And My Picks Are....

It's country's biggest night! The 50th CMA's are tonight from Nashville. First off, we hope you're planning on joining us at Features in West Salem for our huge CMA party with WXOW News 19. You could win 2 VIP passes to Country Fest in Cadott next June. The party starts at 6pm, so get there early for a good seat!

Now on to the voting! Here are my picks for the winners in the 9 categories in our CMA Vote 2016 contest:



Entertainer Of The Year: Garth Brooks. He's had an incredible year, and you might say it's a sentimental favorite, but so be it!

Male Vocalist: Chris Stapleton. This guy can do no wrong.

Female Vocalist: Kelsea Ballerini. Taken country by storm, here's her reward.

Group Of The Year: Little Big Town. Stiff competition from Rascal Flatts and Old Dominion, but these guys are so well-loved in Nashville. If not them, then Old Dominion.

Duo Of The Year: How do you not give it to Florida Georgia Line? Maybe you give it to Joey + Rory out of respect for the loss of Joey Feek. Plus Dan + Shay have had a great year. This one I may be wrong on, we'll see.

New Artist: Kelsea Ballerini. All the nominees here have had a great year, and it's weird to see Cole Swindell in this category, but I just think Kelsea has created the most buzz.

Musical Event Of The Year: "You Are My Sunshine" - Morgan and Chris Stapleton. This is one of those categories that always has nominees in it that you've never heard of but made a big impact in Nashville. Chris Stapleton is just The Man these days, and he and his wife will take this one home.

Musician Of The Year: Most country music fans have no idea who these folks are, but they are the ones who really make the hits what they are. My choice: guitarist Brent Mason. As a musician myself, I'm just a huge fan.

Video Of The Year: Gotta give this one to Tim McGraw for "Humble and Kind". Awesome song, awesome video. He's a master.

OK, now it's your turn. Get over to our contest page and cast your vote. You could win 2 Reserved Seat passes to Country USA in Oshkosh next June! Here's the link.

Santa, Are You Paying Attention?

The frost isn’t even on the pumpkin, or the turkey and dressing on the plate, but Wal-Mart is thinking about Christmas. The retail giant has already decided on its 25 most popular toys for this year’s Christmas season. It also expects big sales in cookware, video games and consoles, and makeup kits. They think the Sony PlayStatoin Virtual Reality Bundle will be one of the major sellers. So here they are, the Top 25 Toys:

#1: My Life As Food Truck – Walmart exclusive
Num Noms Lip Gloss Truck
Pom Pom Wow Decoration Station
Doc McStuffins Hospital Care Cart
FurReal Friends Torch, My Blazin' Dragon
Hatchimals
Little Live Pets Puppy
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Batcave – Walmart exclusive
Barbie Rainbow Cove Princess Castle Playset
Fisher-Price Imaginext Bat Flight City
Fisher-Price Little People Sit 'n Stand Skyway
My Little Pony Explore Equestria Crystal Empire Castle
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mega Lair Playset
Pie Face Showdown Game – Walmart exclusive for a limited time
Razor Power Core E100 Electric Scooter – Walmart exclusive
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Remote Control Skateboarding Mikey – Walmart exclusive
Fisher-Price Imaginext Ultra T-Rex
Hot Wheels A.I. Racing Playset
Nerf N-Strike Elite HyperFire Blaster
Tyco Terra Climber Remote Control Vehicle
Vtech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Treasure Mountain Train Adventure
Disney Princess Carriage – Walmart exclusive
Paw Patrol Zooming Marshall
Sky Viper Streaming Drone
Star Wars Electronic R2D2

And The Nominees Are......

2016 Country Music Association Awards Nominees

Entertainer of the Year

Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban

Album of the Year (Awarded to Artist and Producers)

Hero, Maren Morris
Mr. Misunderstood, Eric Church
Storyteller, Carrie Underwood
Black, Dierks Bentley
Ripcord, Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year

Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year

Eric Church
Tim McGraw
Chris Stapleton
Dierks Bentley
Keith Urban

Vocal Group of the Year

Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band

Song of the Year (Awarded to Songwriters)

“Die a Happy Man,” Thomas Rhett
“Humble and Kind,” Tim McGraw
“My Church,” Maren Morris
“Record Year,” Eric Church
“Burning House,” Cam

Vocal Duo of the Year

Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Joey + Rory
Maddie & Tae

New Artist of the Year

Kelsea Ballerini
Brothers Osborne
Maren Morris
Old Dominion
Cole Swindell

Single of the Year (Awarded to Artist and Producer)

