Kenny Chesney to Receive Groundbreaker Award at the AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS

Country superstar Kenny Chesney will receive the AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS' Groundbreaker Award. The award is given to an artist who has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible within the definitions of today's country music. It recognizes trailblazing in the realm of concerts, musical accomplishment, creative innovation and connecting with fans across the United States. Chesney, the only country artist included in Billboard's Top 10 Touring Acts of the Last 25 Years, will accept the honor at Nashville's Music City Center on Monday, Dec. 15 during the live telecast (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

"The Groundbreaker Award recognizes how Kenny has revolutionized the live music experience for Country fans," said Mark Bracco, Executive Vice President of Programing and Development at dick clark productions. "He is a true groundbreaker, MOVING COUNTRY music into new directions with his pioneering, record-breaking tours that have propelled him into one of the very biggest live performing artists in America. Kenny is the perfect recipient for our very first show."

"Given what the 'American Country Countdown' radio show has meant to the music over the past 40 years, it's humbling to be singled out like this," Chesney responded. "For me, this music has always been about the fans - how we see them, what we give them and the way country moves them. It often starts with 'American Country Countdown,' watching that climb, getting invested. It did for me, so I'm not surprised to see them wanting to award the artists in a way that recognizes innovation and achievement."

Chesney has sold more than a million tickets to each of his 11 headlining tours since 2002. An eight-time Entertainer of the Year, with four consecutive ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS and four Country Music Association Awards, Chesney has also won the American Music Award's Favorite Artist Award, the ACM's Top Male Vocalist and Single of the Year ("The Good Stuff") and the CMA's Album of the Year (the sextuple-platinum "When The Sun Goes Down"), Video and Vocal Event Awards. With over 30 million albums sold - 7 debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums and 13 topping Billboard's Country Album chart, his "The Big Revival" has spawned the multiple week No. 1 single, "American Kids," certified platinum, and the Top 10-and-climbing "Til It's Gone."

AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS finalists are determined based on statistics and radio airplay charts from November 1, 2013-October 31, 2014. The Finalists for Album of the Year were based on album sales from SoundScan and the finalists for Artist of the Year were based on a combination of Mediabase airplay, digital data provided by Big Champagne and tour information from Pollstar. All other award categories were made up of those with the largest audience reach, according to Mediabase.

The AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS is produced by dick clark productions. Allen Shapiro (CEO, dick clark productions), Mike Mahan (President, dick clark productions), Mark Bracco (Executive Vice President, Programing and Development, dick clark productions), John Dickey (Executive Vice President of Content and Programming, Cumulus), Richard Godfrey ("MTV Europe Music Awards") and Tom Forrest ("CMT Crossroads") are executive producers. Baz Halpin is co-executive producer.