Las Vegas Weekly

April 15, 2010 · 3:10 PM

ACM Awards features 24/7 online coverage ahead of Big Night

By Robin Leach

Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton on CBS' The Early Show.

Photo: Getty Images/ACM

The Academy of Country Music is offering for the first time 24/7 digital coverage leading up to Sunday’s awards show live from MGM Grand Garden Arena. Our city is already heating up with dozens of top country performers, and rehearsals got underway yesterday with Taylor Swift.

Dancing With the Stars favorite and two-time pro champion Julianne Hough, actor Matthew McConaughey, rapper LL Cool J and Oscar and Grammy winner Jamie Foxx have been added to the list of presenters, with performances by Laura Bell Bundy, John Fogerty, Jack Ingram, Dierks Bentley, Toby Keith with jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts and Darius Rucker. Previously announced performers are Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins.

I’ll meet up with show host Reba McEntire tomorrow for a one-on-one interview about all the weekend highlights, which include a second two-hour CBS special being taped Monday with Brooks & Dunn as they head out on their last tour together this summer. In addition to the two nights of free country concerts for fans on Fremont Street featuring Miranda and Lady Antebellum as headliners, we’ll cover Toby’s USO motorcycle ride with Montgomery Gentry in tribute to Willie Nelson at Nellis Air Force Base on Saturday.

I'll also be with four-time ACM Award winners Sugarland on Saturday afternoon for an advance story. On Saturday night, Kenny Chesney hosts a red carpet screening of his film Summer in 3-D at Rave Motion Pictures in Town Square with Faith Hill, Tim, Reba, Jewel, Lady Antebellum and Sugarland all attending, and I’m that told Toby also will be at his I Love This Bar & Grill in Harrah’s on Saturday night when ACM nominee Randy Houser takes to the stage to perform cuts from his debut album Anything Goes and huge YouTube video hit “Boots On.”

We’ll have full photo coverage and a Royal Robin Rundown of all the ACM events and activities starting here tomorrow at Vegas DeLuxe.

Meantime, ACM is providing exclusive content to viewers before the show. Sarah Buxton, Danny Gokey, Jennette McCurdy and Emily West have teamed up to host ACM Awards Daily, ACM Awards Live! The Day Before, ACM Awards Orange Carpet Live and more. Fans can watch the live programming, vote for their favorite artists and ask questions to their favorite stars as they walk the orange carpet leading up to the show by clicking onto www.CBS.com/acma, www.ACMCountry.com and Facebook.com/AcademofCountryMusic, while the live streaming widget is at www.DickClark.com/acma/.

Orly Adelson, president of Dick Clark Productions Inc. said: “Our digital programming is a great way for country music fans to go behind the scenes and participate in the exciting events leading up to the big show.” The schedule includes: ACM Awards Daily Today and Tomorrow, Friday at 4:30 p.m., with host Emily West with clips from past ACM Awards shows and highlights and interviews from today and tomorrow’s rehearsals with guest artist appearances; ACM Awards Live! The Day Before, Saturday at 4:30 p.m. with hosts Sarah Buxton, Danny Gokey, Jennette McCurdy and Emily West on what to expect at the awards show, plus interviews with rehearsing talent; and the ACM Awards Orange Carpet Live, Sunday from 2:30 to 5 p.m. PT, with the motorcycle ride, plus artist interviews and then live coverage of the orange carpet.

The 45th Academy of Country Music Awards honors and showcases the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry. Here’s the ACM Awards 2010 nominees announcement by Reba in New York as posted to YouTube:

We’ll be right in the heart of country music’s Party of the Year all weekend long, so be sure to check back here for regular updates.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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