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November 16, 2010 » Away In Arena, In Need Of A Bed: For Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, there was no time to recover from last Wednesday's 44th Annual CMA Awards (11/10) as she emceed an all-star cast at the next night's (11/11) taping of the CMA Country Christmas special. Nashville's Bridgestone Arena transformed into a winter wonderland for the 14-song holiday concert, which included vintage footage of a 12-year-old Brad Paisley performing the first song he ever wrote, "Born On A Christmas Day." "So glad you grew into those ears," Nettles joked as she intro'd Paisley singing "What Child Is This?" Off-camera, Nettles gave an audience shout-out to her childhood piano teacher Kristen Wall, who gave Nettles her stage debut in the Harper Baptist Church Christmas program. Also off-camera, Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus teased the audience by lying across a grand piano and singing the opening to "Santa Baby," which Kellie Pickler sang later in the evening. Other highlights included sets by Sugarland ("Winter Wonderland," "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"), Rascal Flatts ("I'll Be Home For Christmas," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"), LeAnn Rimes ("White Christmas," "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree"), Martina McBride ("O Holy Night," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"), Darius Rucker ("Candy Cane Christmas"), Little Big Town ("Go Tell It On The Mountain"), Reba ("Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town"), and Sheryl Crow with Paisley ("Run, Run Rudolph"). The CMA Country Christmas airs 9:30pm ET Nov. 29 on ABC-TV. » Crack Reporter: Dispelling rumors that she is a boy ... and straying into too-much-information territory, Kellie Pickler served as the Ellen DeGeneres Show's Black Carpet correspondent prior to the CMA Awards. "She said my crack was crooked," Pickler says while interviewing Miranda Lambert. "Not literally my crack, but the seam crack of my dress... What are you doing Ellen?" Watch the priceless footage here. » Proud To Be On American: Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton and Josh Turner are the first performers revealed to rock the inaugural American Country Awards Dec. 6. Laura Bell Bundy, Jewel, Lady Antebellum, Rock Of Love's Bret Michaels, PBR's Ty Murray, comedians Jeff Dunham, Rodney Carrington and NASCAR's Clint Bowyer, Michael Waltrip and Elliott Sadler will also appear during the two-hour telecast. Hosts and other appearances are TBA. Voting for Artist of the Year is currently underway through Dec. 4. The ACAs air live from Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena Dec. 6 at 8pm ET on FOX-TV. Details and vote here. » Wait Over: After a decade of making music, Rascal Flatts are ready to launch a new chapter in their career beginning with Tuesday's (11/16) Nothing Like This. The 11-track collection marks their first release since moving to Big Machine Records, which is also home to Taylor Swift and Steel Magnolia. "I think for me, [the move] kind of gives us a breath of fresh air," bassist Jay DeMarcus says. "We're more excited about making new music and about getting new music to the fans and [touring] than we have been in a long time. It's kind of re-energized our base a little bit. It's given us some time to look back over the 10 years and be grateful for it, but really gear up and have a whole lot of energy for the next 10." Read more about Nothing Like This below. » Too Sexy For My iPod: Keith Urban is bringing the sexy with Tuesday's (11/16) Get Closer. Without revealing too much, we'll let him explain. "I make music and try to take a photograph of where I am in life," Urban says. "That's what we're doing again this time around. There's a spirit about this record that's a little clearer ... I think it's a sexier record in a lot of ways. Even the fun stuff feels a little sexier to me. So I wanted to convey that imagery [through these] relationship songs and [capture] the simplicity, innocence, adventure and excitement [of love]." Read the "full monty" on the record below. » All The Places We Are: Reba, Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban dish about their favorite Nashville hot spots in the People Country December issue (on newsstands now). Portraits from the photo spread will go up for auction Dec. 1-17 to benefit ongoing flood relief efforts through the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and other charities. "My family didn't take vacations except to go to the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman," cover girl Reba says. "It represents tradition and heritage —  things I'm very proud of in country music." Also in the issue, Naomi Judd gives a tour inside her 410-square-foot closet, Blake Shelton discusses his biggest pet peeve and Kix Brooks reminisces on health-kicks-gone-wrong. Free holiday music by Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley and others is also available for free download here. Watch a behind-the-scenes clip of Reba's cover shoot here. »Hit List Little Big Town give a behind-the-scenes look at their CMA Awards week here. LeAnn Rimes, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban participate as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition rebuilds a flood damaged Nashville preschool here. Lady Antebellum close down a section of downtown Nashville for their "Hello World" music video shoot. Watch here. Luke Bryan gets surprised with a new tricked-out Chevy truck, complete with back seat TV monitors, here. Pam Tillis will pen a monthly food column for Country Weekly titled "Pam & Company." The first recipe for chocolate sweet potato pie is available in the Nov. 22 issue, which is on newsstands now. The recipe is also posted on her food blog nocrockbetty.com. Birthdays Keith Burns (Burns & Poe) (11/16) Billy Currington (11/19) Dierks Bentley (11/20) Josh Turner (11/20) On TV Tuesday (11/16): Rascal Flatts, Today (NBC); Julianne Hough, Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated). Wednesday (11/17): Reba, Better With You (ABC); Keith Urban, Today (NBC); Rascal Flatts, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (NBC); Kid Rock, Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated). Thursday (11/18): Jewel, Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC); Keith Urban, The Early Show (CBS). Friday (11/19): Sugarland, Nate Berkus Show (syndicated); Garth Brooks, Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC); The Secret Sisters, Late Show With David Letterman (CBS). In Stores Tuesday (11/16) Rascal Flatts Nothing Like This The trio split time between Nashville and Santa Barbara, CA to record their seventh studio album; their first on Big Machine. "We recorded in a funky little studio with some amazing L.A. musicians and created some great magic together," guitarist Joe Don Rooney says. "I really think you can feel some of the energy on a lot of these tracks." The single "Why Wait" kicks off the 11-song collection, which also includes the Natasha Bedingfield duet "Easy." Rooney, Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus co-wrote four songs. Dann Huff (Faith Hill's Breathe, Martina McBride's Shine) and Rascal Flatts produced. Purchase here. Keith Urban Get Closer Urban polled fans via Facebook to determine the album cover of this eight-track collection, which features the single "Put You In A Song." Sarah Buxton, Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman guest on "You Gonna Fly." Urban co-wrote five songs with Buxton, Jedd Hughes and others. The Target Deluxe Edition comes with three additional company-exclusive songs and four bonus live recordings. Dann Huff and Urban produced. Buy the standard version here and the Target Deluxe here.   © 2010 LH Publications, LLC