American Idol News

posted by AINews on Apr 30

No No, get your mind out of the gutter. The Idol alum and mega country star simply teamed up with the superstar rapper for a Vitamen Water commercial.

Enjoy the pictures of Carrie and 50 (click for larger view).

posted by Administrator on Apr 25

Multiple award-winning country artist Carrie Underwood is preparing for her induction into the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

The former “American Idol” and reigning ACM and CMA Female Vocalist of the Year will receive one of country music’s highest honors on May 10. The ceremony will be broadcast live on the Great American Country, or GAC, the cable TV network announced Thursday.

Prior to the induction ceremony, GAC will premiere its documentary, “Road to the Opry: Carrie Underwood.”

posted by Administrator on Feb 21

Country music star and former American Idol Carrie Underwood is set to appear in the first new installment of “Saturday Night Live” in three months.

The famed sketch comedy show was shut down due to the Writers Guild of America strike, which started Nov. 5 and ended last week.

Underwood will be the show’s musical guest, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday.

“It’s been frustration, occasionally turning to rage,” the show’s executive producer Lorne Michaels said of not being on the air. “It’s the first time in the history of the show we hadn’t been on during an election cycle.”

Michaels told the Daily News “everybody is thrilled to be back, and excited.”

posted by Administrator on Feb 12

The song remained the same for Carrie Underwood while Chris Daughtry came up empty during last night’s broadcast of the 50th Annual Grammy Awards on CBS.

Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” won Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song (awarded to songwriters Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins) honors.

Last year, the American Idol fourth-season champ took home two Grammy awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance for “Jesus Take the Wheel.”

While “Before He Cheats” lost Song of the Year honors to Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab,” the song continues to receive recognition from both the music industry and fans.

Daughtry’s band was hoping to capture its first Grammy award after receiving four nominations, however it apparently wasn’t meant to be for the former Idol 5 finalist.

The group’s self-titled debut lost Best Rock Album to “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace” by the Foo Fighters, while the single “It’s Over You” lost Best Rock Song to Bruce Springsteen’s “Radio Nowhere.” “Home” — a ballad that served as background music for Idol sixth-season eliminations — lost to The White Stripes “Icky Thump” in the Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals category.

In addition, the album’s producer Howard Benson lost Producer of the Year honors to Winehouse’s producer Mark Ronson.

posted by Administrator on Dec 6

Former American Idol finalists Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia Barrino, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Mandisa Hundley, and Chris Daughtry were all recognized by The Recording Academy when nominations for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards were announced on Thursday.

esh off his band Daughtry taking home 2007 American Music Awards for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist and Favorite Breakthrough Artist — while the group’s self-titled debut album was also recognized for Favorite Pop or Rock Album — Daughtry received three Grammy Award nominations.

The group’s self-titled debut was nominated for Best Rock Album, while one of its singles — “It’s Over You” — received a nod in the Best Rock Song category. “It’s Over You” was penned by Daughtry and songwriters Gregg Wattenberg and Mark Wilkerson, as well as Daughtry’s fellow fifth-season Idol finalist Brett “Ace” Young.

“Home” — a ballad that served as background music for Idol sixth-season eliminations — received a nod in the Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals category. In addition, the album’s producer Howard Benson was nominated for Producer of the Year.

Underwood — who took home two 2007 Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance for “Jesus Take the Wheel” — received three nominations this year.

“Before He Cheats,” which was written by John Kear and Chris Tompkins, was nominated for Song of the Year and Best Country Song. The song peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Country Songs chart and has already been recognized with 2007 CMT Music Awards for Female Video of the Year and Video of the Year; a 2007 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Country Song; a 2007 Academy of Country Music Award for Video of the Year; as well as a 2007 Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year.

In addition, Underwood’s “Oh Love” duet with fellow country crooner Brad Paisley — a track that appeared on his sixth album “5th Gear” — also received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.

Underwood and Paisley will be pitted against Clarkson and her best bud Reba McEntire in the Best Country Collaboration with Vocals category, in which they were nominated for their duet “Because of You.”

Like Underwood, Clarkson also already has two Grammy Awards to her credit. The original Idol champ’s sophomore album “Breakaway” won a 2006 Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, while its single “Since U Been Gone” received the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Award.

Barrino received her Grammy nod in the Best Contemporary R&B Album category for her second album “Fantasia.” The Idol third-season champ’s debut album “Free Yourself” received two 2006 Grammy nods in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Album categories, however she failed to receive either award.

Hudson received a Grammy nomination in the Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media category for the Dreamgirls’ song “Love You I Do,” which was written by Siedah Garrett and Henry Krieger. The Dreamgirls actress — who received an Oscar for her role — performed “Love You I Do” in the film.

