Fan Voting For Entertainer Of The Year And New Artist Of The Year Awards Now Open For The 48th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards, "Country Music's Party Of The Year™"

ENCINO, Calif., March 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Academy of Country Music, the Ram Truck brand and Kohl's Department Stores announced today that fan voting is now open for the Entertainer of the Year award, which will be powered by Ram for the fourth year in a row, as well as the ACM New Artist of the Year award, which will be presented by Kohl's. Country music fans everywhere have the power to choose the winners by casting their votes now at www.VoteACM.com. The awards will be given out during the 48^th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, to be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8:00PM, live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. This year, for the third time, the ACM Awards will feature the ACM Ram Red Carpet to welcome country's biggest stars to the show.    

"The Ram Truck brand is proud to partner with the Academy of Country Music for their 48^th Award ceremony.  Ram truck fans and country music fans are one and the same as they are cut from the same cloth of authenticity with a genuine work-hard, play-hard attitude," said Fred Diaz, President and CEO - Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico, Chrysler Group LLC.  "We are excited to find out who Ram and country music fans will select as their choice for Entertainer of the Year. We congratulate all the nominated artists."

"Once again, fans have the power to vote for two of the ACM's most exciting categories, and we're proud to have great partners both in Ram Trucks and Kohl's to help make it happen," said Bob Romeo, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. 

Entertainer of the Year fan voting – powered by the Ram Truck brand – will once again provide fans the opportunity to vote for the Academy's most prestigious award, Entertainer of the Year, for which Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift are nominated. Fans will also help choose the ACM New Artist of the Year presented by Kohl's, for which Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer and Florida Georgia Line are the nominees. Fan voting for Entertainer of the Year and ACM New Artist of the Year is now open at www.VoteACM.com. New Artist of the Year voting will close at 8:00PM ET / 5:00PM PT on Sunday, April 7, 2013 (before the LIVE show starts), and Entertainer of the Year voting will close during the third hour of the LIVE broadcast.

Leading up to the show, fans can watch interviews and exclusive performances with the three final ACM New Artist of the Year nominees as they receive their trophies for winning their respective first round categories on GAC's "ACM New Artist of the Year" special, premiering March 25^th at 8:00PM ET and re-airing multiple times until voting closes on April 7. Additional air times and dates can be found at GACtv.com/ACM. 

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. 

About the Ram Truck Brand

The Ram Truck brand continues to establish its own identity and clearly define its customer since its launch as a standalone vehicle brand. Creating a distinct brand for Ram trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate on how core customers use their trucks and what new features they'd like to see. Whether focusing on a family that uses its half-ton truck day in and day out, a hard-working Ram Heavy Duty owner or a business that depends on its commercial vehicles every day, Ram has the truck market covered.

The Ram Truck brand has the most innovative lineup of full-size trucks on the market. Ram Truck has emerged as a full-size truck leader by investing substantially in new products, infusing them with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and features that further enhance their capabilities. Truck customers, from half-ton to commercial, have a demanding range of needs and require their vehicles to provide high levels of capability. Ram trucks are designed to deliver a total package.

About Kohl's

Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl's (NYSE: KSS) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. With a commitment to environmental leadership, Kohl's operates 1,155 stores in 49 states. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl's has raised more than $231 million for children's initiatives nationwide through its Kohl's Cares® cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.Kohls.com, join the discussion on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Kohls) or Twitter (http://twitter.com/Kohls) or get inspired on Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/Kohls) and Instagram (http://instagram.com/Kohls).

SOURCE Academy of Country Music Awards