“Die a Happy Man,” Thomas Rhett
“Humble and Kind,” Tim McGraw
“My Church,” Maren Morris
“Nobody to Blame,” Chris Stapleton
“Record Year,” Eric Church

Musical Event of the Year

“Different for Girls,” Dierks Bentley feat. Elle King
“Home Alone Tonight,” Luke Bryan feat. Karen Fairchild
“The Fighter,” Keith Urban feat. Carrie Underwood
“Think of You,” Chris Young with Cassadee Pope
“You Are My Sunshine,” Morgane Stapleton with Chris Stapleton

Music Video of the Year (Awarded to Artist and Director)

“Fire Away,” Chris Stapleton
“Humble and Kind,” Tim McGraw
“Record Year,” Eric Church
“Somewhere on a Beach,” Dierks Bentley
“Burning House,” Cam

Colin Kaepernick: Which Side Are You On?

San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick did not stand for the Star-Spangled Banner before the Niners - Packers game on Friday night. He told the NFL Network: ''I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder. This is not something that I am going to run by anybody. I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. If they take football away, my endorsements from me – I know that I stood up for what is right."

So what do you think? Certainly he has a right to his opinion, and his right to Freedom Of Speech says he can sit out the Anthem if he wants. Should we applaud his efforts to make a point, or criticize him for his lack of respect for the country that has given him so much? Drop me a line: john@kicks1063.com

Nashville To Return In January...But!

It's official. CMT has officially set January 5, 2017 as the premiere date for Season 5 of the TV drama Nashville. Nashville will be broadcast and streamed on CMT, and also streamed on Hulu, which currently carries the show’s previous seasons. Returning cast members include Charles Esten, Sam Palladio, Jonathan Jackson, Clare Bowen, Lennon Stella, Maisy Stella, Chris Carmack, Hayden Panettiere and Connie Britton.

But get ready for a shocker, "Nashville" fans: Britton, who plays Rayna James may not return for Season 6, according to TVLine. She is now scheduled to be on only 10 of the 22 episodes of Season 5. Sources do not know how James’ character will be written off the show. TVLine also reports that negotiations are ongoing as to the length of her participation in Season 5. Hayden Panettiere, who portrays Juliette Barnes, will be back for all 22 episodes of the new season. Her fate was left hanging at the end of Season 4 when she was in an airplane crash.

Tell you what, as a big fan of the show, I don't see how it could continue without Britton as Rayna.

Pearls Before Swine Indeed!

A giant pearl, found by a fisherman in off the coast of Palawan Island, Phillippines, ten years ago, is in the process of being certified as the biggest natural pearl ever found. The fisherman, who had no idea what he had, kept the pearl in his home for 10 years ago. Recently the man’s home burned, and he took the pearl to the local tourism office in remote Puerto Princesca. They were able to verify that it had been found in a giant clam. The pearl measures one foot wide and just over two feet long. That is much larger than the world’s current largest pearl, the Pearl of Allah, which weighs 14 pounds and is worth 35 million dollars. It is on exhibition at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! in New York City. The new find is estimated to be worth 100 million dollars, and weighs 74 pounds! Actually, I'd like to see the clam this beast came out of!

Can Anyone Explain This To Me?

In my job, I have to keep up on all the latest trends. That way I can talk with some authority on what's happening in the world of entertainment, politics, whatever. But for the love of God, can someone please explain this one to me!?!

James Holt and Jordan Parke are both huge Kim Kardashian fans, so much so that they have had their features altered to look like her. The pair live just miles apart in Manchester, England, and were featured in the news there after they had either lip fillers and/or surgery to change their appearance. Now a spat has broken out between Holt and Parke, and it has made its way to social media. It all started when Holt posted a copy of an article about him which also featured Jordan. Holt apparently was not happy with the comparison.Holt posted on Facebook, “I’m happy for a two-page spread in America like anyone would be, obv. But why are they trying to make that Jordan relevant in the corner of my story. It’s so annoying and I’ve never had one procedure to look like Kim Kardashian.”

Parke’s answer: “When someone hates you and you unknowingly pop up and steal the limelight #ByeBoo #OftenImitatedNeverDuplicated.”

Parke was the first of the two to have lip fillers to look more like Kardashian. He has also had cosmetic surgery, including a nose job, chin implants, cheek fillers and botox, according to “The Mirror.” Holt also had lip fillers done a couple years later. Holt has since deleted his posts about the argument and has refused to talk about the spat between the two.

All I can say is "What?" And "Why". And is it just me, or does the guy on the left look like he's got a set of those wax lips we had when we were kids?