artists are grateful for having the jobs they have, but @CoreySmithMusic’s child doesn’t think his father even works! “I just had a debate with my 5 yr old about whether or not songwriting counts as work. He won. “If you like it, it’s not work.” #kidwisdom”

6. By now @KelliePickler is used to being uncomfortable at awards shows, but she is trying to change that! “At my dress fitting for the CMA’s…wouldn’t it be nice if it were the “Comfy Music Awards”…pajamas down the red carpet…no?”

5. Recently someone new has come into @TaylorSwift13’s life. Her cat that is so cute that Katy Perry said recently she wants to steal it. “My thank you’s. And my cat. Good night!”

4. After the awards show, @MartinaMcBride may have accidentally slept in, but she is still a great mom! “I tucked my 6 yr old back in bed w/me this morning and we both slept in. #thingsyoudoafteralatenight #shewaslatetoschool #motheroftheyearnot”

3. Even though the competition of getting an ward was in full force, artists still found a way to express their admiration for others; as @BradPaisley does here: “I will be changing my name to “The Band Paisley” tomorrow.”

2. The mega-couple of Blake & Miranda had a great night at the CMA Awards. @BlakeShelton posted this to express his gratitude “Thank y’all soooooooooo much!!!!!!! I can’t believe this sh*t!!!”

1. Country music might just have a new female superstar taking over. It seems Miss Piggy has made her way to many pictures on twitter including this one with Jennifer Nettles of @SugarlandMusic “Met an icon today at the #CMA Country Christmas taping! Just two girls getting ready for the holidays… – J”

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Scotty B.
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Top New Artist nominee Eric Church performed his current Top 15 and climbing single, “Drink In My Hand,” last night on ABC’s 45th Annual CMA Awards, a first-time experience for the chart-topping artist.

“This was my first time performing on the CMA Awards, and I really did not know what to expect. I was blown away by the energy from the crowd and it made the performance one hell of a good time. I hope I get to do it again.”

Entertainment Weekly noted Church’s performance lent to one of the few “rock raucousness” moments of the evening, and The Arizona Republic called his one of the best performances of the night: “It takes a certain kind of attitude to put a song like that across, and Church had it to burn with the skill to back it up, throwing the devil’s horns like he’d been doing shots with Hank III at one point.”

Church recently celebrated the RIAA-Gold Certification of his latest album, CHIEF, in just 10 weeks after its chart-topping release.

To keep up with his latest career happenings, visit www.ericchurch.com.

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com

Ellen DeGeneres recruited Luke Bryan and Kellie Pickler to do her “dirty” work during the CMA’s here in Nashville this past week. Take a look at all of the commotion. It’s truly hysterical.

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com

The 45th Annual CMA Music Awards was filled with great collaborative performances including Blake Shelton and Kenny Loggins, Sugar Land and Matt Nathanson, Natasha Beddingfield and Rascal Flatts, Lionel Richie with Little Big Town, Darius Rucker, and Rascal Flatts. And let’s not forget the amazing Glen Campbell tribute with Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, and Vince Gill or our hosts Brad Pailsey and Carrie Underwood performing “Remind Me”.

See more collaboration videos after the jump.

Which was your favorite???

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com

It was a night of new victors and returning champions at “The 45th Annual CMA Awards” Wednesday night in Nashville.

Taylor Swift won her second CMA Entertainer of the Year trophy. Newlyweds Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton won Female Vocalist and Male Vocalist for the second consecutive year. Jason Aldean won his first two CMA Awards for Musical Event of the Year with Kelly Clarkson, and Album of the Year for My Kinda Party. The Band Perry won their first Awards for Single of the Year for “If I Die Young” and New Artist of the Year. Kimberly Perry claimed an additional trophy for Song of the Year for penning the hit song. Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter won for Music Video of the Year. Lady Antebellum picked up their third trophy for Vocal Group of the Year, and Sugarland won Vocal Duo of the Year for the fifth time.

Swift won the Horizon Award (now New Artist of the Year) in 2007 and was named Entertainer of the Year for the first time in 2009.

“One of my favorite things about this year is all the camaraderie between all these artists that I could call and say, ‘Hey, do you want to come sing with me?’” said Swift. “And there were more artists who showed up just out of the goodness of their heart and came out and performed for the fans at my shows.”

She then read out all the names of people who had performed with her, written on her hand, and ended by exclaiming, “You have made my year! Thank you so much!”

“The 45th Annual CMA Awards” was hosted for the fourth time by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on ABC.

