FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Cerissa Cafasso
Associate Director of PR & Communications
(646) 871-8011
cafasso@glaad.org

GLAAD LAUNCHES “NEWSROOM ’08″ WEB SITE
Site to serve as resource on election media coverage of gay and transgender issues

New York, March 20, 2008 – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) launched today “Newsroom ’08,” a Web site which will serve as a resource on how media talk about issues affecting to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community as they pertain to the local, state and national elections in November. The national media advocacy organization’s dedicated microsite has a blog, “Read Between the Lines,” where commentary on and analysis of election coverage will be posted, as well as resources for both community members and media professionals.

“At GLAAD, we’re in the business of helping to change hearts and minds about issues affecting the LGBT community,” said GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano. “Election years give us increased opportunity to talk about our issues and to hold media accountable for fair, accurate and inclusive coverage. Newsroom ’08 provides a unique analysis and insight on media coverage of the November elections as they pertain to LGBT issues.”

Newsroom ’08 provides expansive educational resources for journalists and community members. In addition to “Read Between the Lines,” community members can learn when GLAAD staff will be in their area conducting the organization’s signature Media Essentials Training Workshops to help advocates become more effective in their media work. There are also ways to be more involved locally and access video clips of recent news coverage.

“GLAAD has been hard at work holding media accountable at the national and local levels,” said Rashad Robinson, GLAAD’s senior director of programs. “Newsroom ’08 gives journalists and community members additional resources to move beyond oversimplification and to promote election coverage that portrays the LGBT community and issues in a fair, accurate and inclusive light.”

Journalists can find GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide, the go-to reference guide and style book for media professionals in their coverage of LGBT issues, which will soon be updated with a special focus on the 2008 elections. Newsroom ’08 and its many resources can be found at http://newsroom08.glaad.org.

About GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org.

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2008 CMT Music Awards

Brad Paisley and Sugarland are the leaders in the 2008 CMT Music Awards nominations, just released this morning by the Nashville-based network.

Paisley and the country duo led with four nominations each for their work in videos, based on a record number of more than 2 million fan votes. The CMT Music Awards is country’s only fan-voted awards show, though the Academy of Country Music announced this week that for the first time it would allow fans to vote on its top prize of entertainer of the year.

Among other top nominees for the CMT Music Awards are Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Kenny Chesney, LeAnn Rimes, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift and Trace Adkins, who all got three each.

The awards show will be April 14, airing live from Nashville’s Curb Event Center at Belmont University. The show will be hosted this year by Hannah Montana stars Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus. Billy Ray Cyrus this morning got his first nomination for “Ready, Set, Don’t Go.”

Five new categories have been named for this year: Collaborative Video of the Year, Performance of the Year, Supporting Character of the Year, Tearjerker Video of The Year (for which Cyrus was nominated) and Comedy Video of The Year.

To choose the winners for awards night, fans can now vote online at CMT.com through Friday, April 11. All awards will be predetermined except one: Video of the Year. Final nominees for that top prize will be announced at the beginning of the April 14 broadcast and fans can vote during the show (ET/CT only) at CMT.com, as well as via mobile phone. Log on to CMT.com to view streaming clips of nominated videos.

Here’s the list of nominees for the 2008 CMT Music Awards:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director. Final nominees announced during live telecast, with final voting held online at CMT.com during the show.

Brad Paisley – “Online” (Director: Jason Alexander)
Carrie Underwood – “Wasted” (Director: Roman White)
Kenny Chesney – “Don’t Blink” (Director: Shaun Silva)
LeAnn Rimes – “Nothin’ Better To Do” (Directors: David McClister and LeAnn Rimes)
Rascal Flatts – “Take Me There” (Director: Shaun Silva)
Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson – “Because of You” (Director: Roman White)
Sugarland – “Stay” (Director: Shaun Silva)
Taylor Swift – “Our Song” (Director: Trey Fanjoy)

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

· Brad Paisley – “Online”
· Keith Urban – “I Told You So”
· Kenny Chesney – “Don’t Blink”
· Toby Keith – “High Maintenance Woman”
· Trace Adkins – “I Got My Game On”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

Carrie Underwood – “So Small”
LeAnn Rimes – “Nothin’ Better to Do”
Martina McBride – “Anyway”
Miranda Lambert – “Famous in a Small Town”
Taylor Swift – “Our Song”

GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a group; awarded to the artists
Bon Jovi – “(You Want To) Make a Memory”
Little Big Town – “A Little More You”
Rascal Flatts – “Stand”
Rascal Flatts – “Take Me There”

DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Best video by a duo; awarded to the artists

Big & Rich – “Lost in this Moment”
Brooks & Dunn – “Proud of the House We Built”
Montgomery Gentry – “What Do Ya Think About That”
Sugarland – “Stay”

USA WEEKEND BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Best video from an artist’s major debut album; awarded to the artist (male, female, or group/duo)

