More Star Power Added to 2005 CMA Awards

More Star Power Added to 2005 CMA Awards

Martina McBride, Sugarland and Gretchen Wilson Slated to Perform; Billy Joel to Present Entertainer of the Year Award With Shania Twain

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- "Country Music's Biggest Night(TM)" continues to grow with the announcement today that Martina McBride, Sugarland and Gretchen Wilson will perform on "The 39th Annual CMA Awards," which airs live Tuesday, Nov. 15 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the CBS Television Network from Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Country takes on a "New York state of mind" with Billy Joel joining Shania Twain to present the Entertainer of the Year Award. Joel's career achievements are as remarkable as they are numerous with 20 albums released and more than 60 million sold. His works have also influenced numerous Country Music artists and songwriters. And in 1991, Garth Brooks' recording of Joel's "Shameless," went on to be a No. 1 Country single.

"What's extraordinary about all of these artists is the talent and diversity they bring as performers and musical stylists," said CMA Executive Director Ed Benson. "This is destined to be an incredible night of entertainment."

McBride has won the Female Vocalist of the Year category four times (1999, 2002, 2003 and 2004) -- surpassing Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette's record and tying her with Reba McEntire for the most wins in the Female Vocalist category. In 2005, she also received a nomination for Musical Event of the Year with Jimmy Buffett for "Trip Around The Sun." McBride will release Timeless, her homage to some of her favorite classic Country songs and artists on Oct. 18.

Wilson, who won the CMA Horizon Award in 2004, received three nominations in 2005 for Female Vocalist; Song of the Year for "Redneck Woman," which she co-wrote with John Rich of Big & Rich; and Music Video of the Year for "When I Think About Cheatin'." Wilson's sophomore album, All Jacked Up, recently debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart and Country Albums chart.

Red hot trio Sugarland (Jennifer Nettles, Kristen Hall and Kristian Bush) hit it big in 2005 with three CMA Awards nominations including the Horizon Award; Vocal Group of the Year; and Single of the Year for "Baby Girl" from their Platinum-certified, self-titled debut album. This will be their first CMA Awards performance.

Other performers include hosts Brooks & Dunn, Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich, Kenny Chesney, Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, George Strait, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack with additional names to be announced soon.

Additional presenters include Trace Adkins, Vince Gill, Kris Kristofferson, LeAnn Rimes, Trisha Yearwood and Reese Witherspoon with Joaquin Phoenix.

For the first time ever, tickets for the 2005 CMA Awards are available to the general public. Tickets can be purchased by logging on to www.ticketmaster.com; calling (212) 307-7171 (or any local Ticketmaster outlet phone number); or in-person at the Madison Square Garden box office. They can also be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets across the nation. The ticket price is $250 (not including tax and service charges).

The CMA Awards are produced by Walter C. Miller and directed by Paul Miller. David Wild will script the ceremonies. MJI Programming, a division of Premiere Radio Networks, is the official radio packager of the CMA Awards, which includes Red Carpet coverage and a stereo-radio simulcast of the gala event. Chevy, an American Revolution, is the official automotive sponsor of the 2005 CMA Awards. American Airlines is the official airline of the 2005 CMA Awards. Additional promotional sponsors include Prilosec OTC and Creme Savers(R) candies. Charles Fazzino is the official artist of the 2005 CMA Awards.

Source: Country Music Association

CONTACT: Wendy Pearl or Scott Stem of CMA, +1-615-244-2840; or Beth Stoller-Feldman of CBS-NY, +1-212-975-3183

Web site: http://www.cmaworld.com/ http://www.ticketmaster.com/ http://www.cmapress.com/ http://www.cmaawards.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: For CMA Awards information, history and high-resolution images visit www.CMApress.com. This is a protected site for media only and is not intended for public use. The public should be directed to www.CMAawards.com.

------- Profile: Ent