The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and CMT.com have teamed up to bring one lucky fan a trip of a lifetime. The “Country’s Biggest Night, Meets Country’s Biggest Stars Sweepstakes” includes a trip for two (2) to Nashville including airfare and accommodations, tickets to events, and much more. You can enter now through October 26, by visiting CMT.com

The full prize package includes…

Trip for two (2) to Nashville.

•Round-trip coach airfare for two (2) to Nashville.

•Four (4) nights hotel accommodations at the Hampton Inn & Suites Nashville Downtown.

•Two (2) tickets to the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.

•Two (2) tickets to Historic RCA Studio B.

•Lunch for two (2) at Two Twenty Two Grill and Catering.

•Two (2) tickets to the 2011 CMA Awards show.

•Two (2) tickets to the taping of CMA Country Christmas.

•Two (2) tickets to the Grand Ole Opry.

•VIP meet-and-greets and autographs at Live From the Museum Store signings.

•One (1) CD from each of the artist signings at the Live From the Museum Store event.

•One (1) Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum prize pack.

For sweepstakes rules click here.

CMA Entertainer of the Year honoree and five-time Grammy Award winner Keith Urban and an all-star lineup of friends will return to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, January 18, for a concert to benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. Reserved seating tickets, which are priced at a family friendly $25 and $35 (does not include Ticketmaster surcharge), will go on sale November 4 at 10:00 a.m. A limited number of VIP ticket packages will also go on sale on November 4 at Ticketmaster.com. (Complete ticket purchase information HERE.)

The show-which will feature performances from an all-star line-up including Urban, Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill, Rascal Flatts, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Little Big Town, the Oak Ridge Boys and additional artists to be announced later-again promises to be a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime evening of music, friendship and camaraderie.

All for the Hall is the Museum’s first-ever non-bricks-and-mortar fundraising initiative. The campaign addresses the not-for-profit educational institution’s need for long-term financial security and provides a safety net for its work. Through ongoing exhibit schedules, scholarly publications and hundreds of school and family programs annually, the Museum teaches its audiences about the enduring beauty and cultural importance of country music. Museum Board President Gill created and has led the institution’s All for the Hall fundraising initiative since 2005.

“The support that this event has received over the past couple of years, I think, really speaks to the commitment to and the importance of preserving the past and protecting the future of country music,” Urban said. “We’ll have some great bands performing-part of our ‘All Together Now’ theme for the night-an especially fitting concept that we hope will capture the spirit of the evening.”

“The first two We’re All for the Hall concerts have been landmarks for this institution,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “They have been the most successful fundraisers in the museum’s history, together raising roughly $1 million. And they have not only set a new standard for fundraising and event coordination, but also brought together an entire community and helped us to see what can be done by individuals when there is a collective passion for a cause.

“It is beyond gratifying” Young continued, “when the artists we love and chronicle, artists like Vince and Keith, offer us their leadership and financial support. Keith Urban grew up in a home where country music was cherished. He knows the music’s history and its heroes. He is one of country music’s greatest champions and he is one of this museum’s heroes.”

For ticket information visit click, HERE.

Musicians On Call (MOC) is proud to celebrate four years of dedication to the Nashville community with the help of country starlet Kellie Pickler and Nashville’s The Big 98 – WSIX.

Pickler is known not only for her high-spirited personality, but also for smash hits “Best Days of Your Life,” “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” “Red High Heels,” and many more. On Saturday, November 12, she will be performing an intimate LIVE show at Hard Rock Cafe Nashville for the 4th anniversary celebration of the MOC Nashville branch. Prices start at $30 for standing room only with VIP and premium packages, including a meet & greet with Pickler, available by calling 615.936.3768.

MOC is dedicated to bringing live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities and all proceeds from the event will go directly back in to funding the MOC Nashville programs, which include hospitals in Nashville and Murfreesboro. MOC Nashville has served over 40,000 individuals since 2007 and their reach continues to grow.

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The Grand Ole Opry® is joining Women Rock For The Cure™ in the fight against breast cancer on Sat., Oct. 22 with its third annual “Opry Goes Pink” show. Opry member Martina McBride, whose current single “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” offers hope to those affected by cancer, will flip the switch on the Opry’s barn backdrop, turning it pink for the night. The powerful song will be included on Martina’s impending Republic Nashville album, ELEVEN, which is slated for release on Oct. 11.

