Las Vegas Weekly

January 14, 2010 · 1:02 PM

45th Annual ACM Awards to include farewell by Brooks & Dunn

By Robin Leach

Brooks & Dunn.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

It will probably be the last time in Las Vegas that we get to see country music superstars Brooks & Dunn live and on TV simultaneously as they “break up to go their separate ways.” The Last Rodeo will be taped on April 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena for broadcast later this year when the duo sets off this summer on their final tour together.

The TV special with superstars Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood will be filmed a day after country music’s party of the year. The 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 18 on CBS. The awards show and Brooks & Dunn special filmed on back-to-back-nights are produced by Dick Clark Productions.

Music, film and TV star Reba will host the ACMs for the 12th time. She has won 12 ACM Awards, including the first ACM/Home Depot Humanitarian Award for her philanthropic work (LeAnn Rimes was the recipient of last year’s award). This will be ACM’s fifth consecutive year at MGM Grand, and the eighth year the show will be held in Las Vegas. Nearly 15 million viewers tuned in to last year’s awards, a 21 percent increase over the previous year.

“No one does it better than Reba McEntire,” said Orly Adelson, president of Dick Clark Productions and executive producer of the ACMs. “She always brings spunk and personality to the show, and we are honored to have the queen of country music back to host the awards for the 12th time.”

Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn are the bestselling duo in the history of country music. They will receive the academy’s Milestone Award in recognition of their 20-year, record-breaking career during The Last Rodeo. They will be honored for holding the record for the most wins of any artist in the academy’s history with 26, including three Entertainer of the Year Awards. They also will be honored for holding the record for most Top Vocal Duo wins with 15, eight of which were consecutive from 2000-2007.

Brooks & Dunn have had 23 No. 1 hits, sold more than 30 million records and won more than 80 major industry awards during their career. Last August, they announced that they will retire as a duo in 2010 and embark on a final farewell tour this summer called The Last Rodeo.

Bob Romeo, executive director of the ACM, said: “Brooks & Dunn have defined country music for 20 years. With this all-star concert tribute, the academy is honored to recognize Kix and Ronnie for their contributions to the country music industry, fans and to all the artists they have helped get a break in this business.”

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.

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

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