Nashville, U.S.A. — Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton continued their reigns as Country Music’s Female and Male Vocalists of the Year at “The 46th Annual CMA Awards,” with Shelton also securing his first victory in the coveted Entertainer of the Year category.

“The 46th Annual CMA Awards” was hosted for the fifth time by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on the ABC Television Network.

Lambert and Shelton made history by winning Female and Male Vocalist of the Year for the third consecutive year. Shelton and Lambert also won Song of the Year for “Over You.” Although three married couples have been previously nominated for CMA Song of the Year Awards honors – Ed and Patsy Brucefor “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” in 1978, Sanger D. “Whitey” Shafer and Darlene Shafer for “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” in 1985, and “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” written by Whitey Shafer and his fourth wife Lydia Shafer in 1987 – Lambert and Shelton are the first to take the prize.

First-time CMA Awards winners include Eric Church for Album of the Year Chief, Little Big Town for Vocal Group and Single of the Year (“Pontoon”), Hunter Hayes for New Artist of the Year, and Thompson Square for Vocal Duo of the Year. As producer of both Chief and “Pontoon,” Jay Joyce was awarded for Album and Single of the Year, also marking his debut as a CMA Award winner.

In presentations made before the broadcast, Mac McAnally earned his fifth Musician of the Year victory.

Earlier on Thursday, two CMA Awards were presented live on ABC’s “Good Morning America” from Times Square in New York. Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw won Musical Event of the Year for “Feel Like a Rock Star.” CMA Music Video of the Year honors went to Toby Keith and director Michael Salomon for “Red Solo Cup.”

In a special tribute to Country Music Hall of Fame member Willie Nelson, Lady Antebellum performed “You Were Always on My Mind” and “Crazy,” then Shelton, Keith Urban, and Nelson’s longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael joined on “Whiskey River.” Faith Hill and McGraw followed in a duet appearance, singing “Good Hearted Woman.” Nelson joined them all, strapped on his trademark guitar “Trigger” and sang “On the Road Again.” Paisley then surprised Nelson with the first-ever CMA Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be renamed the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Full 2012 CMA Awards details, including nominations and performers are available at CMAawards.com, which also includes CMA Awards history, a searchable database of past CMA Awards nominees and winners, host information, merchandise and much more. The CMA Awards Store has T-shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs, tote bags and more official merchandise for fans to purchase online. Fans can connect with CMA online at Facebook.com/CMA, Twitter.com/CountryMusic (#CMAawards),YouTube.com/CountryMusicAssoc, Pinterest.com/CMAworld, and by downloading the free CMA Awards app available for iPhone and Android.

The CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the 11,000 industry professional members of CMA, which was formed in 1958 as the first trade organization to promote an individual genre of music. The first “CMA Awards Banquet and Show” was held in 1967.

The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast on NBC television for the first time – making it the longest-running annual music awards program on network television. The Awards aired on NBC through 1971 and on the CBS Television Network from 1972 through 2005. The CMA Awards moved to ABC in 2006, where it will remain through 2021.

“The 46th Annual CMA Awards” is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Paul Miller is the Director, and David Wild is the writer.

The Winners of “The 46th Annual CMA Awards” are:

• Entertainer of the Year - Blake Shelton
• Female Vocalist of the Year - Miranda Lambert
• Male Vocalist of the Year - Blake Shelton
• New Artist of the Year - Hunter Hayes
• Vocal Group of the Year - Little Big Town
• Vocal Duo of the Year - Thompson Square

Album of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))
Chief
Eric Church
Produced by Jay Joyce
EMI Records Nashville

Single of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))
“Pontoon”
Little Big Town
Produced by Jay Joyce
Capitol Records Nashville

Song of the Year (Award goes to Songwriter(s))
“Over You”
Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton

Musical Event of the Year (Award goes to each Artist)
“Feel Like a Rock Star”
Kenny Chesney (duet with Tim McGraw)
Blue Chair Records/Columbia Nashville

Music Video of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Director)
“Red Solo Cup”
Toby Keith
Directed by Michael Salomon

Musician of the Year - Mac McAnally – Guitar

Image Courtesy : S_bukley / Shutterstock.com

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As a budding young graphic designer, Claudia van Rooijen continues to experiment with Photoshop to create beautifully colorful textures and collages. The subject of most of her collages are the singers that have inspired her throughout her life. She is still attending school in the Netherlands and prefers to practice her art as a hobby rather than making it into a career.