The special show will also include performances by Lauren Alania, Edens Edge, Kellie Pickler, Ronnie Milsap, and others as well as activities recognizing breast cancer survivors and the continuing fight against the disease.

Beginning today, when fans order tickets to the night’s 7 p.m. show, $5 from every ticket sold will be donated to Women Rock For The Cure™. Tickets are available at (615) 871-OPRY and opry.com.

“Opry Goes Pink” will extend this year to opry.com, which will go pink for the day on Oct. 22 and will host an online pink auction beginning Tues., Oct. 18 with all proceeds benefitting Women Rock For The Cure™. Among the items to be available include one-of-a-kind Opry experiences and items autographed by artists participating in the “Opry Goes Pink” show.

The Grand Ole Opry® is presented by Humana®. Opry performances are held every weekend of the year, and the Tuesday Night Opry continues through Dec. 13.

About Women Rock For The Cure (WRFTC)
Women Rock For The Cure™ is a Nashville-based non-profit organization founded in 2007 by four friends with ties to the music industry: Jensen (Sussman) Arrowsmith, Liz Lee Schullo, Rebekah Lee Beard and Tara Austin. Since then, WRFTC has worked to find new ways to increase breast cancer awareness locally and help raise money for the cause. WRFTC is pinker than ever and always rockin’ to reach the organization’s vision; to fight breast cancer by utilizing the passion, creativity and strength of the entertainment industry to find inspiring ways to raise money for local breast cancer related organizations, including the Greater Nashville Affiliate of Susan G. Komen For The Cure, as well as increase awareness among young women and men in their 20s, 30s, 40s. Flagship annual events include the Pink Trash Ball, Opry Goes Pink, and the annual Women Rock For The Cure benefit concert which has drawn standing-room-only crowds for the past three years. All proceeds raised benefit the ongoing efforts of the organization to help support breast cancer research and community outreach programs, including the inaugural WRFTC Young Survivors Retreat. The event will be held September 23-25, 2011 in Franklin, TN and will connect young women from across the country who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. For additional information on Women Rock For The Cure™ upcoming events and how to get involved, please visit www.WomenRockForTheCure.org.

The Grand Ole Opry® presented by Humana® paid tribute to Randy Travis as he celebrated 25 years in country music and as an Opry member tonight on the Tuesday Night Opry. Travis was honored in song by fellow artists who appear with him on his newest CD, Anniversary Celebration.

“It’s amazing to me to be celebrating my 25th anniversary in the music business on this stage because of the way I grew up and what I grew up listening to,” Travis said on stage.

Travis’ portion of the show opened with the Opry member and John Anderson performing “Diggin’ Up Bones,” followed by “Is It Still Over,” a Travis collaboration with Carrie Underwood. Josh Turner joined Travis on “T.I.M.E.,” and after mega-hits performed by Travis alone, the show closed with “Didn’t We Shine” featuring the guest of honor plus Connie Smith, Gene Watson, and Joe Stampley.

The “Opry Live” premiere of the show on GAC: Great American Country is scheduled for Sat., Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. Central.

The Grand Ole Opry® is presented by Humana®. Opry performances are held every weekend of the year, and the Tuesday Night Opry continues through Dec. 13. To plan an Opry visit, call (800) SEE-OPRY or log on to www.opry.com.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other deadly childhood diseases, and Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI), organizers of the Country Music Marathon, today announced a new title partnership as the official benefiting charity of the Country Music Marathon. The 2012 event will be rebranded as the St. Jude Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon presented by Nissan and will take place Saturday, April 28.

“The St. Jude Country Music Marathon and 1/2 Marathon is the perfect match for St Jude’s rich history with the country music industry and our St. Jude Heroes program,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “The event is truly a marriage of fitness enthusiasts and country fans alike nationwide who want to do something meaningful in the fight against childhood cancer and other deadly diseases.”

Among the 30,000 runners and walkers who annually participate in Nashville’s 26.2-mile block party will be members of the St. Jude Heroes team who are Running For a Reason®, to support and save the lives of children as they go thru some of the toughest times of their lives.

