Kenny Chesney, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, will kick off “Country Music’s Biggest Night” by performing “Living In Fast Forward” at The 39th Annual CMA Awards live Tuesday, Nov. 15 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the CBS Television Network from Madison Square Garden in New York City.
“It makes sense that biggest touring artist in the format, should be the one who opens the CMA Awards on this historic occasion,” said CMA Executive Director Ed Benson. “This is a night of firsts and big events and this will be one of them. Kenny’s energy alone with his ability to connect with the audience and our viewers will set the tone for the night.” Having sold in excess of 1 million concert tickets in America for the third year in a row – beating U2 by more than 200,000 tickets for he first half of 2005 alone, Chesney understands how to hit it hard and plug directly into the kind of high energy New York feeds on.
2005 “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood showed Americans that her heart was in Country Music, and they responded enthusiastically, voting her their season four Idol and making Underwood one of the most in-demand new talents to emerge this year. The Oklahoma native recently made chart history with “Jesus, Take The Wheel” the first release from her forthcoming 19 Recordings/Arista debut album, Some Hearts (Nov. 15). The song became the first single by a new artist to debut inside the Top 40 since the start of BDS audience monitoring in 1990.
Added to the list of presenters are Cowboy Troy; Vocal Duo of the Year nominee Montgomery Gentry; former CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Olivia Newton-John; 2003 Horizon Award winner Joe Nichols; and Wynonna, who has received 25 career CMA Awards nominations, including 20 with mother Naomi as The Judds, and five as a solo artist.
Performers already announced for the 2005 CMA Awards include Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich, Bon Jovi with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland, CMA hosts Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Alison Krauss + Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Julie Roberts, George Strait, Sugarland, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, Lee Ann Womack, collaborations with Dolly Parton and Sir Elton John, performing together for the first time ever, and Willie Nelson and Paul Simon, who will perform and then present CMA Song of the Year.
Previously announced presenters include Trace Adkins, James Gandolfini, Vince Gill, Billy Joel, Kris Kristofferson, LeAnn Rimes, Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix.
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