The inaugural People's Choice Country Awards, hosted by Little Big Town, will air live on September 28. The awards ceremony will feature performances from top country music stars and will be broadcasted on NBC and streamed on Peacock. Nominees include artists such as Blake Shelton, Morgan Wallen, Kelsea Ballerini, and Zach Bryan. The public voted on twelve different awards, including "The People's Artist of 2023" and "The Song of 2023."
Country music icons George Strait, Chris Stapleton, and Little Big Town are embarking on a tour together in 2024, with a stop at Ford Field in Detroit. The tour will feature performances by three Grammy Award-winning artists and promises to be a major event for country music fans. Tickets go on sale in September 2023.
George Strait, known as the King of Country Music, will begin his 2024 stadium tour in Indianapolis on May 4. The tour will feature performances by Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town. Strait, who has sold over 105 million albums, holds the record for having a top 10 hit every year for more than three decades. Tickets for the show are available starting Friday.
New opening acts have been announced for Ed Sheeran's concerts at Gillette Stadium this weekend. John Mayer will now open Friday's show, and Little Big Town will open on Saturday, replacing Khalid. The change was made less than eight hours before the first show, and no details were given for the switch. Some Taylor Swift fans expressed disappointment with Mayer's inclusion, as he is Swift's ex-boyfriend. Sheeran and Swift have been friends and collaborators for over a decade.
John Mayer and Little Big Town will replace Khalid as the opening acts for Ed Sheeran's stadium shows in Massachusetts this weekend after Khalid was involved in a car accident. Sheeran had previously performed his own opening set last weekend. Fans have speculated on the choice of John Mayer as an opener, given his history with Taylor Swift, who is releasing an album soon. Khalid was originally announced as Sheeran's opener back in October.
CMA Fest's third day showcased country music's global potential as a lifestyle brand with performances from K. Michelle, Little Big Town, Jon Pardi, Dustin Lynch, and Eric Church. The festival highlighted the genre's broadening appeal, with Tracy Lawrence stating that country music has the greatest growth potential it has ever had. The event generated $65.2 million in estimated direct visitor spending in 2022, and its potential as a marketable lifestyle brand is changing.