Over the past 12 years, the St. Jude Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon has established itself as a Nashville institution, now bringing more than 30,000 runners to a city long known for its musical genius. Runners enjoy many of Nashville’s most historic sites like the Parthenon, world-renowned Music Row and an expansive finish line festival outside the Tennessee Titan’s home, LP Field, located along the Cumberland River.

“While I believe each and every event Competitor Group organizes is spectacular, the St. Jude Country Music Marathon is my personal favorite,” said Tracy Sundlun, Senior Vice-President of CGI and a founder of the Nashville race. “We are excited to launch a new era of the marathon by partnering with St. Jude and their incredible national network of supporters and country music radio stations, which will take the promotion of this event and the City of Nashville to a whole new level, bringing many more participants and visitors to experience this great city on the last Saturday of each April.”

Over its 12-year history, charity partners have raised more than $22.3 million through the Country Music Marathon, which has become one of the largest and most successful fundraising platforms in the state of Tennessee.

For more information, or to register for the event, please visit Competitor.com.

Family Day is proud to feature Mercury Nashville Recording Artist and American Idol Runner-Up
Lauren Alaina! Join us at the Curb Event Center at Belmont University 1-4pm on Saturday, October 29 to see a special performance and get your photo taken with Lauren Alaina!

We are also pleased to honor two very special Nashville families at Family Day. The Trace Adkins Family will receive the T.J. Martell Family Achievement Award and the Barry Trotz Family will receive the T.J. Martell Family Spirit Award!

Entertainment on the Family Day Stage also includes Michaela Wallace, Cali Rodi, and our Family Day Kid-style DJ!

Tickets are $50 for a Family of Four. Individual tickets are only $15 or for $150 your family (4 people) can join our family for the “Our Family” VIP Reception prior to doors opening to meet our Family Day performers!

Your ticket gets you access to enjoy all our Family Day entertainers and our Indoor Carnival with Inflatable Games, Bungees, and Trick or Treat Booths! Decorate your own Dunkin’ Donut and create your own Baskin-Robbins Sundae! Make a Card for a child affected by cancer. Costumes are encouraged!

Enjoy a Sunday afternoon at The Curb Event Center at Belmont University and help find a cure for cancer! Family Day is an indoor carnival that focuses on bringing families together in a safe environment where kids & adults can enjoy fun activities!

Buy tickets now, HERE.
Donate now, HERE.
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The Third Annual Josie’s Birthday Bash benefit concert will take place at the legendary Wildhorse Saloon on Wednesday, November 16, as Thompson Square and friends perform to raise funds and awareness for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The concert will take place from 7:30pm-10:00pm.

“Shawna and I know first hand how much Josie’s family has to go through in coping with this debilitating disease,” says Keifer Thompson of Thompson Square. “We just want to do as much as we can to help little Josie and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We’re really blessed to be in a position where we can try to make a difference.”

Along with an exciting full-band performance from the CMA’s most recent Duo of The Year & New Artist of the Year nominees, a silent auction filled with a collection of notable memorabilia will be on hand when doors open at 6:00 PM. Other performers to be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets will go on-sale October 15 at www.wildhorsesaloon.com with general admission starting as low as $17.50 and VIP/meet-n-greet tickets for $100.

For more information about Josie’s Birthday Bash and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation click here.

The Baptist Hospital Foundation in Nashville, TN is presenting Rock the Cradle, a music-focused, fundraising event featuring country artists Big & Rich.

The event will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at the famous Loveless Barn with a cocktail reception and dinner at 6:30 p.m. and performances at 8 p.m. A silent auction featuring exclusive travel and entertainment packages will also be a part of the festivities. All proceeds will support babies born at Baptist Hospital and the Beaman Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Table sponsorships are available for the event and include dinner, cocktail reception, tickets for the performance and other benefits, and range from $1,000 to $5,000. A presenting sponsorship package is also available. A limited number of individual tickets will be available for $250. Visit www.RockTheCradleNashville.com or call (615) 284-2569 to reserve a table sponsorship or purchase a ticket.

“This is a causal, fun event that offers the chance to listen to some of Nashville’s best country artists in an intimate setting and we’re extremely excited to have Big & Rich involved this year,” said Bernie Sherry, president and CEO of Baptist Hospital.