First nominated in 2010, The Band Perry won their first-ever CMA Awards for Single of the Year for “If I Die Young,” along with producer Paul Worley, and New Artist of the Year.

“Oh, first of all, we wanted to say thank you to the beautiful fans of Country Music,” said Kimberly Perry. “It is the joy of our whole lives to sing this song for you guys.”

After winning New Artist of the Year, she added: “We promise to keep working hard every day out on the road and here in Nashville to earn this Award.”

As a songwriter, Kimberly Perry picked up the trophy for Song of the Year for penning “If I Die Young.”

“I truly believe that if ‘I Die Young’ would have been written with or without me, it was a song that was meant to be,” she said. “But I was so excited to have pen and paper in hand when it was ready to come to earth.”

Aldean, who received first-time nominations in five categories in 2011, won Album of the Year for My Kinda Party, along with producer Michael Knox, and for Musical Event of the Year for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson. This was Clarkson’s first win, too. In 2007 she was nominated for Musical Event of the Year with Reba for “Because of You.”

Aldean exclaimed “What a year!” before thanking his family and singling out Knox. “He’s like my big brother,” Aldean said. “This guy found me in a club in Atlanta, Georgia, brought me to Nashville 15 years ago and has made every record I’ve ever done.”

For the second year, Shelton and wife Lambert firmly established themselves as Country’s new and reigning power couple. They join Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as the only other married couple to ever win the his-and-hers CMA Awards in the same year. McGraw and Hill won in 2000 (Lambert and Shelton were not married in 2010 when they won their respective Vocalist Awards).

Shelton had one of the memorable performances of the night, joining ’80s star Kenny Loggins in a rocking Country version of “Footloose” to open the show.

“‘You’re spoiling me!’” Shelton said, with a laugh, after accepting his Award for Male Vocalist. “I really didn’t prepare anything to say at all. I didn’t think y’all would let me get away with this two times.”

One of the many highlights of the night was a stirring tribute to Glen Campbell, a Country Music Hall of Fame member and former CMA Entertainer of the Year. The tribute included an emotional three-song medley with three former CMA Entertainer of the Year recipients honoring the legend: Vince Gill performing “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”; Keith Urban singing “Wichita Lineman”; and co-host Paisley performing “Galveston.”

The tribute brought a standing ovation inside the Bridgestone Arena. At the moment’s crescendo, composer Jimmy Webb and Campbell embraced on stage, and the cheers got even louder.

Later, after the Awards, Campbell described the tribute medley of his tunes as “Awesome, it really was. The whole thing was wonderful. It’s great when they come off nice, isn’t it?”

Memorable performances for the night also included co-hosts Paisley and Underwood performing their hit duet “Remind Me.” This was their first live performance of the No. 1 hit song on national television. Former CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Faith Hill also gave her first performance in five years at the CMA Awards. Hill debuted “Come Home,” a single from her forthcoming new album due out in early 2012. Southern rocker Gregg Allman joined Zac Brown Band on a cover “Georgia On My Mind.” Little Big Town, Darius Rucker, and Rascal Flatts joined music icon Lionel Richie for a medley of his hits.

Paisley and Underwood warmed up the crowd to start the night with Hank Williams Jr. making a surprise appearance as the hosts performed a re-vamped version of Williams’ well-known anthem “Family Tradition” to cheers and applause. Later in the evening, Little Jimmy Dickens, made a cameo appearance with the pair.

Four-time CMA Entertainer of the Year Chesney won his first Award for Music Video of the Year for “You and Tequila” featuring Potter (her first CMA Award) and directed by Shaun Silva. At the backstage media area Chesney said, “Shaun got it right. That’s the first thing went through my mind. He got it right.”

Referring to his cross-genre performance with Potter as evidence of Country Music’s widening appeal, Chesney said, “This just goes to show you the power of music. It reflects the way people listen to music today. I have a very eclectic audience that comes to see us play every summer. The music that I make, and the music that Grace makes reflect that.”

Sugarland picked up their fifth Vocal Duo of the Year Award before performing “Run” with Matt Nathanson.

“First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Gregg Allman. That was me on the red carpet that reached out and shook your hand,” Jennifer Nettles said with a grin. “I would love to dedicate this to the fans this year. Thank you, guys. Thank you to the good folks in Indiana.”

Reigning Vocal Group of the Year Lady Antebellum won Vocal Group of the Year for the third consecutive year. “There is no way we can be singled out among this group (of nominees),” said Dave Haywood. “For all the groups in this category, this is incredible to be in the same list.”

