11.13.17

CARRIE UNDERWOOD AND FAITH HILL LEAD THE 2017 RARE COUNTRY AWARDS NOMINATIONS

CARRIE UNDERWOOD AND FAITH HILL LEAD THE 2017 RARE COUNTRY AWARDS NOMINATIONS

Online Voting Begins Today at RareCountryAwards.com

Winners Announced at Livestreamed Concert Event in Nashville on December 14

Nashville, TN – November 13, 2017 – Superstars Carrie Underwood and Faith Hill top the nominations for the second annual Rare Country Awards with four nods each, it was announced today via Facebook Live. Carrie earned nominations for “Female Artist,” “Duet,” “Grand Ole Opry® Moment” and “Story of the Year;” while Faith scored a “Female Artist of the Year” nomination, and three additional nods with Tim McGraw for “Duet,” “Story” and “Tour of the Year.”

Nominations highlights include:

• Artists with three nominations: Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett and Tim McGraw;
• “New Artist” category welcomes Brett Young, Jon Pardi, LANCO, Luke Combs, Midland and RaeLynn;
• First time “Female Artist of the Year” nominees include Faith Hill, Kelsea Ballerini, Lauren Alaina and Maren Morris;
• First time “Male Artist of the Year” nominees include Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett and Sam Hunt.

Winners will be revealed at a live concert event in Nashville on Thursday, December 14. The event will feature performances from nominees, special guests and more. Fans will have the opportunity to attend the concert by voting and registering to win at RareCountryAwards.com. Rare Country will livestream the concert on social media and on RareCountry.com.

The Rare Country Awards are the leading, all-digital country music awards experience, honoring the year’s best in country music, as determined by fans. Voting is now live at RareCountryAwards.com and runs through Wednesday, December 13.

Below is the complete list of nominations for the 2017 Rare Country Awards:

Fan Moment of the Year – Country artists have an undeniable connection with their fans, and these heartwarming and hilarious moments stand out as Rare Country’s picks for “Fan Moment of the Year”:

• Blake Shelton’s Big Easy Hug
• Garth Brooks Delivers Baby News
• Jason Aldean Welcomes a Young Fan Onstage
• Luke Bryan and Granny Break the Rules
• Rascal Flatts’ Wedding Surprise
• Scotty McCreery Visits an Ailing Fan

*Previous year’s winner: “Miranda Lambert Reacts to Soldier’s Sign”

 

Story of the Year – These six stories, performances and events captivated country music fans and represent some of the most memorable moments of the year. Here are Rare Country’s nominees for “Story of Year”:

• Carrie Underwood – the Ultimate Hockey Fan
• Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Final Lap
• Kenny Chesney Supports St. John
• Miranda Lambert Stuns at the ACM Awards
• Thomas Rhett’s Fairy Tale Year
• Tim & Faith Sizzle Onstage

*Previous year’s winner: “Blake Shelton’s Comeback Year”

 

Tour of the Year – Night after night, country fans nationwide were blown away by these electrifying tours of a massive scale. Here are the nominees for Rare Country’s “Tour of the Year”:

• Dierks Bentley – 2017 What The Hell World Tour
• Florida Georgia Line – The Smooth Tour 2017
• Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood – The Garth Brooks World Tour With Trisha Yearwood
• Jason Aldean – They Don’t Know Tour
• Luke Bryan – Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day Tour
• Tim McGraw & Faith Hill – Soul2Soul The World Tour 2017

*Previous year’s winner: Carrie Underwood – “The Storyteller Tour – Stories in the Round”

New Artist of the Year – These six artists broke out in a big way this year, representing the future of country music:

• Brett Young
• Jon Pardi
• LANCO
• Luke Combs
• Midland
• RaeLynn

*Previous year’s winner: Kane Brown

 

Grand Ole Opry® Moment of the Year – Upon the most famous of country stages, these six country artists created unforgettable “Opry Moments” that will live on for years to come. These are Rare Country’s picks for “Grand Ole Opry® Moment of the Year”:

• Newcomer Ashley McBryde, “Girl Goin’ Nowhere”
• Blake Shelton, “Doin’ It to Country Songs,” feat. The Oak Ridge Boys
• Carly Pearce’s Breakout Hit, “Every Little Thing”
• Chris Young’s Unexpected Invitation from Vince Gill
• Keith Urban’s Crowd Duet, “The Fighter”
• Reba Celebrates her Opry 40th, “Does He Love You,” feat. Carrie Underwood

*Previous year’s winner: Scotty McCreery, “Five More Minutes”

 

Duo/Group of the Year – It takes two (or more) to deliver signature harmonies and a distinctive sound, and these six acts are Rare Country’s picks for “Duo/Group of the Year:”

• Brothers Osborne
• Dan + Shay
• Florida Georgia Line
• Lady Antebellum
• Little Big Town
• Rascal Flatts

*Previous year’s winner: Joey + Rory

Duet of the Year – These male and female artists combined their voices to create the following powerful selections for Rare Country’s “Duet of the Year”:

• Kane Brown feat. Lauren Alaina – “What Ifs”
• Keith Urban feat. Carrie Underwood – “The Fighter”
• Maren Morris feat. Vince Gill – “Dear Hate”
• Thomas Rhett feat. Maren Morris – “Craving You”
• Tim McGraw & Faith Hill – “The Rest of Our Life”

*New category for 2017

 

Female Artist of the Year – From established female powerhouses to fierce new voices, these six artists are the nominees for Rare Country’s “Female Artist of the Year”:

• Carrie Underwood
• Faith Hill
• Kelsea Ballerini
• Lauren Alaina
• Maren Morris
• Miranda Lambert

*Previous year’s winner: Carrie Underwood

 

Male Artist of the Year – From proven hit-makers to standout new voices, these six artists have been
chosen as nominees for Rare Country’s “Male Artist of the Year”:

• Blake Shelton
• Kane Brown
• Keith Urban
• Luke Bryan
• Sam Hunt
• Thomas Rhett

*Previous year’s winner: Blake Shelton

About Rare Country Awards

The Rare Country Awards are the first all-digital awards experience to honor the year’s best in country music, as determined by country music fans. The second annual awards celebrate the authenticity of country music and the unique connection between artists and their fans. Fans are able to vote for their favorite artists up to 10 times per day throughout the voting period.

Winners will be announced at a livestreamed concert event scheduled for Thursday, December 14. Last year’s Rare Country Awards drove over 80 million social impressions, two million video views and over a million page views on RareCountry.com. Vote for this year’s nominees at www.rarecountryawards.com.

About Rare Country

A subsidiary of Cox Media Group, Rare Country is the leading digital news and entertainment site dedicated to country music, delivering more social impressions and unique monthly visitors than any other country-oriented site. The site’s “Fans 1st” mentality guides its coverage of everything the country fan is passionate about. Visit www.rarecountry.com and follow Rare Country on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

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CONTACT:
Lisa Chader, Rare Country

615-428-7223

lisa@rarecountry.com