“The Baptist Hospital Foundation is here to help the hospital’s tiniest patients and their families by minimizing the emotional and financial stress they often face while in our care,” said Audra Davis, director of the Baptist Hospital Foundation. “Proceeds from Rock the Cradle will make a difference by allowing us to assist with unique and critical needs, such as parents facing financial hardship, overnight accommodations for out-of-town parents so they can be near their sick baby or assisting with clothing, diapers and other necessities.”

In 2010, Rock the Cradle featured Martina McBride and Faith Hill with a crowd of more than 450 people and raised more than $225,000. It was the first time that Hill and McBride had ever performed together.

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The October theme for the ACM Lifting Lives “My Cause” web feature is “Country Cares for Women.” The web feature drives awareness of artist-supported charitable organizations and supports fundraising efforts for those philanthropies. Jason Aldean is the artist involved this month, highlighting Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The organization seeks to improve the lives of women through early detection, supplementary education and additional research in the field of breast cancer.

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A number of country music’s most talented acts, recently recognized as 2011 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards nominees, joined leading music retailers and labels today to spotlight the significance of giving and receiving music as a gift as part of the revitalized “Give The Gift Of Music” (GTGOM) campaign.

On the heels of their new CMA Awards nominations, five-category nominee Taylor Swift and New Artist of the Year contender Chris Young debuted new video tributes today that describe their most memorable music gifting stories and sentiments. In her video, Swift recalls the gift of hearing her role model Faith Hill’s “This Kiss” as a defining moment that determined who she wanted to be. Taylor adds: “If you get to love music and appreciate music and be a part of music and have it in your life, it’s a gift.”

Young discusses the Christmas he received his first musical instrument, a guitar, that “opened up a whole new world” to him. “I don’t know if I’d be the same artist or songwriter that I am today without that first guitar,” he says.

The videos launched exclusively in a special “Countdown to CMA” featured section of the givethegiftofmusic.info website, which also includes previous video contributions from additional CMA Awards nominees Little Big Town (Vocal Group of the Year), Rascal Flatts (Vocal Group of the Year), Martina McBride (Female Vocalist of the Year), Blake Shelton (Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year and Music Video of the Year) and Kelly Clarkson (Single of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Jason Aldean). Darius Rucker, 2009’s New Artist of the Year winner, also offered a video tribute.

Additionally, the “Give the Gift of Music Campaign,” through its givethegiftofmusic.info website,  launched a contest asking fans to share how a particular 2011 CMA Awards nominee’s music (song, lyrics, performance, etc.) has inspired them. Three contestants will be chosen with the grand prize winner receiving two tickets to attend the CMA Awards show in Nashville on Wednesday, November 9 and $1,000. Special country music gift packages will go to the second and third place winners respectively. Specific details on the new gifting contest, including deadlines, rules and regulations can be found at givethegiftofmusic.info/search-gift-ideas/countdown-to-cma/.

A variety of industry organizations and more than 50 top musicians have since joined to support the initiative and help spread the gifting message. Artists continue to contribute original anecdotes to the givethegiftofmusic.info website that allows consumers to hear how music gifts have touched the lives of their favorite acts; share their own gifting memories; discover new music gift ideas; and tell friends and loved ones what’s on their own music wish lists all year long. In addition, industry groups have supported the campaign by using the GTGOM logo and website URL on product, in advertisements and on their websites.

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Multi-platinum country music star Dierks Bentley will host his sixth annual “Miles & Music for Kids” celebrity motorcycle ride and benefit concert on Oct. 16 in Nashville. Over the event’s six year history, it has raised an impressive $1.6 million for children’s hospitals in Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Seattle, Columbus and is also slated to stop in Chicago, IL on Oct. 9.

The hour-long motorcycle ride will once again kick off at the Harley-Davidson of Columbia (1616 Harley Davidson Blvd., Columbia, TN), and end at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville with a concert featuring Bentley and special guests including Eli Young Band, Colt Ford and Josh Thompson. More big artist announcements will be made in the upcoming weeks.

Tickets for the family-friendly event are available now through Ticketmaster. Tickets for the ride, concert and commemorative T-shirt are $50, or those looking to attend the concert only can purchase tickets for $20. Special VIP packages are also available. Sponsored by Nationwide Insurance, all proceeds from the Nashville event will benefit Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

In 2009, Bentley joined forces with Nationwide Insurance, CMT ONE COUNTRY and the Children’s Miracle Network to take the successful “Miles & Music for Kids” benefit on the road, and has since expanded to visit six cities in addition to his annual Nashville event. For the latest news and ongoing artist announcements, visit www.dierks.com.

