Winners Announced For The 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards

Winners Announced For The 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards

FANS NAME Kenny Chesney Entertainer of the Year

LAS VEGAS, May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Winners have been announced for the 43rd ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, a star-studded ceremony broadcast LIVE Sunday night on the CBS Television Network from MGM GRAND in Las Vegas. More than a half million fans voted in the Entertainer of the Year category, and they named Kenny Chesney for the evening's biggest honor-his fourth consecutive win.

This was the first year in the Academy of Country Music history that fans chose the winner of that category. Chesney is one of only four artists to win this honor three or more consecutive times, joining Alabama (who has won five consecutively), Garth Brooks (has won four consecutively) and Hank Williams Jr. (has one 3 consecutively).

Brad Paisley won Top Male Vocalist and Carrie Underwood won Top Female Vocalist, both for the second consecutive year in a row; Brooks & Dunn won Top Vocal Duo, marking their 25th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARD. Rascal Flatts win for Top Vocal Group topped Alabama's record for the most consecutive wins in this category -- with six years running.

The Academy of Country Music also honored Garth Brooks with the first-ever Crystal Milestone Award. The award is given to an artist or industry leader to commemorate a specific, remarkable achievement. With 128 million unit sales, Brooks has been certified the top-selling solo recording artist in U.S. history. He is the only solo artist in RIAA history to have six albums top the 10 million sales mark.

Also this evening, Rascal Flatts was honored with the 7th annual ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC / The Home Depot Humanitarian Award, which salutes an artist or group in the country music industry who is committed to serving others, has a generosity of spirit and a dedication to helping build the dreams of those in need.

Rascal Flatts was selected by a special blue-ribbon committee comprised of executives in the country music industry as well as local and national philanthropic leaders for his ongoing community service and charitable giving of his time and talent.

As the award's winner, Rascal Flatts will have a community playground built in a city of its choice through the efforts of The Home Depot and KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America.

Following is the list of winners in the 13 categories voted on by the membership:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
KENNY CHESNEY

TOP MALE VOCALIST
BRAD PAISLEY

TOP FEMALE VOCALIST
CARRIE UNDERWOOD

TOP VOCAL GROUP
RASCAL FLATTS

TOP VOCAL DUO
BROOKS & DUNN

TOP NEW MALE VOCALIST
JACK INGRAM

TOP NEW FEMALE VOCALIST
TAYLOR SWIFT

TOP NEW DUO OR VOCAL GROUP
LADY ANTEBELLUM

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Award to Producer(s)/ Artist(s)/ Record Company]
CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND
MIRANDA LAMBERT
PRODUCERS: FRANK LIDDELL, MIKE WRUCKE
COLUMBIA RECORDS

SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/ Producer(s)/ Record Company]

STAY
SUGARLAND
PRODUCER: KRISTIAN BUSH, BYRON GALLIMORE, JENNIFER NETTLES
MERCURY

SONG OF THE YEAR [Award to Composer(s)/ Publisher(s)/ Artist(s)]
STAY
WRITERS: JENNIFER NETTLES
JENNIFER NETTLES PUBLISHING (ASCAP)
SUGARLAND

VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Award to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
ONLINE
PRODUCER: FRAMES PER SECOND
DIRECTOR: JASON ALEXANDER
ARTISTS: BRAD PAISLEY

VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
FIND OUT WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE
TRACY LAWRENCE WITH TIM MCGRAW AND KENNY CHESNEY
PRODUCERS: JULIAN KING, TRACY LAWRENCE
ROCKY COMFORT/CO5

FAST FACTS ON THIS YEAR'S AWARDS:
-- Lady Antebellum, Jack Ingram and Jason Alexander each won their
first-ever ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS tonight. Lady Antebellum
won for Top New Duo or Vocal Group; Ingram won for Top New Male
Vocalist; Alexander won for Video of the Year (for Brad Paisley's
"Online")

-- Brooks & Dunn hold the most awards in the Top Vocal Duo category with a
total of 15 wins. Rascal Flatts win for Top Vocal Group topping
Alabama's record for the most consecutive wins in this category -- with
six years running.

-- First time in Academy of Country Music history that fans chose the
winner of the Academy's highest honor, selecting Kenny Chesney as
Entertainer of the Year for the fourth consecutive year. Brad Paisley
won Top Male Vocalist and Carrie Underwood won Top Female Vocalist,
both for the second consecutive year.

-- Sugarland, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney each won two
Academy Country Music Awards tonight: Sugarland for Single Record of
the Year and Song of the Year for "Stay"; Paisley for Top Male Vocalist
and Video of the Year; Rascal Flatts for Top Vocal Group and Academy Of
Country Music / The Home Depot Humanitarian Award; Chesney for
Entertainer of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year (with Tracy
Lawrence and Tim McGraw).

Getty Images is the official photographer for the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS and photos can be accessed at http://www.gettyimages.com/.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC

Founded in 1964, the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC is an artist and industry- driven organization, that provides the financial resources to ensure the on- going philanthropic work of its Charitable Fund. The Academy of Country Music Charitable Fund promotes and supports music education and humanitarian programs that transform the human spirit. Through its charitable donations, the ACMCF works towards promoting Learning Through Music and Healing Through Music. The Academy is comprised of more than 4,500 professional members and more than 40,000 associate members and is headquartered in Encino, Calif.

About the Academy of Country Music Awards

The 43rd Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry. The show is produced for television by Dick Clark Productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. R.A. Clark is executive producer, Barry Adelman is producer and Bob Bardo is executive in charge of production.

For more information on the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC and the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, please visit http://www.acmcountry.com/. For more information on the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC CHARITABLE FUND, please visit http://www.acmcf.org/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Academy of Country Music

CONTACT: Julie Smith or Enjoli Duval, +1-310-854-4800, both of BNC

Web site:

http://www.acmcountry.com/

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