20/05/08 - News: Chesney Wins Fourth ACM Entertainer Of The Year Award. For the first time the category was fan voted, but the same outcome resulted this year as it did in the previous three. Kenny Chesney won the Academy of Country Music Awards Entertainer of the Year award last week in Las Vegas. Despite winning the award once again, Chesney is critical of the change to internet fan voting for the major award. “I think it's a complete disrespect of the artist ... it really diminishes the integrity of the music that we're making and how much work goes into it. That's what really matters. That's what entertainer of the year really is. It's not about flying somebody to some shows and giving free songs away ... and seeing how hard you can push people's buttons on the Internet. As much as I love the ACMs and what they've done for my life, that's how I really feel about it.. And I can say that because I won tonight." All the other awards are still voted on by industry members in the US. Miranda Lambert won her first major award, Album of the Year with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Other winners included Carrie Underwood, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley and new talents Taylor Swift and Jack Ingram. Check out the rest of the results at the ACM Awards website.

18/05/08 - News: Melinda Launches New Start. Melinda Schneider has launched her new label, has announced the July release of her brand new album titled Be Yourself and has a new management team. “I feel so liberated, launching my own label has given me a wonderful sense of freedom,” said Schneider last week. To coincide with the creation of her new label, Melinda has also signed a distribution deal for Be Music with destraMusic. Ken Outch, CEO, echoed her enthusiasm, saying “Everyone at destraMusic is very excited to be distributing Melinda's new album Be Yourself .  Melinda is a truly exceptional performer and songwriter and I consider this to be her finest album to date.” To complete her new team, Melinda has secured management with Nicole Hart and Tom Sioris at Revolutions Per Minute. “I believe the new songs Melinda has written for Be Yourself will once again resonate strongly with her audience. She continues to go from strength to strength as a singer and songwriter. I am thrilled to be working with Melinda in this new phase of her career,” said Hart. Album Be Yourself is due for release on July 5 through Be Music/destraMusic. The first single from that album, Be Yourself hits media next week.

18/05/08 - News: Shania & Mutt Split. Shania Twain and Robert John "Mutt" Lange are separating, according to a spokesman from her record label. Twain and Lange were married on Dec. 28, 1993, and worked together extensively throughout her career. Lange produced Twain's multi-platinum albums, and they co-wrote all of her charting singles for Mercury Nashville between 1995 and 2005, with the exception of 'You Win My Love,' in which Lange is listed as the sole writer. The couple has one son, Eja, born Aug. 12, 2001. They have maintained homes in Switzerland and New Zealand. "This is a private matter and there will be no further comment at this time," said Jason Owen, Twain's spokesman.

10/05/08 - News: Jasmine Rae Releases Debut Single. Telstra Road To Tamworth winner Jasmine Rae has released her first single 'Country Singer'. She wrote the track herself and performed the song at the TRTT Grand Final. Check out the song and her new Myspace page at www.myspace.com/jasminerae1

10/05/08 - News: Amber Lawrence Releases New Single. Amber Lawrence has released her third single, 'Good Girls' from her debut album, The Mile. Her first single Things That Bring Me Down hit #1 on the CMC Top 30 Countdown . The video clip for 'Good Girls' was shot by Golden Guitar trophy winning director Glenn Wilson. In the past year Lawrence has been touring extensively, including a visit to East Timor in November 2007, where Amber performed for the Australian Troops. In the past twelve months she has toured with and performed alongside The McClymonts, Adam Harvey, James Blundell and Travis Collins to name a few and is currently touring as part of the Chic Frontier group, featuring Dianna Corcoran, Kirsty Lee Akers and Aleyce Simmonds.

05/05/08 - Link: Rob Black Guitar Hero. New Compass Bros artist Rob Black has come up with a cool new idea to promote his debut album Regular Guy, which was released last January. His website (www.robblackmusic.com features a new Guitar Hero-esk type game called Rob Black Guitar Legend. The quirky little online feature is pretty easy to play and is it's one of those addictive little games you can find yourself playing for hours before you realize you should be working. So beware! It lists the highest scores and also includes a feature allowing people to e-mail the game to friends.

05/05/08 - News: Carrrie Gets Yet Another #1. The Carrie Underwood phenomenon in the US doesn't appear to be slowing down. She recently celebrated her 6 th consecutive #1 US single, All-American Girl. Underwood has now sold close to 10 million albums in the US. In fact, all the singles from her first two albums, Some Hearts and Carnival Ride have topped the airplay charts. Underwood is currently touring with Keith Urban in the US but her busy schedule has made it virtually impossible to visit Australia. But like Brooks and Dunn, it's bound to finally happen at some point, we hope!

05/04/08 - News: Country Music Across America Australian Special Airing Now. Country Music Across America which airs on GAC in the US, aired it's Australian special recently and the episode is now airing on CMC locally. The show features vision from the Brooks & Dunn tour and CMC Rocks The Snowys as well as features on Catherine Britt, Steve Forde, Shea FIsher and Telstra Road To Tamworth winners Jasmine Rae and Morgan Evans. Check your Foxtel or Austar guide for screening times and check out one of the segments below.

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National Country Airplay
1. How Long - The Eagles
2. What I Did Last Night - Catherine Britt
3. Finally Over Blue - The McClymonts
4. Lost Highway - Bon Jovi
5. Rattlin' Bones - Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson
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US Country Radio Airplay
1. Just Got Started... - James Otto
2. I'm Still A Guy - Brad Pasiley
3. Love Is A Beautiful Thing - Phil Vassar
4. Picture To Burn - Taylor Swift
5. I Saw God Today - George Strait
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