Country Music's Hottest Stars Perform On the ''34th Annual CMA Awards''; Dixie Chicks, Montgomery Gentry, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack and Trisha Yearwood Slated To Perform

Business Wire,  August 15, 2000  

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Entertainment Editors

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Aug. 15, 2000

The "34th Annual CMA Awards" will include performances by some of the biggest and brightest names in Country Music as CMA has announced the first performers confirmed to appear on the telecast, which airs on the CBS Television Network Wednesday, October 4 (8:00-11:00 PM/EDT) from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn. All-time leading CMA Award winner Vince Gill will host the gala event for the ninth consecutive year.

Two-time winners of the CMA's Vocal Group of the Year, the Dixie Chicks will ignite the stage with a performance of "Sin Wagon" off their six-time platinum album Fly. Currently headlining their first major tour, the Monument Records trio comes to the CMA Awards with five nominations, including the highly coveted Entertainer of the Year.

Twice nominated Montgomery Gentry makes their "CMA Awards" debut with "All Night Long" from their gold certified Tattoos and Scars. The Columbia Records duo is nominated for both the Vocal Duo of the Year award and the highly sought after Horizon Award, which is given to an artist who has shown the most significant creative growth and development in overall chart and sales activity, live performance professionalism, and critical media recognition. They will be joined during the performance by the legendary Charlie Daniels, who co-wrote the song.

Martina McBride, CMA's reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, will be performing her current single "There You Are" from her RCA Records album Emotion. The cut is also featured in the soundtrack of the Ashley Judd/Natalie Portman movie soundtrack Where The Heart Is. The multi-platinum selling vocalist has been an industry and fan favorite for her powerful performances. McBride is once again nominated for the Female Vocalist of the Year honor.

MCA Nashville platinum selling Lee Ann Womack will treat viewers to her smash "I Hope You Dance." The song has garnered her nominations for Single of the Year, Music Video of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year (with Sons of the Desert). "I Hope You Dance" is also nominated for Song of the Year (nominations go to the songwriters and publishers). Womack has had an unprecedented year with the critically acclaimed I Hope You Dance debuting at the top of the Country charts and the single staying at the top of the Country singles chart for six straight weeks. Womack is nominated for a total of five CMA Awards, including two of the evening's biggest awards, Album of the Year for I Hope You Dance and Female Vocalist of the Year.

Two-time Female Vocalist of the Year winner Trisha Yearwood will be joined by two of music's most talented singer/songwriters, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Kim Richey, as she performs "Where Are You Now," from her album Real Live Woman. Carpenter and Richey wrote the song. Yearwood is again nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year.

Winners of the 34th Annual CMA Awards will be voted on by the nearly 6,000 professional members of the Country Music Association. CMA Awards balloting is officiated by the international accounting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP.

"The CMA Awards" was the first music awards special carried on network television in 1968. Since then, the program has consistently earned top ratings and is one of the highest-rated specials in the television season. For the past three years, CBS has kicked off the first week of the Fall television season with the "CMA Awards." Despite stiff competition in 1997 and 1998, the "CMA Awards" dominated the ratings on the Wednesday night of premiere week. Last year was no exception with 37 million viewers tuned in to the gala event, topping the previous year's rating by one million viewers.

This year's broadcast will be produced by Walter C. Miller and will be directed by Paul Miller. Donald K. Epstein will write the script. A stereo-radio simulcast of the gala event will be satellite- delivered by MJI Broadcasting. The program will be televised via tape around the world, including the UK where it will be seen in prime time on BBC 2.

For Information, visit us on the Internet at www.CMAawards.com or www.CMAworld.com.

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