ToonariPost (TP): Who or what are your inspirations and why?

Claudia van Rooijen (CR): Let me start off by saying that I love listening to music whenever I am making something. I am a sensitive person and listening to music just puts me into a special place or makes me feel better whenever I’m having a bad day. Music is the most inspiring thing to me.

To be completely honest I don’t really have a person that inspires me, there are people out there that are really talented but I wouldn’t say that I get inspired by them. I also get inspired when I see good resources, when I see something that is great I imagine in my head what I could use it for. Seeing beautiful artwork also makes me excited to open up Photoshop and see what I can do.

TP: What sort of music to you listen to when you are getting creative in Photoshop?

CR: I listen to all kinds of music from Pop to R&B, Soul and even some Country. I am a huge fan of artists with beautiful voices so I listen to Christina Aguilera, Carrie Underwood, Leona Lewis, Melanie Fiona among others. It all depends though, currently I am going through my ‘Carrie Underwood’ phase. I have always loved her music and voice but at the moment she is pretty much all I listen to.

TP: How do different songs or types of music affect the artwork you are working on at the time?

CR: I wouldn’t know if it really affects my artwork to be honest. When I play music I just play an album and you know with albums, one song is going to be uptempo and the next one might be a ballad. I don’t have a playlist with all happy songs or all sad songs. It goes from happy to sad to being happy again.

Perhaps if I would listen to a lot of sad songs my artwork would be a little darker but usually I prefer to listen to uptempo songs when making something because sometimes I just don’t feel like listening to sad songs. I think the music might influence me in a certain way, but I wouldn’t really know how to explain it.

TP: What artists would you consider working with to do a piece? What type of work do you think would come from this partnership?

CR: I have never really thought about doing that, to be completely honest with you. There are a few people out there that I really enjoy watching. One of them is So-Ghislaine. I just love what she is doing, her resources are amazing and her collages are great too. If we were to do a piece together, it would probably be a collage because I think that would be the best type. I would assume that I could learn something from her and perhaps she could learn something from me. Another person I really enjoy watching is Photonica.

Her style just speaks to me, it’s very colorful and lately she has been doing a lot of typography and manipulation kind of things. I think her work is very original and creative as well. I would love to learn typography, I am absolutely terrible with text placement. I think typography is great. I am planning on following some tutorials on it in the near future.

TP: If there was any art medium that you wish you could master, what would it be and why?

CR: I’m not sure what your definition of ‘mastering’ an art medium may be, but I would have to say that I would love to master Photoshop CS5. I am pretty decent with it, but I know that there are a ton of features that I have yet to discover or put to good use. I think Photoshop is just such a versatile program that you can do whatever you want with it. If you have some sort of image in your head, you can probably create it in Photoshop, too. That’s how I see the program, it’s really amazing.

TP: What are your goals in life?  Do you plan to continue art as a hobby, or make it a career?

CR: My goal in life is to just find a job and perhaps start a family one day. I am planning on keeping this as a hobby because I don’t see how this possibly could be a career for me. On the other hand I like not feeling obligated to this. I think that if this would be some sort of ‘job’ for me, I wouldn’t enjoy it as much because it would mean that I still have to come up with something even if I really don’t feel like doing anything.

TP: Do you feel that your culture has influenced you in some way that makes you different than other artists?

CR: I doubt it. I come from a western culture, if that is how you even say that and I do not believe that my culture has had anything to do with the kind of artist I am.

TP: Can you tell me more about your background?  What experiences brought you to be the person you are today?

CR: I had an unusual childhood, quite tough at times. I have an older brother and I come from divorced parents. My teen years were especially hard and I’ve been through a lot of stuff that I would love to put behind me one day. Today I see myself as a strong person that tries to stay positive no matter what. It’s a daily struggle, but I try to get there. Thankfully, I have a lot of things keeping me busy so I think I am going to be just fine.

