3rd Annual ACM Fan Jam Headliner Brad Paisley To Perform On ACM Awards Along With His Special Guests Dierks Bentley And Hunter Hayes And New Artist Of The Year Nominees Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer & Florida Georgia Line

ENCINO, Calif., March 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions announced today that Brad Paisley, headliner of the 3^rd Annual ACM Fan Jam and Post-Award Concert, will perform at the event, with his special guests Dierks Bentley and Hunter Hayes joining the Fan Jam.  ACM New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl's Department Stores nominees Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer and Florida Georgia Line have also been added to the line-up.  GRAMMY® Award-winning artist LL Cool J, star of the hit CBS drama series "NCIS: LOS ANGELES," and who will be releasing his new album Authentic on April 30, will make a special appearance during the event.  GAC's Headline Country Host Storme Warren will emcee for the first time.  The concert will also feature an additional performance in support of the ACM Lifting Lives® on-stage moment, an annual initiative that raises money for designated charities, with the artist to be announced in the coming weeks.  ACM Fan Jam is the fans-only, live concert event taking place in Las Vegas during and after the 48^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, broadcast Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. 

As previously announced, multiple ACM Award-winner Brad Paisley will headline the 3^rd Annual ACM Fan Jam, which gives country music lovers the ultimate fan-pass to be part of the 48^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.  Throughout the three-hour Awards telecast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, there will be live ACM Fan Jam performances by top tier music acts, via remote, from The Orleans Arena, with the party continuing in a Post-Award Concert.  During commercial breaks, there will be a profusion of entertainment, including performances by country music acts, along with prizes and special giveaways only for attendees, such as autographed guitars, trip packages to music events and merchandise.  Tickets for the ACM Fan Jam are priced at $55 and are on sale NOW by calling The Orleans Arena Box Office at 888-234-2334 or by visiting www.orleansarena.com.

After making it through the first round of fan voting, nominees Gilbert, Kramer and Florida Georgia Line will now compete for the coveted title of ACM New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl's.  The winner will be announced and the award presented on the ACM Fan Jam stage during the LIVE Awards telecast.  Fans can vote for their favorite New Artist at www.VoteACM.com beginning Monday, March 25^th at 3:00 PM ET/12:00 PM PT until Sunday, April 7^th at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT (before the LIVE show starts). 

PERFORMERS

Brad Paisley has won 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, including Male Vocalist of the Year a record-setting five consecutive times, and wins in the Album of the Year, Video of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year categories.  His eighth studio album, Wheelhouse, is scheduled to be released April 9, and the debut single "Southern Comfort Zone" recently became his 21^st #1 hit and "Beat This Summer" is his current single.  Paisley's highly anticipated "Beat This Summer Tour presented by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®" kicks off May 9 in St. Louis, Missouri and will hit more than 29 cities in the United States and Canada during the summer months. 

Dierks Bentley is an ACM Award-winning singer/songwriter that has forged his own brand of country music combining classic country songwriting, influences of bluegrass instrumentation and the energy of rock & roll. Bentley's sixth studio album Home, released in 2012, debuted at #1 and has spawned 3 chart-toppings hits, marking 10 career #1 songs as a singer and songwriter.  He is currently on the "Locked & Reloaded Tour" with longtime friend Miranda Lambert.  On April 6, Bentley will also headline the ACM Party for a Cause Festival, a 2-day outdoor music festival during "The Week Vegas Goes Country®."

Hunter Hayes has six ACM nominations, including two in the Song of the Year category as the artist and composer, as well as in the Single Record of the Year category as the artist and producer for "Wanted."  He rounds out his nominations with New Male Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year for "Wanted."  Hunter's GRAMMY® nominated self-titled debut album has generated three smash hits, including his current single, "Somebody's Heartbreak," which has already entered the Top 5 and is certified Gold, as well as his near Triple Platinum-selling #1 single "Wanted."  Hunter Hayes is a celebrated musician, songwriter and performer who currently is on the "Blown Away Tour" with Carrie Underwood.

Brantley Gilbert has two Academy of Country Music Award nominations this year – New Artist of the Year and New Male Vocalist of the Year, and his unique sound of Country-Rock-Soul has turned him into one of country's hottest newcomers.  Gilbert's sophomore project, the Gold-certified Halfway to Heaven Deluxe debuted at #2 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and produced two Gold #1 singles, "Country Must Be Country Wide" and "You Don't Know Her Like I Do."  As a celebrated songwriter, he has also penned three #1 hits – "My Kinda Party," "Dirt Road Anthem," and "Country Must Be Country Wide."  Gilbert is currently playing to sold-out arenas in the U.K. and North America on his "Hell on Wheels Tour."

Jana Kramer is the Academy of Country Music Award's New Female Vocalist of the Year and is also nominated for New Artist of the Year as one of the freshest young voices in country music today.  Kramer, whose self-titled album was named "Best of 2012" by Billboard and iTunes, has impressively sold over a million tracks, including more than 100,000 of the new single "Whiskey" and over a half million of "Why Ya Wanna."  In addition to her debut album premiering at #5, the success of "Why Ya Wanna" also earned Kramer the title of highest charting debut single from a new female artist since 2006 (previously held by Taylor Swift), as well as making her one of the fastest rising debut artists of 2012.  She will be on the road with Darius Rucker's "True Believers Tour" in May, and will join the North American "Ten Times Crazier Tour" with Blake Shelton and Easton Corbin on July 19 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

Florida Georgia Line has three Academy of Country Music Award nominations this year – New Artist of the Year, New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year and Vocal Duo of the Year.  Since releasing the top-selling, multi-week #1 debut single "Cruise," which has since hit Double Platinum, this hot country duo has been quickly garnering buzz among fans, media and superstars alike.  Their debut album Here's to the Good Times earned the highest debut album sales of 2012 for a new country artist, and they're currently traveling North America with Luke Bryan on his "Dirt Road Diaries Tour."

LL Cool J is an entertainment icon who has found great success crossing into multiple mediums.  A two-time GRAMMY® Award winner, recording artist, talented actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur and philanthropist, LL continues to display his wide range of talents with every project.  He currently stars in the CBS hit primetime drama series, "NCIS: LOS ANGELES," and continuing his musical expedition three decades after he first released music, LL is proudly prepping to release his latest project, Authentic.

The ACM Fan Jam is part of THE ACM EXPERIENCE, which takes place in conjunction with "The Week Vegas Goes Country®," and is a family-friendly country music lifestyle event that includes the free-to-the-public ACM Expo and the ACM Party for a Cause Festival to be held April 5-April 7, 2013 at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.  Room and ticket packages are available by calling The Orleans Hotel and Casino at 800-675-3267 or visiting www.BoydGaming.com/ACMExperience.

For updates on the ACM Fan Jam, THE ACM EXPERIENCE and the ACM Awards, please log onto www.ACMcountry.com, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AcademyOfCountryMusic or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ACMawards.

About the Academy of Country Music Awards
The 48^th 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, April 7, 2013 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.  Allen Shapiro, Orly Adelson and R.A. Clark are executive producers.  Barry Adelman is producer, and Bob Bardo is the executive in charge of production. Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music. 

SOURCE Academy of Country Music