Chesney going for the gold at annual country music awards
The road and the radio have been good to Kenny Chesney: The preternaturally tanned country singer has sold millions of records in recent years thanks to near constant airplay, and his latest tour has grossed enough money to rival the GDP of Uganda.
Now, at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards, Chesney goes for another big-time achievement: to become only the fourth performer in the academy’s history to be named entertainer of the year three times or more.
Having won the award for the past two years, Chesney again is vying for top honors on a show flush with marquee names, per usual.
Now in its 42nd year, the ACM Awards will feature performances by such country prime movers as George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley, along with rising stars like Taylor Swift, Sugarland, Jason Aldean, Josh Turner and others.
For the ninth time, the show will be hosted by Reba McEntire, who will perform a song from her latest album, "Duets," with popster Kelly Clarkson.
The program also will feature a slew of celebrity presenters, such as Michelle Strafford of "The Young and the Restless" and Hannah Storm of "The Early Show."
This year’s nominees include the aforementioned Sugarland, who’ve been nominated six times in the past two years, and Brooks & Dunn, up for top vocal duo and album of the year for their latest disc, "Hillbilly Deluxe."
Brooks & Dunn have taken home a whopping 21 ACM Awards up to this point.
Another big winner with a leading eight nominations this year is George Strait, who has landed 15 ACM Awards in the past.
Taking place at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the MGM Grand Garden arena, the show is sold out but will be broadcast beginning at 8 p.m. on CBS.
Tune in to see if Chesney gets the gold once again.