Julianne Hough, Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift to Host 'CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock' on ABC

Julianne Hough, Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift to Host 'CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock' on ABC

NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- It's a raucous girls' night out when "Dancing with the Stars" champion Julianne Hough, former "American Idol" finalist Kellie Pickler and reigning CMA Horizon Award winner Taylor Swift host "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" Monday, Sept. 8 (9:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"The summer's hottest concert special, just got hotter with the addition of these three beautiful, talented performers as hosts," said CMA Chief Executive Officer Tammy Genovese. "They are all America's sweethearts and I know they will each add sparkle and fun to a great night of musical performances."

Filming Thursday through Sunday, June 5-8, during the annual CMA Music Festival, the special features today's most exciting Country Music stars during a four-day party and music celebration in Nashville.

Some of the artists already announced to appear at the Nightly Concerts on the VAULT(TM) Concert Stage at LP Field include Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Billy Ray Cyrus, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Jewel, Miranda Lambert, Pickler, Sugarland, Swift, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Dwight Yoakam, and surprise appearances by Country superstars -- a hallmark of the Festival.

The annual event is unlike any other: four days, 30 hours of autograph signings, 100 hours of live music, hundreds of artists and celebrities, and a party list of thousands of avid, singing and dancing-till-dawn fans. This is the fourth time ABC will broadcast this special -- which invites the whole country to America's biggest Country Music bash. Originally started as Fan Fair(R) in 1972, last year the event experienced its biggest attendance to date -- 191,000.

In addition to exciting, never-before-televised music performances, viewers will also enjoy the ultimate, Country Music fan experience. In exclusively shot segments for the special, the cameras will capture behind- the-scenes moments between the artist and their fans and follow the stories of several passionate Country Music enthusiasts.

Most people know Hough as winner of two consecutive seasons of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," but her passion is Country Music. She recently released her self-titled, debut on Mercury Nashville and her current single, "That Song In My Head," is climbing Billboard's Hot Country Songs. She will be on tour throughout the summer with Brad Paisley. Hough is no stranger to the Festival. She made her first CMA Music Festival appearance in 2007, when she introduced Big & Rich.

Undoubtedly one of the most popular finalists on "American Idol," Pickler's legion of fans continues to grow. She just released her new single, "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" from her forthcoming sophomore album, which will be available in late summer. Her Gold certified debut album, Small Town Girl, includes the hit singles "Red High Heels" and "I Wonder," a song that moved many in the audience to tears when she performed it in November on the 2007 CMA Awards.

What a difference a year makes. Swift has gone from High School student to bonafide Country superstar with a treasure trove of accolades and awards including the coveted 2007 CMA Horizon Award. Swift is consistently ranked Country's No. 1 artist on MySpace and was named Country Music's Hottest Female Artist of 2007 by AOL Music and Best New Artist of 2007 by the editors of iTunes. Her self titled, Big Machine debut has surpassed sales of 3 million copies and this summer she is on tour with CMA Vocal Group of the Year Rascal Flatts.

"CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" is executive-produced by Robert Deaton and directed by Gary Halvorson. The 2008 CMA Music Festival is organized and produced by the Country Music Association. "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

For information, logos and downloadable photos, visit our media-only website, www.CMApress.com. Photos and information will be posted on the site daily during the Festival for media use.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Country Music Association

CONTACT: Wendy Pearl or Scott Stem, of CMA, +1-615-244-2840; or Mozell
Miley, ABC Media Relations-NY, +1-212-456-6444

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

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Profile: International Entertainment