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FAN VOTING FOR ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR AND NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR AWARDS IS NOW OPEN FOR THE 47th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® AWARDS COUNTRY MUSIC’S PARTY OF THE YEAR™

STARTING TODAY Country Music Fans Have the Power to Vote for Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year By Logging On to www.VoteACM.com

CBS.com also Featuring Original 5-Part Web Series, ROAD TO THE ACM AWARDS, Documenting New Artist of the Year Nominees Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes and Scotty McCreery’s Journey to the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards

ENCINO, CA (March 19, 2012) — The Ram Truck brand and the Academy of Country Music announced today that Entertainer of the Year fan voting will be powered by Ram Trucks, for the third year in a row.  Country music fans everywhere have the power to choose the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year as well as New Artist of the Year by casting their votes now on www.VoteACM.com. The winners will be announced live on the 47th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, to be broadcast from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Sunday, April 1 (8:00 – 11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. This year, for the second time, the ACM Awards will feature the ACM Ram Red Carpet to welcome country’s biggest stars to the show. 

“The Ram Truck brand is proud to partner with the Academy of Country Music for their 47th Award ceremony.  Ram truck fans and country music fans are one and the same as they are cut from the same cloth of authenticity with a genuine work-hard, play-hard attitude,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO, Ram Truck Brand, Chrysler Group LLC.  “We are excited to find out who Ram and country music fans will select as their choice for Entertainer of the Year. We congratulate everyone who has been nominated.”

“The Academy's partnership with the Ram Truck brand has been phenomenal and we are delighted to have them back again to help country music fans elect the Entertainer of the Year,” said Bob Romeo, Chief Executive Officer of the Academy of Country Music. 

Entertainer of the Year fan voting – powered by the Ram Truck Brand – will provide fans the opportunity to vote for the Academy’s most prestigious award, Entertainer of the Year, for which Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift are nominated.  Fans can also vote for the New Artist of the Year award, for which Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes and Scotty McCreery will compete. Fan voting for Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year is open now at www.VoteACM.com.  New Artist of the Year voting will close at 8 p.m PT /5 p.m. PT on April 1st (before the LIVE show starts) and Entertainer of the Year voting will close during the third hour of the LIVE broadcast.

On CBS.com/ACMs, fans can also watch the original Web series, ROAD TO THE ACM AWARDS, featuring New Artist of the Year nominees Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes and Scotty McCreery.  The 5-websiode series takes fans behind the scenes during the final weeks leading up to both nominees' first trip to the Academy of Country Music Awards.  In past years, the series has featured country music superstars Taylor Swift, Josh Thompson, Gloriana and Lady Antebellum.

Country music fans will also have the chance to win a trip for two to next year’s Academy of Country Music Awards or drive away in a 2012 Ram truck by entering the Ram Truck brand’s Enter-To-Win sweepstakes. For more information and to enter the sweepstakes please visit www.VoteACM.com.

About the Academy of Country Music Awards

The 47th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry.  The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. 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.  For more information, please visit www.acmcountry.com.

About the Ram Truck brand

The Ram Truck brand continues to establish its own identity and clearly define its customer since its launch as a standalone vehicle brand. Creating a distinct brand for Ram trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate on how core customers use their trucks and what new features they'd like to see. Whether focusing on a family that uses its half-ton truck day in and day out, a hard-working Ram Heavy Duty owner or a business that depends on its commercial vehicles every day, Ram has the truck market covered.          

The Ram Truck brand has the most innovative lineup of full-size trucks on the market. Ram Truck has emerged as a full-size truck leader by investing substantially in new products, infusing them with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and features that further enhance their capabilities. Truck customers, from half-ton to commercial, have a demanding range of needs and require their vehicles to provide high levels of capability. Ram trucks are designed to deliver a total package.