Off-Camera Award Winners Announced for the 40th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards

Off-Camera Award Winners Announced for the 40th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards

Japanese-Born Country Music Pioneer Charlie Nagatani to Receive Prestigious Jim Reeves Award

Telecast to Air Live From Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas Tuesday, May 17th at 8:00 PM ET/PT on CBS Television Network

BURBANK, Calif., May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Academy of Country Music is announcing the winners of awards that will be presented before the live telecast of the 40th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS.

Charlie Nagatani will receive the Jim Reeves Memorial Award for the year 2004. This award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world. It is named in honor of country music legend Jim Reeves, who was one of country music's foremost international ambassadors.

Originally from Kumamoto, Japan, Charlie Nagatani has been performing country music since 1956. Along with his band, The Western Cannon Balls, he has toured all around the globe, performing everywhere from the base of Mt. Fuji to the Grand Ole Opry. In 1989, Nagatani organized the first Country Gold concert -- the first and, at that point, only country music festival in Japan. 8,000 people attended the inaugural event, which now regularly draws 30,000 country fans annually. Mr. Nagatani will accept his award in person onstage in Las Vegas.

Additionally, the Academy has presented awards from the 40th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS to winners in the following categories. The winners are:

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
James Stroud

AUDIO ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Ron "Snake" Reynolds

CASINO OF THE YEAR
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino - Las Vegas, Nevada

DON ROMEO TALENT BUYER / PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Brian O'Connell (Clear Channel Entertainment)

NIGHTCLUB OF THE YEAR
Buck Owens' Crystal Palace - Baskersfield, California

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Tim & Willy - KNIX, Phoenix, Arizona

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR
WIVK - Knoxville, Tennessee

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Glenn Worf

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Stuart Duncan

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Brent Mason

PERCUSSIONIST / DRUM PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lonnie Wilson

PIANO / KEYBOARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Steve Nathan

SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Randy Scruggs

STEEL GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Dan Dugmore

The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 with a mission to support, promote, and enhance the advancement of the country music industry worldwide. The Academy, which is comprised of 3,800+ professional members and a newly established Associate Membership, is headquartered in Burbank, CA. For more information on the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS and the Academy of Country Music, please visit www.acmcountry.com.

ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS is produced for television by dick clark productions. The show is executive produced by Dick Clark and R.A. Clark, and produced by Barry Adelman. The executive in charge of production is Bob Bardo, and the executive in charge is Fran LaMaina.

Southwest Airlines is the official airline of the Academy of Country Music Awards.

The ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS will be broadcast LIVE from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 17th, 2005 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on CBS Television Network.

Source: Academy of Country Music

CONTACT: Brooke Primero or Melissa Armstrong, both of BNC,
+1-310-854-4800, for Academy of Country Music

Web site: http://www.acmcountry.com/

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