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Tony Bennett earned his 16th and 17th Grammys at the 2012 Grammy’s with wins in both categories he was nominated for : Best Traditional Pop Album for Duets II and Best Vocal Collaboration with Duo or Group for “Body and Soul,” his duet with the late Amy Winehouse. Amy Winehouse’s parents, Mitch and Janis, joined Bennett on stage to accept the Grammy Award on behalf of their daughter, who passed away last year and whose last recording was her duet with Tony.

Bennett is the only artist to have a 50 year span of Grammy wins, having garnered his first Grammy Award in 1962 for Record of the Year with his signature song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”  Bennett appeared on last night’s Grammy telecast with Carrie Underwood performing the song “It Had To Be You,” from the Duets II CD and the two were presenters for the Best New Artist Category.

Duets II also earned a third Grammy last night for Jorge Calandrelli in the Best Instrument Arrangement with Vocal category for his work on “Who Can I Turn To?,” Tony Bennett’s duet with Queen Latifah.

Bennett celebrates another 50 year milestone this year with the anniversary of the recording and release of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and will be honored by the City by the Bay in a ceremony to be held at San Francisco’s City Hall on Valentine’s Day where it will be declared Tony Bennett Day.

Tony Bennett’s Duets II was released last fall in celebration of the singer’s 85th birthday and featured Tony performing his greatest hits with today’s biggest stars including Lady Gaga, Michael Buble, Aretha Franklin, Andrea Bocelli and Faith Hill. Bennett made music history when the CD debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts making him the oldest artist to ever achieve a #1 recording.

Image Courtesy of   s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

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The music of Shelby Tweten has helped her through life’s deepest valleys. This sensational 17-year-old states on her Facebook page that music has changed her life. Now, she wants her music to change the lives of others as well.

Her singing is definitely making an impact already. Her audition for American Idol 2012 in Aspen, Colorado brought tears to judge Jennifer Lopez’s eyes as she exclaimed how beautiful Tweten’s singing was. Tweten earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood with her stirring audition.

Tweten is currently a student at Mankato West High School in Minnesota. The Mankato Free Press describes her life as a musician and dancer in her hometown. It states that she was often asked to sing the national anthem at various events. One of these events was Mankato Moondogs. She is also a dancer and member of the West Orchesis Dance Team.

The valleys in Tweten’s life have been much deeper and more difficult than her bright eyes show. The wide-eyed, enthusiastic blonde has had more than her fair share of hardships. She disclosed her battle with bipolar disorder and depression to the camera crew of American Idol who visited her in her hometown, North Mankato.

She explained that it causes her to stutter and sometimes even lose control over her body, but that singing helps her through these difficult times. This was evident in her audition – there was no sign of stuttering as the beautiful blonde sang Carrie Underwood’s “Temporary Home”.

A study claimed that music therapy in people with mental health problems is aimed at creating inspiration and motivation in the patient, amongst other goals. On BipolarTrip.com, fellow sufferer of bipolar disorder, “Roxy Roller”, claims that music therapy improves the quality of life of bipolar sufferers.

Roller states, “Music can help bring back confidence in one’s life, as well as improve one’s self-esteem levels.” Furthermore, Roller is convinced that music therapy brings about positive changes in a sufferer’s mood and emotional states.

Music seems to have been a therapeutic device in Tweten’s own struggle with bipolar disorder. Singing has helped her overcome many obstacles with which this disorder has presented her. During her Idols audition, she told the judges that her mom would sing with her during her hypo-manic episodes. “I’ll sing and it, like, really helps,” she said with a smile on her face. Even before she sang to the judges, she told them, “It’s made me so happy and gotten over so much stuff.”

Now Tweten wants to share that power she discovered in music with the world. “It’s really important to me because I do want to show people that bipolar doesn’t define who you are,” she explained to the Idols crew who visited her hometown. Music has helped her live a normal life, even though she is a bipolar sufferer.