Rounding out the nominations was Hundley — Idol 5’s ninth-place finisher — who received a Grammy nod for her debut album “True Beauty” in the Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album category.

The 50th Annual Grammy Awards are scheduled to air live from Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Sunday, February 10 at 8PM ET/PT on CBS.

posted by Administrator on Nov 19

Albums by Daughtry and Carrie Underwood won prizes at the 2007 American Music Awards show in Los Angeles Sunday.

Daughtry’s self-titled disc won for favorite pop/rock album, while Underwood’s “Some Hearts” nabbed the prize for favorite country album.

Underwood also won a text-in award for favorite artist.

posted by AINews on Nov 13

Fans crowned Carrie Underwood American Idol’s fourth-season champ, and the she’ll repay the favor this winter by embarking on a 24-city tour with fellow Grammy Award winning artist Keith Urban.

The “Love, Pain & the whole crazy Carnival Ride Tour” will kick-off January 31, with all tickets going on sale December 1. While the tour’s locations have been announced, dates and venues are still forthcoming.

The tour’s name is a combination of each of the artists’ most recent albums, with Underwood’s sophomore effort “Carnival Ride” debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s The Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums album sales charts after moving 527,000 copies in its first week of release.

“I can’t think of a better person to begin 2008 with than Keith,” said Underwood, who received two 2007 Country Music Association awards at last week’s ceremony. “He is an amazing entertainer and a well-respected musician, singer and songwriter.”

“I’m looking forward to hitting the road with Carrie, and to bringing our audiences together for what I think will be a magical night of sights, sounds, songs and solos,” added Urban.

The 24 locations scheduled on the “Love, Pain & the whole crazy Carnival Ride Tour” are:

- Anaheim, CA
- Atlantic City, NJ
- Baltimore, MD
- Biloxi, MS
- Bossier City, LA
- Charleston, WV
- Charlotte, NC
- Charlottesville, VA
- Denver, CO
- Gwinnett, GA
- Hershey, PA
- Kansas City, MO
- Lexington, KY
- New York City, NY
- North Charleston, SC
- Omaha, NE
- Raleigh, NC
- Roanoke, VA
- Rochester, NY
- San Jose, CA
- State College, PA
- Tallahassee, FL
- Uncasville, CT
- Wichita, KS

posted by Administrator on Nov 8

Carrie Underwood and Mark Bright won the Country Music Association award for single of the year for the song “Before He Cheats” in Nashville Wednesday.

The award in this category is given to the artist and producer of the song.

In addition to sending a shout out to her family, friends and record label, Underwood also thanked radio for “playing this song like crazy.”

Also nominated in the category were: “Anyway,” sung and produced by Martina McBride; “Lost In This Moment,” sung by Big & Rich and produced by Big Kenny and John Rich; “Ticks,” sung by Brad Paisley and produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois and “Wrapped,” sung by George Strait and co-produced by Strait and Tony Brown.

The 41st annual CMA awards show was held at the Sommet Center in downtown Nashville.

posted by AINews on Aug 7

Carrie Underwood continues to make and break records on the Billboard charts. She has outlasted her competition to have the longest-running title among all of the songs that have peaked in 2007. “Before He Cheats” dips 13-16 in its 44th chart week.

That breaks a tie from last week, as the Red Jump Suit Apparatus had a 43-week run with “Face Down,” which peaked at No. 24 in April. In third place is John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change,” which remained on the Hot 100 for 40 weeks, peaking at No. 14 in March. Carrie will have to remain on the Hot 100 for another 19 weeks to own the record for the longest-running song of the 21st century. The current champ is “You and Me” by Lifehouse with a 62-week stay.

posted by AINews on Jul 19

“American Idol” Carrie Underwood doesn’t want to spend her life jaded, waitin’—or just resting on her laurels. Arista Records and 19 Recordings announced Monday that the follow-up to the country crossover star’s mega-hit debut “Some Hearts” has been slated for an Oct. 23 release.

While it seems as if Underwood must be on her third or fourth album by now, that’s only because the multiplatinum-selling “Some Hearts” took up residence at number one on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart back in 2005… and managed to return to that spot multiple times over the next two and half years, according to E! Online.

The hit-filled album, which dropped Nov. 15, 2005, has been certified six-times platinum in the U.S., is the best-selling country disc/download of 2007 so far, with nearly 1.1 million copies sold just this year.

“Some Hearts” spawned seven singles, three of which went platinum, and Underwood also had a hit with her cover of the Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand by You,” which she performed on the Idol Gives Back charity special in April.

The 24-year-old Oklahoman’s as-yet untitled sophomore effort is being produced by Some Hearts collaborator Mark Bright and will feature some more songwriting by Underwood, who co-penned the tune “I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore” on “Some Hearts.”