“Let Us In” benefit concert at The Ryman Auditorium will be hosted by actor/musician Jeff Daniels and confirmed artists include Sarah Darling, Steel Magnolia, SHeDAISY, Jordyn Shellhart, Phil Vassar and Chuck Wicks.

The Women and Cancer Fund campaign aims to bring awareness to women’s cancers and raise funds for the charity, which was established in the memory of Linda McCartney. Proceeds from the “ Let Us In” Campaign will benefit breast cancer and children’s cancers through to The Women and Cancer Fund.

Each artist will be performing their original cover version of a Sir Paul McCartney song as well as additional songs for their respective catalog. Tuesday, November 8th will see the release of the recorded songs via traditional brick and mortar outlets as well as the various digital outlets. The “Let Us In” benefit event will be recorded and released as a live DVD. The evening’s core house band will include: Chad Cromwell, Russ Pahl, Kenny Greenberg, Eli Beaird, Mike Rojas and Jeff Smith.

For more information click here.

The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education has announced that Martina McBride, along with Michael Bublé, Jimmy Kimmel, Smokey Robinson and Train will headline its 16th Grand Slam for Children benefit concert. Hosted by tennis legend and philanthropist Andre Agassi and presented by Longines, the Swiss watch-making company, the 2011 Grand Slam for Children will take place Saturday, October 29th at Wynn Las Vegas. The event supports the Foundation’s efforts to transform education and benefits the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a tuition free K-12 public charter school in Las Vegas which provides children with a first-class education.

“It’s amazing what can be accomplished when people come together to change lives and make the world a better place for children. The 16th Grand Slam will bring together some of the world’s greatest entertainers which inspires the generosity of people from Las Vegas and around the globe,” Agassi said. “This year’s event will create a lasting memory and will enable us to give the tools of hope to the next generation. I want to personally thank Wynn Las Vegas for its hospitality and Longines for being our presenting sponsor. Both are truly generous and great partners to the Foundation.”

The Grand Slam brings together international stars and noted artists– from music to comedy – to build awareness and raise money for the Foundation’s biggest fundraiser. Dedicated to transforming and elevating education, the Foundation opened Agassi Prep in 2001. In 2009, the public charter school graduated its first senior class with 100 percent of graduates accepted into college, as were the graduates in the classes of 2010 and 2011. The Foundation’s work is directly impacting students in Las Vegas, Agassi’s hometown community, but it has broader implications for education nationwide.

Since 1995, the Grand Slam has raised nearly $92 million, including $8.5 million from the 15th event, to support a movement that’s improving education.

Additional top-name talent, will be announced prior to the Oct. 29 event.

Visit www.agassifoundation.org for more information on sponsorships.

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Global humanitarian organization World Vision has announced the addition of several Country music artists to its growing list of supporters in the United States and around the world.

The most recent round of artists to join the World Vision efforts are: Attwater, Carter’s Chord, Jason Crabb, Sarah Darling, Lainey Edwards, LoCash Cowboys and Gary Morris.  Since 2009, World Vision has become an active sponsor at the CMA Music Festival and increased its presence within the Country music community through its Use Your Voice: Do Good campaign.  The campaign has already achieved success within the Gospel and Contemporary Christian markets with more than 900,000 sponsorships of children in need.

Artists in partnership with World Vision use their voices on the road and elsewhere to encourage fans to join them in speaking out on behalf of those around the world whose voices are not heard: the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed.  Among the diverse roster of acts already committed to the World Vision cause are: Terri Clark, Patty Griffin, The Isaacs, Sarah McLachlan, PawnShop kings, Kenny Rogers, Jordyn Shellhart, Ricky Skaggs, Chuck Wicks and Wynonna.  Together, these and many other artists and fans have sponsored nearly one million children over the last 23 years.

World Vision Artists are humanitarian advocates who mobilize and educate their fans about the desperate need of millions of children and families worldwide.  Because of their strong voice among a crucial audience, World Vision Artists play a vital role in supporting World Vision’s efforts to make a difference and influence change around the world.