Bucky Covington – “A Different World”
Chuck Wicks – “Stealing Cinderella”
Kellie Pickler – “I Wonder”
Luke Bryan – “All My Friends Say”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Best video that featured a special collaborative appearance by artists; awarded to the artists (individual, group or duo)

Bon Jovi feat. LeAnn Rimes – “Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore”
Garth Brooks and Huey Lewis – “Workin’ for a Livin’”
Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson – “Because of You”
Tim McGraw feat. Faith Hill – “I Need You”

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on a broadcast or major cable network; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

Dierks Bentley – “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)” from A Capitol Fourth 2007 (PBS)
Kellie Pickler – “I Wonder” from the 41st Annual CMA Awards (ABC)
Sugarland – “Stay” from the 2007 CMT MUSIC AWARDS (CMT)
Tim McGraw – “If You’re Reading This” from the 42nd Annual ACM Awards (CBS)

SUPPORTING CHARACTER OF THE YEAR

Best supporting character whose guest appearance enhances the video concept; awarded to the special guest

Christian Kane for Carrie Underwood’s “So Small”
Jason Alexander for Brad Paisley’s “Online”
Rodney Carrington for Trace Adkins’ “I Got My Game On”
Tyler Hilton for Taylor Swift’s “Teardrops On My Guitar”

WIDE OPEN COUNTRY VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Best video from an artist outside the mainstream of country music; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration)

Alison Krauss and Robert Plant – “Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)”
The Eagles – “How Long”
Jack Ingram – “Measure of a Man”
Willie Nelson – “Gravedigger”

TEARJERKER VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Best video most likely to stir emotion, whether tears of joy or sadness; awarded to the artist

Billy Ray Cyrus – “Ready, Set, Don’t Go”
Kellie Pickler – “I Wonder”
Kenny Chesney – “Don’t Blink”
Sugarland – “Stay”

COMEDY VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Best video to convey a song’s humor and wit; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

Blake Shelton – “The More I Drink”
Brad Paisley – “Online”
Toby Keith – “High Maintenance Woman”
Trace Adkins – “I Got My Game On”

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Best video director of the year; awarded to the director for his or her body of work from the past year

Michael Salomon (award eligible videos include: Toby Keith’s “High Maintenance Woman” and Trace Adkins’ “I Got my Game On”)
Roman White (award eligible videos include: Carrie Underwood’s “So Small” and Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You”)
Shaun Silva (award eligible videos include: Kenny Chesney’s “Don’t Blink” and Rascal Flatts’ “Stand”)
Trey Fanjoy (award eligible videos include: Bucky Covington’s “A Different World” and Taylor Swift’s “Our Song”)

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Nominees of 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards
March 05, 2008 02:35:41 GMT
by Staff Writer

Kenny Chesney rules way above his peers in dominating the Academy of Country Music Awards nominations. The country crooner who released his eleventh studio album “Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates” last year, receives as many as 11 nods while others go below seven nods.

Among the categories Chesney is nominated in are Top Male Vocalist and kudos for his album, single, video and song. Chesney, who is a reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year is again running for the same category this year and should he win the title again, he will be in tie with Garth Brooks as the prime academy winner in the category.

Next in line is Rodney Atkins who pockets six nominations, among others are Top Male Vocalist, Song of the Year, Video of the Year for “Watching You” and Album of the Year. Brad Paisley who was present to announce the nominations, along with Big & Rich and Sugarland are contending for four categories while new and more contemporary faces like Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert are up for three nods each.

This year, the awards will allow fans to choose the winner of Entertainer of the Year and the voting line will be opened starting from May 5. The annual event that enters its 43rd year, will be hosted by Reba McEntire again, and air May 18 live from Las Vegas’ Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on WTVF-5 at 7 P.M. Paisley and Carrie Underwood will serve as the co-host of the event.

Nominees of 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

* Kenny Chesney
* Brad Paisley
* Rascal Flatts
* George Strait
* Keith Urban

TOP MALE VOCALIST

* Rodney Atkins
* Kenny Chesney
* Brad Paisley
* George Strait
* Keith Urban

TOP FEMALE VOCALIST

* Miranda Lambert
* Martina McBride
* LeAnn Rimes
* Taylor Swift
* Carrie Underwood

TOP VOCAL GROUP

* Diamond Rio
* Eagles
* Emerson Drive
* Little Big Town
* Rascal Flatts

TOP VOCAL DUO

* Big & Rich
* Brooks & Dunn
* Halfway to Hazard
* Montgomery Gentry
* Sugarland

TOP NEW MALE VOCALIST

* Luke Bryan
* Jack Ingram
* Jake Owen

TOP NEW FEMALE VOCALIST

* Sarah Buxton
* Kellie Pickler
* Taylor Swift

TOP NEW DUO OR VOCAL GROUP

* Carolina Rain
* Lady Antebellum
* The Wreckers

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

* 5th Gear – Brad Paisley
* Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – Miranda Lambert
* Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates – Kenny Chesney
* If You’re Going Through Hell – Rodney Atkins
* Taylor Swift – Taylor Swift

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