Yay Miranda! She owns a piece of my heart not only for her musical abilities but also for her love of animals and what she does to help them. Right now she's getting ready for her second annual "Cause for the Paws" which is a fundraiser for the Humane Society in East Texas. (it's in her hometown) She likes supporting that organization because she can see how her contributions are being spent and says that she can see the facility and the animals and the great people who work there."
The inaugural "Cause for the Paws" event brought in more than $113,000.
She is also helping animals in Oklahoma as earlier this month she played a benefit to build a shelter in Tishomingo and raised over $70,000.
With that in mind I have to share a video that I recieved in an email yesterday. It is a bit hard to watch at first, but well worth it. Animals truly are amazing.
Run out and get "Easy Does It" featuring the song he says may be his most favorite that he will ever record "That Don't Mean I Don't Love You." He's been playing the songs on the road and the fans are loving them and that means a lot to Jake. He wants us to feel like he's telling our story and that we are able to make personal connections with his music. (I think he's doing a bang up job at that!) Jake also says he wants us to know he's really grown as an artist and from now on he's only picking songs that he wants to sing for the next 20 years!
Today was the big day that the awards were announced this morning on CBS-TV's "Early Show" by Kellie Pickler, LeAnn Rimes, Julianne Hough and Jessica Simpson live from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The show will be April 5th on CBS.
Brad Paisley’s had the most with six.
Heidi Newfield had five nods - which is quite impressive considering she has just launched her solo career (I'm wondering how Ira Dean and Keith Burns feel about that - I'm sure they are happy for her).
Kenny Chesney, Jamey Johnson and George Strait all have four.
There was one exception to the announcements - Album of the Year. No nominations yet as the category "just wasn’t ready yet," according to a spokesperson. We can look for that in the first week of March - and I'll let you know. I'm thinkin' Sugarland'sLove on the Inside and Taylor Swift's Fearless will be on the list. Oh, and I hope Lee Ann Womack'sCall Me Crazy, and maybe Toby Keith'sThat Don't Make Me a Bad Guy. Sheesh, I just need to think of one more to fill out the list - why are they waiting? LOL And I just thought of the fifth album - Jamey Johnson's High Lonesome Sound. See, that wasn't tough at all!
Here are the 2009 Academy of Country Music Nominations:
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] "Gunpowder & Lead" — Miranda Lambert "In Color" — Jamey Johnson "Johnny & June" — Heidi Newfield "Waitin' On a Woman" — Brad Paisley "You're Gonna Miss This" — Trace Adkins
SONG OF THE YEAR [Award to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)] "I Saw God Today" George Strait Writers: Rodney Clawson, Monty Criswell, Wade Kirby "In Color" Jamey Johnson Writers: Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller, James Otto "Johnny & June" Heidi Newfield Writers: Deanna Bryant, Heidi Newfield, Stephony Smith "Waitin' On a Woman" Brad Paisley Writers: Don Sampson, Wynn Varble "You're Gonna Miss This" Trace Adkins Writer: Ashley Gorley and Lee Thomas Miller
VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Award to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)] "Johnny & June" — Heidi Newfield "Just A Dream" — Carrie Underwood "Love Story" — Taylor Swift "Troubadour" — George Strait "Waitin' On A Woman" — Brad Paisley
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] "Another Try" — Josh Turner Featuring Trisha Yearwood "Cowgirls Don't Cry" — Brooks & Dunn Featuring Reba McEntire "Down The Road" — Kenny Chesney With Mac McAnally "Life In A Northern Town" — Sugarland Featuring Little Big Town & Jake Owen "Start A Band" — Brad Paisley Duet With Keith Urban
Alison Kraus and Robert Plant were big winners last night. Here's the full list of country related winners.
RECORD OF THE YEAR Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Please Read the Letter"
ALBUM OF THE YEAR Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand"
BEST FEMALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE Carrie Underwood, "Last Name"
BEST MALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE Brad Paisley, "Letter To Me"
BEST COUNTRY COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "Killing The Blues"
BEST COUNTRY SONG "Stay," Jennifer Nettles, songwriter, performed by Sugarland
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM George Strait, "Troubadour"
BEST COUNTRY INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert and Steve Wariner, "Cluster Pluck"
BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, "Honoring The Fathers Of Bluegrass: Tribute To 1946 And 1947"
BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK/AMERICANA ALBUM Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand"
BEST POP COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Rich Woman"
Here's Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus performing Taylor's "Fifteen"
Here's Carrie Underwood's rockin' performance of Best Female Country Vocal Performance "Last Name"
Here's Sugarland performing "Stay" and then Jennifer Nettles performing "Chasing Pavement" with Best New Artist Adele.
Kenny Chesney (who is a first time GRAMMY nominee) will perform, as will Carrie Underwood, Alison Krauss & Robert Plant (they're up for a slew of awards), and Sugarland. Keith Urban will join Buddy Guy, B.B. King, and John Mayer for a tribute to the late Bo Diddly, and Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus will perform Taylor's "Fifteen" together. LeAnn Rimes will be a presenter.
Here are the Country award nominees.
BEST NEW ARTIST Adele
Duffy
Jonas Brothers
Lady Antebellum
Jazmine Sullivan
BEST FEMALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE Martina McBride - "For These Times" LeAnn Rimes - "What I Cannot Change" Carrie Underwood - ""Last Name Lee Ann Womack - "Last Call" Trisha Yearwood - "This Is Me You're Talking To"
BEST MALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE Trace Adkins - "You're Gonna Miss This" Jamey Johnson - "In Color" James Otto - "Just Got Started Lovin' You" Brad Paisley - "Letter To Me" George Strait - "Troubadour"
BEST COUNTRY PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS Brooks & Dunn - "God Must Be Busy" Lady Antebellum - "Love Don't Live Here" Rascal Flatts - "Every Day" The Steel Drivers - "Blue Side of the Mountain" Sugarland - "Stay"
BEST COUNTRY COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS Kenny Chesney & George Strait - "Shiftwork" Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - "Killing The Blues" George Strait & Patty Loveless - "House Of Cash" Sugarland, Jake Owen & Little Big Town - "Life In A Northern Town" Trisha Yearwood & Keith Urban - "Let The Wind Chase You"
BEST COUNTRY SONG "Dig Two Graves" - Ashley Gorley & Bob Regan, songwriters (Randy Travis) "I Saw God Today" - Rodney Clawson, Monty Criswell & Wade Kirby, songwriters (George Strait) "In Color" - Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller & James Otto, songwriters (Jamey Johnson) "Stay" - Jennifer Nettles, songwriter (Sugarland) "You're Gonna Miss This" - Ashley Gorley & Lee Thomas Miller, songwriters (Trace Adkins)
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM Jamey Johnson - "That Lonesome Song" / Patty Loveless - "Sleepless Nights" George Strait - "Troubadour" Randy Travis - "Around The Bend" Trisha Yearwood - "Heaven, Heartache And The Power Of Love"
I found this awesome video this morning. Thought you might like to enjoy it. It does have a cool song that goes with it, but if you don't have sound on your computer you can still enjoy the video.
