HOST REBA McENTIRE
Reba McEntire is the Academy of Country Music's "Leading Lady," a title she received in 2003 in recognition of her role as the Academy's all-time leading winner in the Top Female Vocalist category. This year marks her unprecedented seventh time and third consecutive year serving as host for the ACM Awards. McEntire's first foray into series television resulted in the successful comedy series "Reba." In early 2001, she stormed Broadway as the star of Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun," a performance that received rave reviews and numerous theater awards.

PRESENTERS
Randy Travis is nominated for two Academy of Country Music Awards this year--Song of the Year and Single Record of the Year--for the hit "Three Wooden Crosses." He has won eight Academy of Country Music Awards thus far in his career. His most recent album, Worship & Faith, is a gospel collection.

Tracy Lawrence has five Academy Of Country Music Awards nominations to his credit, including a win for Top New Male Vocalist in 1992. His latest album, Strong, was recently released.

Joe Nichols, last year's Top New Male Vocalist, will follow the success of his debut album, Man with a Memory, with his upcoming release "Revelation."

Diamond Rio has won two Academy Of Country Music Awards and is nominated this year for Top Vocal Group. They are currently at work on a new album and will be touring throughout the summer.

Kellie Coffey won an Academy Of Country Music Award last year for Top New Female Vocalist. Her follow up to "When You Lie Next To Me" will be released later this year.

Trick Pony is nominated this year for Top Vocal Group and won in 2001 in the category of Top New Vocal Duet or Group.

In addition to serving as judges on the reality hit "Nashville Star," The Warren Brothers are currently nominated for Top Vocal Duo. Their new album is Well-Deserved Obscurity.

Dr. Phil McGraw stars on the syndicated talk show, "Dr. Phil," and is the author of three New York Times #1 bestsellers. He will be joined on the show by his wife, Robin.

Eddie George and Kevin Carter are both standouts for NFL powerhouse the Tennessee Titans.

Nancy O'Dell is co-host of "Access Hollywood" and host of "Nashville Star."

Eric Close stars as Martin Fitzgerald on the hit series, "Without a Trace," on CBS.

Kimberly Williams-Paisley first made her mark in the hit film "Father of the Bride" and currently stars on the television series "According to Jim." She is also wife of country music sensation Brad Paisley.

Sasha Alexander stars as Agent Kate Todd on the hit CBS series NCIS.

Emmy-award-winning actor Michelle Stafford stars on the CBS daytime hit THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, and has appeared on "Law & Order," "JAG," and in the feature film "Double Jeopardy."

Karri Turner plays Lt. Harriet Sims on the hit CBS series "JAG," and was also a member of Los Angeles' famed Groundlings theater company.

Latin gospel crossover sensation Jaci Velasquez has 16 #1 radio hits to her credit. Her new album, Unspoken, is her first English-language release in two years.

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy received the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award in 1995 and recently released the film version of "The Blue Collar Comedy Tour." His latest album is The Best of Jeff Foxworthy: Double Wide, Single Minded.

Cledus T. Judd, the self-proclaimed Country Comedy King, is well known for his outrageous parodies of country hits. His most recent release is "The Original Dixie Hick."

Bill Engvall starred in "The Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie" as well as "The Jeff Foxworthy Show." His new album is Here's Your Sign--Reloaded.

Master magician Lance Burton is the headliner at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, where he performs in a theater designed for and named after him. Burton has won countless awards for his work, including two awards for Magician of the Year from the Academy of Magical Arts.

Penn & Teller have appeared together for over 25 years with successes on both stage and television. They have also written three best-selling books. They bring their cheerfully offbeat brand of magic to Las Vegas audiences nightly and star together in a new series for Showtime.

Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt has starred in the films "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "The Tuxedo" and "Heartbreakers." She next stars in "Garfield: The Movie," which will be released in theaters June 11.

Actress Emily Procter stars on the hit CBS series CSI: MIAMI and was a series regular on "The West Wing."

Singer Julie Roberts' self-titled debut album will be released on May 25.

Dierks Bentley, Pat Green, Buddy Jewell, Josh Turner and Jimmy Wayne are Academy of Country Music Awards nominees for this year's Top New Artist.

The Rock has starred in the hit feature films "The Scorpion King" and "The Rundown" and currently stars in "Walking Tall."

Country music star LeAnn Rimes has earned three Academy of Country Music Awards and recently released "LeAnn Rimes: Greatest Hits."

