Brooks & Dunn To Open, Host CMA Awards

NASHVILLE (October 30, 2006) — Stars of TV and music will shine on “The 40th Annual CMA Awards” when the three-hour gala airs live on ABC on Monday, Nov. 6 from the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville.

Brooks & Dunn ? the most awarded duo in CMA history ? will open the show and will also the awards for the third year. The pair will perform “Building Bridges,” which is nominated for Musical Event of the Year, along with fellow nominees Sheryl Crow and Vince Gill.

Added to the list of performers are Jason Aldean, The Wreckers, and a second appearance by Gill who will be joined by Crow, daughter Jenny Gill, and wife Amy Grant.

Presenting trophies will be Gary Allan, Billy Currington, Montgomery Gentry, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood, and the stars of ABC and Disney television including Billy Ray Cyrus and daughter Miley Cyrus (”Hannah Montana”); James Denton (”Desperate Housewives”); Eva Longoria (”Desperate Housewives”); Cameron Mathison (”All My Children”); and Kimberly Williams-Paisley “According to Jim”).

“It will be exciting for our viewers to see actors they admire from other ABC and Disney television programs making an appearance on the Awards,” said CMA Chief Operating Officer Tammy Genovese. “Their participation brings a whole new level of excitement and interest to the program.”

Broken Bow Records artist Aldean will be making his first performance on the 2006 CMA Awards. His self-titled debut is fast approaching Platinum certification by the RIAA. On the heels of his smash “Hicktown,” Aldean recently landed his first No. 1 single on both Billboard and Radio & Records charts with “Why,” and his latest release “Amarillo Sky” is in the Top 20 and rising.

Garnering their first CMA Awards nomination and performing for the first time on the CMA Awards are The Wreckers, Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp. The Warner Bros. Record’s duo debut single “Leave the Pieces” enjoyed multiple weeks atop the charts and they were recently selected as one of Country Music’s Top 25 acts by People magazine. A few short months after its release, their debut album, Stand Still, was certified Gold by the RIAA.

Gill, who hosted the CMA Awards a record 12 consecutive years (1992-2003), is nominated for Musical Event of the Year with Sheryl Crow on the Brooks & Dunn song “Building Bridges.” Crow and Gill will perform the song with Brooks & Dunn to open the Awards, but Gill has a collaboration of his own up his sleeve. He will perform “What You Give Away” from his MCA Nashville release These Days, with guest vocals from Crow, Jenny Gill, and Grant.

“One-of-a-kind collaborations are a hallmark of the CMA Awards and this is destined to be a highlight,” Genovese said. “Vince has such a long and personal association with the Awards, and it was important that he be part of our 40th Anniversary celebration.”

Other performers already announced for the CMA Awards include Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, George Strait, Sugarland, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, and John Rich of Big & Rich performing with Gretchen Wilson. Country Music Hall of Fame member Kris Kristofferson will introduce the 2006 Hall of Fame inductees.

Presenting CMA Awards will be Allen, Currington, Montgomery Gentry, Womack, Yearwood, and a host of actors from ABC and Disney TV. They join an all-star roster of presenters who will hand out trophies to Country Music’s elite that includes Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora of CMA Awards nominated group Bon Jovi; “American Idol” alum Kellie Pickler; LeAnn Rimes; and two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year Barbara Mandrell.

Golden Globe nominated actress Longoria can be seen every week as Gabrielle Solis on ABC’s smash hit “Desperate Housewives.” The international spokesperson for Loreal, Longoria co-starred in “The Sentinel,” starring Michale Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, and Kim Basinger. Longoria also co-stars in the upcoming indie feature film “Harsh Times,” with Christian Bale and Freddie Rodriguez slated to be released in November.

A Nashville native, Denton can be seen as sexy plumber Mike Delfino on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives.”

Denton, along with the rest of the cast, was honored with the 2005 SAG Award for Best Ensemble in a Comedy and was named as one of People magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive” in 2004 and 2005. Denton also starred in “The Pretender” and ABC’s “Philly,” along with guest appearances in “JAG,” “Dark Skies,” “Ally McBeal,” and “The West Wing.” He’s also hosted the “Miss America Pageant,” which was held in Las Vegas last year.

Playing Ryan Lavery, a fan-favorite on “All My Children,” Mathison received the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Male Newcomer in 1999, and received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 2002. Mathison made his feature film debut in the 1998 Miramax release, “54,” and other credits include appearances on “The Drew Carrey Show,” “CSI,” and “JAG.”

Kimberly Williams-Paisley can be seen as Dana on ABC’s hit comedy “According to Jim.” She lit up the screen with her film debut as the radiant young bride in the comedy features, “Father of the Bride” and “Father of the Bride II.” Though it’s her first time presenting, Williams-Paisley is no stranger to the CMA Awards. She will be rooting for husband Brad Paisley who’s up for six nominations.

Disney Channel fans know and love Country Music star and actor Billy Ray Cyrus and his daughter Miley as the stars of the hit show “Hannah Montana.” On the show Miley plays a regular girl named Miley Stewart who leads a double life as pop singer Hannah Montana with Billy Ray playing Robby, her songwriting father and manager. Billy Ray won a CMA Award for Single of the Year in 1992 for his smash hit “Achy Breaky Heart.”