The Country Music Association asked for photographs to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of CMA Music Festival, and the fans delivered! During the last few weeks, former attendees of the event (which started as Fan Fair® in 1972) submitted hundreds of photographs of themselves posing onsite with their favorite artists for a chance to be included on the tickets for the 2011 Festival. 2011 CMA Music Festival will be held Thursday-Sunday, June 9-12, 2011 in Downtown Nashville, and will once again be filmed for an ABC Television special that will air later this summer.
Six photos were chosen to be used on the Festival tickets, but all submitted photographs will be included in an on-going photo archive documenting the legendary event. All six winning photographs will also be displayed on CMAfest.com, the official Internet home of CMA Music Festival.
The grand prize winner was Mandie Palcic of Indian Trail, N.C., for her photo with Taylor Swift from 2008, taken in Swift’s booth at the Fan Fair Exhibit Hall in the Nashville Convention Center. The photo will be used on the Gold Circle Level tickets for this year’s Festival. Palcic will have the opportunity to autograph ticket blanks in the CMA Booth of the Fan Fair Exhibit Hall at this year’s Festival. She will also receive two Gold Circle four-day tickets to the 2012 CMA Music Festival, a plaque displaying a ticket containing her winning photograph; and a merchandise prize pack.
The second place winner was Dianne Everett of St. Louis, Mo., for her photo with Loretta Lynn from 1994, taken at Lynn’s booth when Fan Fair was held at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. The photo will be used on the Floor Level tickets for this year’s Festival. Everett will receive a plaque displaying a ticket containing her winning photograph; and a merchandise prize pack.
The third place winner was Jamie Leslie of Ashland, Ky., for her photo with Jason Aldean from 2010, taken in the Fan Fair Exhibit Hall in the Nashville Convention Center. The photo will be used on the Lower Level tickets for this year’s Festival. Leslie will receive a plaque displaying a ticket containing her winning photograph; and a merchandise prize pack.
Three runner-ups were also chosen. In addition to having their photo on a ticket, they will each receive a merchandise prize pack. The runners up are: Jackie Brannan of Albuquerque, N.M., for her photo with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill at their booth in 2000, the last year Fan Fair was at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. This photo will be used on the Club Level tickets; Michelle Ferullo of Westfield, Mass., for her photo with Carrie Underwood from 2008 in the Fan Fair Exhibit Hall in the Nashville Convention Center. This photo will be used on the Upper Reserved Level tickets; and Laura Kolor of Wappingers Falls, N.Y., for her photo with Lady Antebellum from the group’s fan club party held during CMA Music Festival in 2010. This photo will be used on the Upper General Admission Level tickets.
Artists already announced as performing at CMA Music Festival include Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Easton Corbin, Sheryl Crow, Sara Evans, the JaneDear girls, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Ashton Shepherd, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Chris Young, and Zac Brown Band, with more to be revealed soon.
Since beginning as Fan Fair® in 1972, CMA Music Festival has hosted thousands of visitors from across the globe and celebrated the unique bond between Country Music artists and its fans. The event, which USA Today calls “the crown jewel of Country Music festivals,” has become Nashville’s signature music event, which raises millions of dollars for music education in Metro Nashville Public Schools. The event will also be filmed for an ABC Television Network special to air later this summer. Four-day ticket packages are on sale and fans can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased through CMAfest.com or 1-800-CMA-FEST.
