Morgan Wallen And ‘Yellowstone’ Among Academy Of Country Music Special Award Honorees

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticThe Black Music Action Coalition has issued a report on representation for Blacks and other people of color in mainstream country music, and, probably unsurprisingly to anyone who has followed the genre and some of its attendant racial controversies, the picture painted isn’t a pretty one.The BMAC issued the damning report Thursday in advance of hosting a panel discussion Saturday at Soho House Nashville, at which point the organization will detail some of the specific changes it is asking for in the industry.“For over 100 years, this country and industry have excluded and marginalized Black people’s contributions to this genre,” said Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, co-founder/co-chair of BMAC, in a statement. “It is our intention with this report to create a truth and reconciliation opportunity for our industry.

Toby Keith, a seven-time Grammy nominee who was recognized as entertainer of the year by the Academy of Country Music two years in a row in 2002 and 2003, revealed Sunday he has stomach cancer.

Thania Garcia The official lineup for this year’s iHeartRadio Music Festival has arrived, with the two-day event booking such major music stars as Megan Thee Stallion, Halsey, Avril Lavigne, Nicki Minaj, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen for top slots at the Sept. 23-24 event, to be held at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.Joining those artists on the main stage will be Lionel Richie, the Black Eyed Peas, LL Cool J feat. DJ Z-Trip, Maren Morris, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Sam Smith and the Black Keys.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorOrville Peck grew up in South Africa before moving to Toronto with his family when he was 15. A theater kid and a trained ballet dancer, he eventually headed to London and appeared in a play in the West End. But his acting career was short-lived because his true passion was making music — country music.“All I ever wanted to do was be a country singer,” Peck says.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticThe recipients of the Academy of Country Music’s annual “ACM Honors” for 2022 were announced Wednesday, with the honorees at the ACM’s industry-centric adjunct ceremony in August to include Morgan Wallen, Shania Twain, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, ASCAP exec Connie Bradley and the television series “Yellowstone.”The ceremony will take place August 14 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The show is not to be confused with the org’s competitive ACM Awards broadcast, which took place March 7 at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium and went out over Prime Video this year.

India’s All That Breathes followed up its victory at the Sundance Film Festival by winning top documentary honors in Cannes.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe Banff World Media Festival will honor late filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée posthumously with its Canadian Award of Distinction next month, the event announced on Thursday. Vallée will be joined in being honored at Banff’s Rockie Award Gala by “American Auto” star Ana Gasteyer, who will receive the Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award, and the “Yellowjackets” team of Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson and Jonathan Lisco, who have been named Showrunners of the Year (presented by Variety). The Rockie Award Gala takes place on Tuesday, June 14 at 6:30 p.m.

Kane Brown is channeling his inner cowboy for the music video for his hit single, «Like I Love Country Music.» ET's Cassie DiLaura joined Brown on-set, where he teased what fans can expect from the visual, which took him «way out of his comfort zone.»«It's gonna be some line dancing, cowboy hats, cowboy boots — something you never seen me in,» Brown shared. While the confession comes as a surprise, the 28-year-old country crooner said it's never been a part of his look.«We had when I was a kid,» Brown admitted. «It was funny, 'cause coming into the music industry, my roommate was like, 'Dude, it would be cool if you look completely different than every other country artist, so, that’s what we did.

document, published by official authorities on Saturday, was accompanied by a statement from the ministry saying the reason behind the list was “anti-Russian sanctions” and is likely directed at people who have spoken out against the country in the past. Rep.

Sutton Foster just won one of the biggest honors in the Broadway community!

Keith Urban is making his 20th and final appearance on Ellen!

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticJust two weeks after the last crop of honorees was formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in a medallion ceremony — including the Judds — the next trio of legends to be voted in has been announced, and it includes the name that has most often been cited by Hall-watchers as a snub: the long-overdue Jerry Lee Lewis.Also being ushered in are the late country star Keith Whitley — another figure that many would have like to have seen getting in much sooner — and arguably the most famous still-living executive to have reigned over Music Row, Joe Galante.In stark contrast to the more licentious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, country’s hall only inducts three or four new members each year, including those who get in via session player or executive categories, which creates a bottleneck that leaves plenty of icons still waiting their turn, making all three of these inductions long-sought and hard-fought by their champions. The inductees were announced in a ceremony at the Hall Tuesday morning by Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks, who as Brooks and Dunn are already in the hall themselves.Lewis was voted in as the sole representative of the Veterans Era Artist category, whereas Whitley will be inducted as the lone Modern Era Artist choice for this year.  Galante is getting in in the Non-Performer category, awarded every third year in rotation with Recording and/or Touring Musician and Songwriter categories.“It’s a great honor and a pleasure to be here in the Country Music Hall of Fame,” said Lewis, making an entrance at the end of the morning ceremony.

Country comeback. Morgan Wallen is opening up about how being a father helped him “grow” in the wake of his N-word scandal.

Morgan Wallen took home the award for top country male artist at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. "I got the best d--- fans," Wallen said during his acceptance speech. "Thank you to my momma for being my date tonight.

Travis Scott and Morgan Wallen made controversial returns on the Billboard Music Awards stage on Sunday, while Mary J. Blige was honored for her musical excellence.Wallen performed in his first major awards show after he was caught on camera more than a year ago using a racial slur. After not receiving a verbal introduction, the country star sat alongside his four-piece band and performed “Don’t Think Jesus” then his chart-topping “Wasted on You,” a single from his popular project “Dangerous: The Double Album.”Shortly after his performance, rapper Pusha T presented Wallen with the top country artist award.“I want to say, ‘Thank God.’ And thank my fans.

It was a night of redemption at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night.First, there was country star Morgan Wallen — who had been banned from performing at the Grammys and the Country Music Association Awards for a video that surfaced in early 2021 of him using the N-word — getting the chance to take the stage at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. He milked the opportunity by going gospel for maximum sympathy with his song “Don’t Think Jesus.” Then there was Travis Scott performing publicly for the first time since last December’s Astroworld tragedy that killed 10 concertgoers.

Travis Scott and Morgan Wallen returned to the stage at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. This marks the first major televised appearances these music stars have made since their respective controversies last year.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticThe Billboard Music Awards telecast positioned itself this year as the official awards show of forgiveness for so-called “canceled” stars, with performance slots offered to both Morgan Wallen and Travis Scott. In the case of Wallen, that also extended to a major on-air award, as Wallen was called to the BBMAs’ podium Sunday night to accept a trophy for top country artist.It wasn’t Wallen’s first win at an awards show since his career time-out in early 2021; he won album of the year at the fan-voted Academy of Country Music Awards in March.

The country music community gathered today at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville to remember one of their own. As it might be expected, the best way to honor and memorialize one of the genre’s greatest hitmakers was found in song.