CO-HOST CARRIE UNDERWOOD, KENNY CHESNEY, ERIC CHURCH, AND THE BAND PERRY TO PERFORM ON “THE 46th ANNUAL CMA AWARDS”

NASHVILLE – The star-packed lineup for “The 46th Annual CMA Awards” shines even brighter with today’s announcement that CMA Awards co-host and three-time CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Carrie Underwood, four-time Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney, top nominee Eric Church, and reigning CMA New Artist of the Year The Band Perry will perform on “Country Music’s Biggest Night™.”  “The 46th Annual CMA Awards,” hosted for the fifth time by Brad Paisley and Underwood, airs live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Thursday, Nov. 1 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network. Previously announced performers include Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Paisley, and Zac Brown Band.      Chesney, who is the reigning CMA Award winner for Music Video of the Year for “You and Tequila” with Grace Potter, picked up three nominations in 2012 for Entertainer of the Year; Musical Event of the Year for “Feel Like A Rock Star” a duet with Tim McGraw; and Music Video of the Year for “Come Over,” directed by Shaun Silva. If Chesney wins Entertainer of the Year, he’ll take the record for the most wins in the category. Chesney is currently tied with Garth Brooks winning the trophy four times in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Church received his first CMA Awards nomination last year for New Artist of the Year. A year later, he topped the list of nominees with five including Male Vocalist; Album for Chief, which was produced by Jay Joyce; Single of the Year for “Springsteen,” also produced by Joyce; Song of the Year for “Springsteen,” written by Church, Ryan Tyndell, and Jeff Hyde, a member of Church’s band; and Music Video of the Year for “Springsteen,” directed by Peter Zavadil.  The Band Perry claimed three CMA Awards in 2011 for New Artist of the Year; and Single and Song of the Year for “If I Die Young,” which was written by Kimberly Perry. They are nominated for Vocal Group of the Year in 2012. CMA Awards co-host Underwood received her seventh nomination for Female Vocalist of the Year in 2012. Underwood won Female Vocalist in 2006, 2007, and 2008. If Underwood wins the Female Vocalist of the Year trophy again, it will tie her with Martina McBride (1999, 2002-2004) and Reba McEntire (1984-1987) for most wins in this category. McBride is nominated in the category again in 2012, with Clarkson, Lambert, Taylor Swift, and Underwood. Winners of “The 46th Annual CMA Awards” will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting members of the Country Music Association. CMA Awards balloting is officiated by the international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP. Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends Monday, Oct. 22 (5:00 PM/CT). Full 2012 CMA Awards details, including nominations and performers are available at CMAawards.com, which also includes CMA Awards history, a searchable database of past CMA Awards nominees and winners, host information, merchandise, and much more. The CMA Awards Store has T-shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs, tote bags, and more official merchandise for fans to purchase online. Fans can connect with CMA online at Facebook.com/CMA, Twitter.com/CountryMusic (#CMAawards), YouTube.com/CountryMusicAssoc, Pinterest.com/CMAworld, and by downloading the free CMA Awards app available for iPhone and Android. October is Country Music Month. Learn more at CountryMusicMonth.com, and join the conversation on Twitter using official hashtag #CountryMusicMonth. The CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the 11,000 industry professional members of CMA, which was formed in 1958 as the first trade organization to promote an individual genre of music. The first “CMA Awards Banquet and Show” was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast on NBC television for the first time – making it the longest-running annual music awards program on network television. The Awards aired on NBC through 1971 and on the CBS Television Network from 1972 through 2005. The CMA Awards moved to ABC in 2006, where it will remain through 2021. “The 46th Annual CMA Awards” is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Paul Miller is the Director, and David Wild is the writer. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC’s selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound. Chevrolet™ is the Official Ride of Country Music. American Airlines is the Official Airline of the CMA Awards. -30-