Month: December 2021

Blake Shelton continued his reign at the People's Choice Awards on Tuesday night, dominating the country category for a sixth year running.

The singer started that hot streak back in 2016, when he won Favorite Male Country Artist, keeping his hold on that category until the male and female divisions were consolidated in 2018 and continuing to win the Country Artist title through 2021.

This year, Blake also performed on the show, taking the stage for a rendition of his current single, “Come Back as a Country Boy.”

In his acceptance speech, Blake thanked his fans, emphasizing how much it meant to him to take home an award determined by listeners casting their votes. “I swear, the longer I go on the more I realize that all these awards shows, the fan-voted awards are the ones that mean the most to me,” the singer said.

Afterwards, he doubled down on that sentiment on Twitter. “I've said it before and I'll say it again..best fans in the world!!!” Blake wrote. “This award means so much to me because it came from y'all.”

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Tim McGraw and Faith Hill both have plenty of experience acting separately, but in 1883 — the new Paramount+ prequel to Yellowstone — they're playing husband and wife.

However, there are some key differences between their on-screen marriage and their real-life marriage, the couple explain in a new People interview. They try to keep things separate between their life at home and their life on set.

“We have made it a point not to work on our scenes together until we're on set,” says Faith. “It's important that we react to each other naturally as characters, not as husband and wife.”

Of course, they can't help but borrow some of their off-screen chemistry for their roles. One example, Tim says, is a scene in the show when Faith's character slaps his.

“I was expecting a finger slap but it was a paw to the jaw,” the singer jokes. “There was 25 years of pent-up aggression going on! When you see it on screen, you realize it was a genuine hit.”

There have been other difficult moments, too, like the scene that appears in a new trailer for the show, where Tim and Faith's characters take a bath together.

“It was really uncomfortable for me personally because I'm a very shy person in that type of situation,” Faith admits. “I obviously feel comfortable with my husband, but this is different. For intimate scenes, I feel like that belongs to us.”

Still, the couple agree that playing each other's on-screen loves has been an exciting new project to work on together. “I've never had so much fun in my life,” Tim says, with Faith adding, “I don't want to stop.”

1883 premieres on Dec. 19 on Paramount+.

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As Amy Grant and Vince Gill prepare for a 12-date run of their Christmas at the Ryman residency at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Amy can’t help but feel nostalgic. 

The couple has made their Christmas show a time honored tradition. Over the years, they’ve delighted crowds with performances of such holiday classics as “O Holy Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Let it Snow,” along with originals like Amy’s “Tennessee Christmas.” 

Through the years, Amy notes that the beloved tradition has only brought her and her husband closer together.

“There’s not a better place to make music. I love doing all those shows with Vince. No kidding, I fall in love with him all over again every year, just how he plays, his wit,” she describes. “When he’s not onstage, he’s a pretty quiet person, and so getting to see that side of him is really beautiful.” 

The “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” singer also shares how when she looks out into the audience, she can see generations of people who have been attending the show since they were children, making the experience even more heartfelt. 

“We’ve done this so long. I have seen kids, even my own kids, be young in the audience and now a whole generation’s come and gone since we started doing these shows,” she reflects. 

Christmas At the Ryman begins on December 13. Amy will also appear on A Tennessee Kind of Christmas, airing tonight on CMT at 9 p.m. ET. 

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Midland‘s Mark Wystrach and his wife, Ty Haney, welcomed their second child, son “Champie,” on December 5. Mark made the announcement in an Instagram post, revealing that the baby was born “happy and healthy.”    

Jimmie Allen will perform “Freedom Is a Highway” on The Late Late Show with James Corden on December 15. It marks his first appearance on the CBS show. 

Parker McCollum has partnered with MusicFX, an engagement platform that connects artists to their fans, to launch the Gold Chain Cowboy Club.

Kane Brown, Maren Morris and Breland are among the country acts performing at 2022 Hangout Music Festival. It takes place over the course of three days, May 20-22, on public beaches in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Tickets go on sale December 13. 

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