Guitarist Mac MacAnally picked up his fourth Musician of the Year Award in the pre-broadcast ceremony.

Presenters for the night included: 2011 “American Idol” runner-up Lauren Alaina; ESPN sportscaster and “Good Morning America” correspondent Erin Andrews; 2005 CMA Horizon Award winner Dierks Bentley; Country star Billy Currington; actor Josh Dallas (star of ABC’s “Once Upon a Time”); 2011 World Series MVP and St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese; actress Ginnifer Goodwin (star of ABC’s “Once Upon a Time”); actor Kellan Lutz (star of the “Twilight” movie series and the upcoming “Immortals”); Muppet icon Miss Piggy; Country stars Jake Owen and Kellie Pickler; six-time CMA Award winner and 2011 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Reba; 1997 CMA Horizon Award winner LeAnn Rimes; Emmy Award-winning actor Eric Stonestreet (star of ABC’s “Modern Family”); actress Emily VanCamp (star of ABC’s “Revenge”); and Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon.

Performers included Aldean, The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Lady Antebellum, Lambert, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, Shelton, Swift, Sugarland, Thompson Square, Urban, Chris Young; plus Chesney and Potter singing their hit collaboration “You and Tequila”; and Rascal Flatts and Natasha Bedingfield singing their current hit duet “Easy.”

The CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the 6,400 industry professional members of CMA, which was the first trade organization formed to promote an individual genre of music in 1958. The first CMA Awards Banquet and Show was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast on NBC for the first time – making it the longest running, annual music awards program on network television. The show aired on NBC through 1971 and on the CBS Television Network from 1972 through 2005 before moving to ABC in 2006. The CMA Awards will air on ABC through 2021.

Winners of “The 45th Annual CMA Awards” were determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting members of the Country Music Association. CMA Awards balloting is officiated by the international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com

Faith Hill debuted new single “Come Home” on last nights CMA awards. We have not heard from Faith in quite some time and now she is back and ready to give country listeners some new music.

“Come Home” is the single from her first new album in over six years. It is unlike some of Faith’s other big hits such as “Mississippi Girl” or “The Way You Love Me.” The music in the song is quite powerful, but definitely does not have a country sound to it.

The song is a strong ballad about missing someone who is far from home. When listening to the lyrics there is unquestionably a message infused into the song. With lines like, “They’re in the wrong place trying to make it right, but I’m tired of justifying, So I say to you, come home, come home,” one can imagine the song is being sung as a letter to a soldier over seas. No matter your political opinion you can appreciate the conviction and passion in Faith’s delivery.

As always Faith’s voice is spot on, she is truly a singer’s singer. However, with that said this is not particularly one of my favorite Faith Hill songs. The overall sound of the song does not resonate with me. Time will tell if the song connects with country radio listeners. Regardless it is great to see Faith making new music and I look forward to seeing what else she has to offer when she releases her new CD.

The song debuts on country radio November 9th.

Want to know more about Faith Hill??  http://www.faithhill.com/

Country Girl wants you to be a Tattle Tale! Have you been to a country concert lately? Run into a country artist while out on the town? We want to hear all about your country music news and entertainment. Email me at countrygirl@countrymusictattletale.com

Photo Courtesy of WireImage

Live from Premiere Networks’ annual CMA Awards broadcast in Nashville yesterday, The Big D and Bubba Show welcomed Blake Shelton.
When Shelton, who was up for five CMA Awards including “Entertainer of the Year” and “Male Vocalist of the Year,” heard that Big D and Bubba didn’t take home the CMA Broadcast Award for “National Broadcast Personality of the Year”, he offered to loan them one of his for six months, if he won last night.

Shelton: “Did ya’ll win a CMA Award this year?”
Big D and Bubba: “No, we didn’t win.”
Shelton: “Well, I’ll tell ya what. If I win a CMA, IF I win a CMA, I’ll let ya’ll borrow it.”
Big D and Bubba: “How long? Let’s get the terms.”
Shelton: “Six months.”

Well, it looks like Blake is gonna have to make good on his promise because he took home a CMA Award for Male Vocalist of the Year for the second year in a row.

The Big D and Bubba Show is nationally syndicated by Premiere Networks on more than 50 Country radio stations. It’s one of the most widely syndicated Country morning radio shows in the U.S., and a three-time CMA Award nominee for “National Broadcast Personality of the Year” (2002, 2007 and 20011). Please visit www.bigdandbubba.com for more information.

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com