Chesney’s “No Shoes Nation” Artists Garner 15 ACM Nominations

Kenny Chesney’s tour kicks off March 16 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, with Eric Church, Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves

(Tampa, Fl./ February 13, 2013) Kenny Chesney doesn’t need another reason to justify kicking off his tour again at Raymond James Stadium, as it already has insane tailgating, awesome fans and even a pirate ship waving a “Pirate Flag,” ironically the title of his just released hit single. After the Academy of Country Music (ACM) nominations were announced Wednesday, he’s got one more thing to add to the list. Chesney, along with Eric Church, Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves have a total of 15 ACM nominations for this year’s awards, giving this first show unprecedented star power.

Chesney, who has sold more than 27 million albums and is already a four-time ACM Entertainer of the Year winner, earned a nomination this year for his duet with Tim McGraw, “Feel Like a Rock Star.” Eric Church led all nominees with an astonishing seven nominations, including Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for “Chief” and Song of the Year for “Springsteen”. The Eli Young Band totaled three nominations, including Vocal Group of the Year and Song of the Year for “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”. Newcomer Kacey Musgraves is up for four awards including Female Vocalist of the Year, with fellow nominees such as Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood.

“No Shoes Nation” marks 20 years of touring for Chesney, who Billboard declares is "The biggest ticket seller in country music and among the elite touring artists in the world," and comes on the heels of his wildly successful 2012 “Brothers of the Sun” Tour, which entertained more than 1.1 million fans across the country - his 10th consecutive tour to hit that ticket sale milestone.

Tickets for the Tampa show are on sale via Ticketmaster. Raymond James Stadium’s Ticket Office will not be selling tickets to the concert. For special Kenny Chesney fan housing information in the Tampa Bay area, go to http://raymondjamesstadium.com/kenny-chesney-fan-housing/.