Steve Nedved

ABC/Mark Seliger The “journey to the finale” officially gets underway on American Idol Monday night.  While superstars like Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson are seemingly too few and far between, Luke Bryan says that’s the goal he and his fellow judges still have firmly in their sights. “It’s very important for me and Lionel [Richie] and Katy [Perry] and Ryan [Seacrest] and everybody behind the scenes at Idol,” Luke tells ABC Audio. …

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Butterfly Records/Big Machine Label Group Steve Perry is one of the many artists set to appear on Dolly Parton’s upcoming rock record, Rockstar, collaborating with the icon on the Journey classic “Open Arms.” In a post on Facebook, Perry expressed how “thrilled” he is about the excitement surrounding the record, noting, “I have been a Dolly Parton fan for years and years …

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John Shearer for Getty Images Chris Stapleton accepted his first ACM Entertainer of the Year trophy Thursday night, dedicating the coveted honor to his children.  Backstage, he said his idea of a celebration was heading home so he could wake up in his own bed. But the Kentucky native also apparently found time to put in …

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Courtesy Prime Video/ACMs After they performed it together at the Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday night, pop star Ed Sheeran has officially released his duet version of “Life Goes On” with Luke Combs. After the two sang the song — inspired by the death of Ed’s best friend Jamal Edwards — Ed told ACM host Garth Brooks that he’d first heard Luke’s music through …

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ACM Awards / Rich Polk If you loved what Lainey Wilson brought to Jelly Roll‘s “Save Me” on Thursday’s ACM Awards, you can relive the moment again and again. The surprise collab is available to stream or download now and will also be on Jelly’s new album, Whitsitt Chapel, which comes out June 2. Several days before, you’ll have the chance …

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ABC/Michael Le Brecht II Jimmie Allen‘s been suspended by his record label and dropped from the CMA Fest lineup after shocking allegations emerged about the “Down Home” hitmaker.  On Thursday, his former day-to-day manager filed a federal lawsuit accusing him of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, sex trafficking and emotional distress, as detailed in a lengthy …

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Academy of Country Music Airing on Prime Video and hosted by global superstars Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks from Frisco, TX Thursday night, the 2023 ACM Awards got the night’s celebration of country music started with Keith Urban and his ever-fitting track “Texas Time.” The party didn’t stop there, with other country legends and stars taking their turn to perform for the live …

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Academy of Country Music The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, streamed live on Prime Video Thursday night from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Here are the winners in the main categories: ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR Chris Stapleton FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR Lainey Wilson …

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Mickey Bernal/Getty Images Winning ACM New Female of the Year still “doesn’t feel real” to Hailey Whitters. The Shueyville, Iowa, native earned her first ACM nomination this year, then won the first time she was nominated. This laudable feat is something few new artists can boast, and it’s certainly one that Hailey is still pinching herself about. “I’ve been in …

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ABC/Connie Chornuk Cole Swindell is a five-time nominee at the 2023 ACM Awards. This achievement, as big as it is, still feels surreal to Cole, whose smash hit “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” earned the nods. “I was in disbelief,” Cole tells ABC Audio while recalling how he felt when he got the big news. “I always wondered what that …

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