NASCAR's Sterling Marlin drives the #40 car for the Coors Light Racing Team. He is one of only three drivers in NASCAR history to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, a feat he accomplished in 1994 and 1995.

PERFORMERS
Country music legend Willie Nelson will be honored with the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award at this year's ACMAs. The award, which acknowledges unprecedented, unique and outstanding individual achievement in country music, has only been presented four times in the Academy's 39-year history. In a recording career that has spanned almost 50 years, Willie Nelson has broken more records, garnered more awards and bridged more musical styles than almost any other artist alive today. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nelson has released more than 100 albums, 12 of which reached #1 on the charts. He has won seven Academy of Country Music Awards, including the prestigious Pioneer Award, which he received in 1991, and was a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1998.

In the course of selling over 25 million albums, Tim McGraw has accumulated nine Academy Of Country Music Awards. This summer he will embark on his latest tour, "Tim McGraw and The Dancehall Doctors OUT LOUD Summer Tour 2004." In addition to currently filming the feature "Friday Night Lights," McGraw is busy finishing up his next album. He will perform the album's debut single "Live Like You Were Dying" for the first time on the show.

Clint Black has previously won six Academy Of Country Music Awards. "Spend My Time" is his first collection of new material in five years. His nationwide "Clint Black: D'Lectrified" tour kicks off this summer.

Loretta Lynn has won 12 Academy Of Country Music Awards throughout her career, including Artist of the Decade for her work in the 1970s and the prestigious Pioneer Award, which she received in 1994. Her new album is Van Lear Rose. Lynn will be performing with Vince Gill, whose latest record is "Next Big Thing." Gill, who has sold 22 million records throughout his career, is also nominated for Vocal Event of the Year for "Young Man's Town."

Sara Evans has six Academy Of Country Music Awards nominations, including one this year for Top Female Vocalist. She followed the success of her double platinum debut album, Born To Fly, with the recent release "Restless."

Gretchen Wilson's current single, "Redneck Woman," is the first single off her debut album, which will be released this summer.

Big & Rich, with members John Rich and Big Kenny, just released their debut album, Horse of a Different Color.

Alan Jackson has sold more than 40 million records throughout his incredible career and has earned 30 #1 singles. He has also won 11 Academy of Country Music Awards and is this year's most nominated artist, with a total of eight nominations.

Terri Clark is nominated for Top Female Vocalist this year. The multiple-platinum seller also achieved a #1 country hit with "I Just Wanna to Be Mad." Her new book, Phases & Stages: The Terri Clark Journals, was recently released by Insomniac Press. Clark is nominated for Top Female Vocalist this year.

Brooks & Dunn have won 17 Academy of Country Music Awards and have five nominations for this year's awards, including a nomination for Top Vocal Duo, an award that they have won for the last three years straight.

Uncle Kracker collaborated with Kenny Chesney on the #1 hit "When The Sun Goes Down" and will be opening for him all summer on the "Guitars, Tiki Bars, & A Whole Lot of Love" tour.

Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss collaborated for the duet "Whiskey Lullabye" on Paisley's platinum album Mud on the Tires. Brad Paisley is nominated for three Academy of Country Music Awards this year, including The Home Depot Humanitarian Award. Alison Krauss is nominated for Vocal Event of the Year for her work with James Taylor on "How's The World Treating You" off Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers.

George Strait, winner of more than a dozen Academy of Country Music Awards, has sold more than 62 million records. Last year he was awarded the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award for having 50 #1 hits, an achievement no artist in any other genre has matched.

Keith Urban won Top New Male Vocalist honors in 2000 and is nominated this year for Top Male Artist.

Rascal Flatts are nominated for Top Vocal Group this year, an award they won at last year's ceremony. The group also won Song of the Year honors last year and the award for Top New Duet or Group in 2000.

Martina McBride won Top Female Vocalist honors in both 2001 and 2002, for which she is nominated again this year.

Toby Keith won Entertainer of the Year honors last year, and is nominated for that same award again this year. In 2000, he also won Album of the Year and Top Male Vocalist of the Year.

Montgomery Gentry won Top New Vocal Duet or Group in 1999 and are nominated this year for Top Vocal Duo as well as for their work on Tracy Byrd's "The Truth About Men."

Lonestar, last year's winner of The Home Depot Humanitarian Award, won Top Vocal Group honors in 2001 and have five total Academy of Country Music Awards wins to their name.