Through music and American Idol, she can show the world that bipolar sufferers are just like the rest of us, and this message can extend to people suffering from any kind of disease or disorder.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shelby-Tweten/234082806624505

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Tony Bennett made music history with the Grammy-nominated CD Duets II when it debuted at the top of the Billboard Album charts, making Bennett the oldest vocal artist ever to achieve the number one spot. Recently nominated for three Grammys, including Best Traditional Pop Vocal, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s), the critically acclaimed album followed the 85-year-old singer’s Grammy-winning 2006 Duets CD, which had, in turn, been released in honor of his 80th birthday.

Tony Bennett: Duets II, a presentation of THIRTEEN’s Great Performances, features the singer’s greatest hits, performed by Bennett and today’s biggest stars, including John Mayer, Michael Buble, k.d. lang, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Norah Jones, Josh Groban, Faith Hill, Alejandro Sanz, Carrie Underwood and more.

The sessions, filmed to capture the magic of these performers singing with the master of the Great American Songbook, airs on Friday, January 27, 2012, at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN for WNET, one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers. For nearly 50 years, WNET has been producing and broadcasting national and local arts programming to the New York community.

The album took more than six months to record, with each track recorded face-to-face with his singer partners in studios around the world, from LA to Nashville to London.  Among the many highlights is Amy Winehouse’s last recorded track (“Body and Soul”), which was produced in London’s famous Abbey Road Studios in March. Other tracks were recorded in New York in late July: the Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart classic, “The Lady Is a Tramp,” with Lady Gaga, and the Alan and Marilyn Bergman classic, “How Do You Keep the Music Playing,” with Aretha Franklin , and “Stranger in Paradise,” with Andrea Bocelli , recorded at the singer’s Italian home (see full track listing below).

The CD received kudos from all quarters. The Wall Street Journal noted that the singer was “…constantly reaffirming his position as pop music’s greatest living patriarch,” and Associated Press observed, “Tony Bennett is as timeless as the songs he sings on ‘Duets II.’”

The musical segments are highlighted by insights on the process from the performers, making for an up-close look at one of the year’s most celebrated recordings. The sessions were filmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe (“Chicago,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Collateral”), providing a personal, behind-the-scenes look at Bennett’s latest collaborations and his artistic approach with each song.

Entering his seventh decade as a recording artist with more than 100 albums and 15 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Bennett has earned his legendary status many times over. He remains the Columbia recording artist with the greatest longevity at the label. His 2007 primetime special, “Tony Bennett:  An American Classic,” won seven Emmy Awards and was directed by Academy Award winner Rob Marshall.

He has performed for Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama. He also worked with and marched alongside Martin Luther King in his 1965 civil rights march and was honored with the Martin Luther King’s Salute to Greatness Award.

In addition to performing, he is a visual artist as well, with three of his original paintings featured in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian, including his portraits of Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. His humanitarian efforts are renowned, and the United Nations honored him with their Humanitarian Award in 2007.

He has published three books — his autobiography, The Good Life, and two collections of his paintings,Tony Bennett: What My Heart Has Seen and Tony Bennett in the Studio: A Life of Art and Music. Bennett founded, in association with the Department of Education in New York City, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts — a public arts high school in his hometown of Astoria, Queens. With his wife, Susan, he established Exploring the Arts, a charitable organization that supports arts education in NYC public high schools. Exploring the Arts supports 14 public high schools throughout New York City.

In the fall of 2007, a documentary of Bennett’s life and career, produced by Clint Eastwood, “Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends,” aired on THIRTEEN’s American Masters on PBS.

The full song program follows:

“The Lady Is a Tramp” (Lady Gaga)
“One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)” (John Mayer)
“Body and Soul” (Amy Winehouse)
“Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” (Michael Buble)
“Blue Velvet” (k.d. lang)
“How Do You Keep the Music Playing” (Aretha Franklin)
“The Girl I Love” (Sheryl Crow)
“On the Sunny Side of the Street” (Willie Nelson)
“Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)” (Queen Latifah)
“Speak Low” (Norah Jones)
“This Is All I Ask” (Josh Groban)
“Watch What Happens” (Natalie Cole)
“Stranger in Paradise” (Andrea Bocelli)
“The Way You Look Tonight” (Faith Hill)
“Yesterday I Heard the Rain” (Alejandro Sanz)
“It Had to Be You” (Carrie Underwood)

Image Courtesy of  Tony Bennett

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