NASHVILLE (AP) - Eric Church, Luke Bryan and Miranda Lambert are the lead nominees for this year's CMT Music Awards.

2. Music City mourns country legend George Jones - Friday, April 26, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) - Thousands of fans who had been waiting in line since the wee hours joined some of country's biggest stars Thursday to pay their respects to George Jones at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.

3. Kenny Chesney starts fund to help bombing victims - Friday, April 26, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) - Country star Kenny Chesney is starting a fund to help those who lost limbs in the Boston Marathon bombing.

4. Jones called 'greatest country singer of all time' - Friday, April 26, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) - The country music world reacted with deep emotion upon learning of the death of legendary singer George Jones. Here's a sampling of quotes and tweets about Jones:

"The world has lost the greatest country singer of all time. Amen." - Merle Haggard

5. George Jones, country superstar, has died at 81 - Friday, April 26, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) - When it comes to country music, George Jones was The Voice.

Other great singers have come and gone, but this fact remained inviolate until Jones passed away Friday at 81 in a Nashville hospital after a year of ill health.

6. McGraw hits the road with 'Two Lanes of Freedom' - Friday, February 01, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) - Tim McGraw is free. The country star has moved on from a troubling label, quit drinking and grown up a bit, and all that has given McGraw a new energy he says you can hear on his latest album, "Two Lanes of Freedom."

7. Billboard honors Lady Antebellum for 1st tour - Friday, November 09, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) — When they first hit the road as an opening act the members of Lady Antebellum rarely wasted their downtime, quizzing stars like Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban and their crews on the intricacies of a successful arena tour.

8. Blake Shelton pulls off surprise win at CMAs - Friday, November 02, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) — Winning the Country Music Association Awards' entertainer of the year is a top honor and always counted as a career high point. But for Blake Shelton it wasn't even the most memorable moment of an amazing Thursday night.

9. New faces at CMAs mark change in country music - Friday, October 26, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) — There's a sea change going on in Music City and the Country Music Association Awards are right in the middle of it.

When country music's biggest stars take the stage Thursday night, you'll see many of your favorites from the last 10 years. But increasingly, new faces are dominating the genre as country's fan base shifts to a younger-skewing audience.

10. Business Class - Friday, July 20, 2012

The man who had spent his life in politics or its shadows – as a Metro Councilman, a lobbyist and consultant – can hardly believe his good fortune in finding a career path for the rest of his life.

11. Kenny Chesney, Jonathan Demme team for livestream - Friday, June 08, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) - And now for something a little bit different: Kenny Chesney and Jonathan Demme are working together.

12. Obama, Romney to go country at CMT Awards - Friday, June 01, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) - Presidential elections are usually serious business, but President Barack Obama and likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney are taking a little time for laughs during the CMT Music Awards on Wednesday.

13. McGraw to give 25 homes to members of military - Friday, May 18, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) - Tim McGraw will be saluting veterans in a big way while on tour this summer.

The country music superstar is giving away 25 mortgage-free houses - one for each stop on his upcoming "Brothers of the Sun" tour with Kenny Chesney - to wounded or needy service members.

14. Tim McGraw looks to rev up career with Big Machine - Friday, May 18, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) - Tim McGraw has chosen a new record label run by an old friend.

The country music superstar has signed a multi-album deal with Scott Borchetta's Big Machine Records, officially ending his acrimonious relationship with his only previous label, Curb Records.

15. Underwood, Miranda Lambert lead CMT nominations - Friday, April 20, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) — With Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift atop the list, look no further than the CMT Music Awards nominations for proof country music's new favorite color is blonde.

16. Swift caps 24 hours to remember with win at ACMs - Friday, March 30, 2012

There was little surprise when Taylor Swift won entertainer of the year at The Academy of Country Awards on Sunday night — except maybe in how little surprise the 22-year-old sensation showed when her name was called.

17. Country stars stampede to studio to help Richie - Friday, March 23, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) - Kenny Chesney was so excited about the idea of working with Lionel Richie that he drunk-dialed the pop legend to suggest a song. Darius Rucker tossed aside a lyric sheet in the studio, saying he'd been preparing for the moment his entire life. And so many people were clamoring to get on the project that stars like Keith Urban and Brad Paisley didn't even make the cut - this time.

18. Chesney, Aldean, McGraw to perform at ACM Awards - Friday, March 02, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) - Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert and Toby Keith are among the stars who will perform at the Academy of Country Music Awards next month.

19. Stars to celebrate Johnny Cash's 80th with concert - Friday, February 24, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) - A diverse all-star lineup will celebrate the 80th birthday of Johnny Cash with an April concert.

Kenny Chesney, Kris Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams, Ray LaMontagne and Jamey Johnson are among the performers scheduled to appear in "We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash" on April 20 at the Austin City Limits Live venue in Austin, Texas.

20. Country or folk? The Civil Wars blur Grammy lines - Friday, February 03, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) - Even Grammy voters don't know what to do with The Civil Wars.

The duo has been nominated for best folk album and best country duo/group performance, two categories that bear little resemblance to each other. Fellow nominees run the spectrum from Kenny Chesney to Eddie Vedder to Gillian Welch and Fleet Foxes.

21. McGraw's 'Emotional Traffic' finally hits streets - Friday, January 27, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tim McGraw's long-delayed album "Emotional Traffic" has the attention of Music Row this week as it finally hits the streets.

22. Kenny Chesney leads ACM Awards nominations with 9 - Friday, January 27, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) — Kenny Chesney's steamy duet, "You and Tequila" with Grace Potter, continues to radiate heat.

23. Kenny Chesney leads ACM Awards nominations with 9 - Friday, January 20, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) - Kenny Chesney's steamy duet, "You and Tequila" with Grace Potter, continues to radiate heat.

The song helped Chesney to nine Academy of Country Music Awards nominations Thursday morning, including the top honor of entertainer of the year.

24. Shelton returns to co-host ACM Awards with Reba - Friday, January 06, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) — Get ready for another dose of Blake Shelton as country's hottest leading man joins Reba McEntire again this year as co-host of The Academy of Country Music Awards.

25. Turning tweets into gold - Friday, December 30, 2011

Blake Shelton says he is so drunk. How drunk is he?

“I’m so drunk right now I just walked into Denny’s and shouted ‘Make me some pot brownies and I won’t bitch about the non-smoking area!!’” he posted recently on his Twitter feed.

26. The song's the thing for Swift, Perry at CMAs - Friday, November 04, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) — Though still largely the domain of men, triumphs by Taylor Swift and The Band Perry at the Country Music Association Awards show that the young women of country music are finding their voices and shoving the boys out of the way.

27. Taylor Swift and 4 boys up for top CMA Award - Friday, September 02, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Swift will be battling the boys at the 2011 Country Music Association Awards.

The country starlet is up for entertainer of the year, where she'll compete with Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean and last year's winner, Brad Paisley.

28. Nashville was never limited to country music - Friday, June 03, 2011

Pundits may look at the fact that Jack White and other young artists and support staffs are moving in and say the city is fast evolving past its traditional country music identity.