LUKE BRYAN, KELLY CLARKSON, HUNTER HAYES, BLAKE SHELTON, GEORGE STRAIT, CARRIE UNDERWOOD AND THE BAND PERRY ARE SCHEDULED TO PERFORM AT THE "48th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS," TO BE BROADCAST LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS SUNDAY, APRIL 7 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

These Artists Mark the First Round of Performers Announced for This Year's Broadcast

Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Hunter Hayes, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Carrie Underwood and The Band Perry are scheduled to perform on the 47th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, co-hosted by Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan. This is the first round of artists announced as performers on this year's broadcast. The ceremony, which honors country music's top talent as well as the industry's hottest emerging artists, will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7 (8:00 PM-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Luke Bryan will co-host the Awards telecast for the first time and is one of the fastest rising stars in country music. He is nominated for four awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for tailgates & tanlines, and Vocal Event of the Year for "The Only Way I Know" with Jason Aldean and Eric Church. Currently, he is headlining his first major tour, the "Dirt Road Diaries Tour," and has earned five platinum singles.

Kelly Clarkson is nominated for Vocal Event of the Year for "Don't Rush" with Vince Gill, her third nomination in that category. Last year, she took home two ACM Awards, including Vocal Event of the Year and Single Record of the Year for "Don't You Wanna Stay" with Jason Aldean. Since bursting onto the music scene 10 years ago, Clarkson has released five studio albums, sold over 20 million albums worldwide and 10 million albums in the U.S., and has had 10 singles in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. Last November, she released her Greatest Hits - Chapter 1 album, which featured three new tracks, as well as a compilation of some of her greatest hits to date.

Hunter Hayes has six ACM nominations, including New Male Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year for "Wanted." He is twice nominated in the Song of the Year category as the artist and composer, as well as in the Single Record of the Year category as the artist and producer for "Wanted." Hayes continues to rise as one of the most celebrated new talents in music this year. Other recent accomplishments include his first single, "Storm Warning," being certified Gold, and his multi-platinum single "Wanted" appearing at #1 in the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. His third and current single, "Somebody's Heartbreak," is on the Billboard Hot 100 list. Currently, Hayes is on the "Blown Away Tour" with Carrie Underwood.

Blake Shelton, ACM reigning Male Vocalist of the Year returns to co-host the Awards telecast for the third consecutive year. He is nominated for three awards - Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year as composer for "Over You" with Miranda Lambert and Entertainer of the Year, the Academy's most prestigious honor. His current single, "Sure Be Cool If You Did," is his fastest #1 record, topping the charts in only eight weeks on Billboard's Hot Country Songs Chart. "Sure Be Cool If You Did" is off his new album, Based On A True Story... which is available everywhere on March 26. Shelton kicks off his "Ten Times Crazier" tour on July 19 in Virginia Beach.

George Strait has won 20 Academy of Country Music Awards, including the Artist of the Decade Award, an award that has only been given to four other acts in the Academy's history. Also, he holds the record for the most #1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. He has sold more than 68 million records, garnering him 32 different platinum or multi-platinum albums resulting in the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres, behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait's current album, Troubadour, is certified gold and his career continues to grow. Strait announced the news of his two-year final U.S. tour last fall, and is currently on the 2013 leg of "The Cowboy Rides Away Tour" featuring special guest Martina McBride.

Carrie Underwood is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, marking her eighth consecutive nomination for this category - she has won three times. She is also nominated for Album of the Year for Blown Away. Having won a total of 10 ACM Awards, Underwood is also a two-time Entertainer of the Year winner. In 2010, she was honored with the ACM Triple Crown, an award presented to an elite group of country music artists who boast wins for New Artist, Male/Female Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year. Currently, Underwood is on her critically acclaimed international "Blown Away Tour," which began at London's historic Royal Albert Hall and is now making its way through North America.

The Band Perry returns to the ACM Awards this year with their third Vocal Group of the Year nomination. In 2011, they were honored with the New Artist of the Year award. The sibling trio's latest hit, Better Dig Two, from their forthcoming sophomore album quickly reached the Billboard Hot Country Song #1 position, making it the fastest-rising song and the third chart-topper of their career. Currently, The Band Perry is on Rascal Flatts' "Changed Tour" and will release their new album on April 2, 2013. They are also scheduled to appear on CBS's THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN on April 1, 2013.

The 48th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS is produced for television by dick clark productions. Orly Adelson and R.A. Clark are executive producers. Barry Adelman is producer, and Bob Bardo is the executive in charge of production. Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

RATING: To Be Announced