Academy of Country Music, Dick Clark Productions & CBS Television Announce the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music(R) Awards Hosted by Reba McEntire To Be Broadcast Live From the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 18, 2010 on CBS

ENCINO, Calif., Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Country Music's Party of the Year®, the 45th( ) ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, honoring country music's top talent and the industry's hottest emerging talent, will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 18th( ), 2010 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. In addition, the Academy will tape an all-star concert special, ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn - The Last Rodeo at the same location on Monday, April 19th( ), 2010 to air at a later date on the CBS Television Network. Both shows are produced for television by dick clark productions.

Music, film and television legend Reba McEntire will host the 45th( ) ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS for the 12th( ) time. She has won 12 Academy of Country Music Awards including the first-ever annual Academy of Country Music/The Home Depot Humanitarian Award for her outstanding philanthropic work. This will be the fifth year the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS will be based 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% 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 Awards. "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 of Brooks & Dunn, the best selling duo in the history of country music, will receive the Academy's Milestone Award in recognition of their 20-year record-breaking career during a tribute concert special, ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn - 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 awards in total, including three Entertainer of the Year awards. They will also be honored for holding the record for most Top Vocal Duo wins, with 15 awards, eight of which are consecutive from 2000-2007.

Artists already scheduled to perform at the ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn - The Last Rodeo taping include superstars Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, with many others to be announced soon.

Brooks & Dunn have had 23 #1 hits, sold more than 30 million records, and won more than 80 major industry awards during their career. In August 2009, they announced they will retire as a duo in 2010 and embark on a final farewell tour this summer, called "The Last Rodeo."

"Brooks & Dunn have defined country music for twenty years," said Bob Romeo, Executive Director of the Academy of Country Music. "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."

Tickets for both events go on sale on January 15, 2010. For event and ticket information, room packages and availability for both the 45th( ) ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS and ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn - The Last Rodeo, log onto www.acmcountry.com. Tickets are available for purchase to professional members and to fans who have joined the ACM A-List from January 15 through February 19 after which tickets are available to the public without a special code. Country fans may sign up for the ACM A-List for free at www.acmcountry.com to receive the ticket purchase code and information on discounted room rates at the MGM Grand, while rooms are available.

Tickets sales from ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn - The Last Rodeo will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music, which works to improve lives through music. For more information, log onto www.acmliftinglives.org or www.acmcountry.com.

About the Academy of Country Music Awards

The 45th( ) 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 18, 2010 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Orly Adelson and R.A. Clark are executive producers, Barry Adelman is producer and Bob Bardo is executive in charge of production.

For more information on the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC and the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, please visit www.acmcountry.com.

SOURCE Academy of Country Music