Luke Bryan was named Artist of the Year and Chris Stapleton won Album of the Year at Sunday’s American Country Countdown Awards. Meanwhile, Brooks & Dunn reunited outside of their Vegas show to accept the Nash Icon award and perform their smash “Red Dirt Road.” Ronnie Dunn’s response? “So here’s how it goes.” “I wake up in a parking lot tomorrow in a brown, whiskey haze at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas with this Icon award sitting next to me.” “I go, ‘You ain’t no icon. You ain’t no Johnny Cash.” “You ain’t no Merle Haggard. You ain’t no George Jones. You got a lot long way to go skinny boy with a record deal.’ I’m proud of this, thank you!” Speaking of the late Merle Haggard, Toby Keith, along with Haggard’s band the Strangers, and Haggard’s youngest son Ben, performed. Keith sang a montage of Haggard hits including, “Mama Tried,” “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink” and “Fightin’ Side of Me.” The gorgeous Carrie Underwood (above) showed off her moves – and vocal chops, as always – with a live rendition of “Church Bells.” Usually high-energy Florida Georgia Line took it down a couple of notches for a performance of “H.O.L.Y.” as their wives looked on adoringly. Jennifer Nettles, Cam and Martina McBride performed the latter’s 2003 hit “This One’s for the Girls” in an awesome shout-out to women. A good time was had by all, to state the obvious. Here’s the full list of winners from the American Country Countdown Awards 2016: Artist of the Year: Luke Bryan Male Vocalist of the Year: Luke Bryan Female Vocalist of the Year: Carrie Underwood Group/Duo of the Year: Florida Georgia Line Song of the Year: “Die a Happy Man” by Thomas Rhett Breakthrough Male of the Year: Sam Hunt Breakthrough Female of the Year: Kelsea Ballerini Album of the Year: Traveller by Chris Stapleton Nash Icon Award: Brooks & Dunn
If the Season 6 premiere of Game of Thrones felt a tad uneventful, this week’s episode more than made up for it by arguably doing as much advance the plot as any individual episode in the show’s history. Watch Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 2 Online We begin with the long-awaited return of Bran – and the first appearance of Lyanna Stark, who according to some theories , is the mother of Jon Snow. Interesting stuff, but let’s face it, the real revelation here is that Hodor talks! And his real name is Willis! Unfortunately, that’s all in the past. In the present, he and Meera just stand idly by while Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven have visions. They’re basically like the straight-edge roommates in a stoners’ dorm. From there, we move to Castle Black for a showdown nearly as tense as any scene in the acclaimed ” Watchers on the Wall ” episode in Season 4. At first we were disappointed, as it seemed that the show would be spending another episode attempting to convince us that Jon Snow is really dead (more on that later), but hey – it was cool to see that badass Wildling giant again. Also making a return in this episode – the d-bag who flashed his dong at Cersei during her painfully memorable walk of shame. We get the feeling the dude won’t be making any further cameos. If you like giants slamming regular-sized people into walls, this was episode for you! The Lannisters continue to make their case for the most dysfunctional family in Westeros, as Tommen suspects Cersei of killing Trystane and prevents her from attending Myrcella’s funeral. View Slideshow: Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 2 Photos: Bran is Back! The High Sparrow returns, and it appears he won’t be as easily dispatched as many (including Jaime) initially thought. It’s beginning to seem like he’s another villain who’s in this for the long haul, but his aims, and the impact that he’ll have on the struggle for the Iron Throne are still unclear. “Everyone is poor and powerless, and yet together, we can overthrow an empire,” he tells Jaime, doing his best impression of Bernie Sanders’ evil twin. As the sole bad guy who claims to be working for the greater good, the Sparrow could prove to be a dangerous and formidable foe to the Lannisters. At the very least he’ll be the primary target of Cersei’s inevitable revenge. Speaking of Lannisters, Tyrion is still working for the missing Khaleesi. Although these days, that mainly means drinking a lot and spouting witty one-liners. In fairness, if we were about to single-handedly prove that dragons aren’t so bad after all, we’d need a glass of wine or seven, too. Tyrion unchains Dany’s scaly pets, and survives the encounter, but we still don’t know much about how well the dragons follow orders and what role they’ll play in her rescue. Unfortunately, that was the closest we got to a Daenerys update this week. Arya continues to practice the world’s most painful religion, though for once, she seems to be making progress. Meanwhile, Ramsay gets backed further into a corner and reacts like the evil vermin that he is by perpetrating one of the most despicable acts we’ve seen on GoT (no mean feat!). Like Ramsay, Sansa, Reek and Brienne are also laboring under the impression that Jon is alive, well and in command of the Night’s Watch. It’s partially for that reason that Reek (in a surprisingly touching scene) abandons the mission to return Sansa to safety and heads home. (The title of the episode applies to just about every storyline in equal measure.) That brings us back to the Iron Islands (Also worth noting: This episode was filled with some impressively seamless transitions.) where Euron Greyjoy throws his brother Balon to his death. And then finally – finally! – we get a direct answer to the question that Thrones fans have been asking for months: Can Melisandre bring Jon Snow back to life? The answer yes – but it ain’t easy. The showrunners did a good job of building tension during Jon’s resurrection scene, but the whole thing felt a bit inevitable, which was perhaps unavoidable, as fans have been predicting this outcome for months. We all knew that Jon was coming back somehow. His character is too significant to the show’s other storylines, and it would’ve been absurd to spend so much time establishing his importance just to kill him off in somewhat random fashion. Now that the “Jon is dead” storyline is resolved (Paul is still the walrus, BTW.) it almost feels like we can let out our bated breath and go about the business of beginning to bring “the great game” toward its conclusion. The episode is entitled “Home,” after all, and that could’ve meant several things in Jon’s case, but in the end, it seems to affirm that the Lord Commander truly belongs at Castle Black. View Slideshow: Game of Thrones Gambling Odds: Wager on Who Will Win the Iron Throne!
If the Season 6 premiere of Game of Thrones felt a tad uneventful, this week’s episode more than made up for it by arguably doing as much advance the plot as any individual episode in the show’s history. Watch Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 2 Online We begin with the long-awaited return of Bran – and the first appearance of Lyanna Stark, who according to some theories , is the mother of Jon Snow. Interesting stuff, but let’s face it, the real revelation here is that Hodor talks! And his real name is Willis! Unfortunately, that’s all in the past. In the present, he and Meera just stand idly by while Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven have visions. They’re basically like the straight-edge roommates in a stoners’ dorm. From there, we move to Castle Black for a showdown nearly as tense as any scene in the acclaimed ” Watchers on the Wall ” episode in Season 4. At first we were disappointed, as it seemed that the show would be spending another episode attempting to convince us that Jon Snow is really dead (more on that later), but hey – it was cool to see that badass Wildling giant again. Also making a return in this episode – the d-bag who flashed his dong at Cersei during her painfully memorable walk of shame. We get the feeling the dude won’t be making any further cameos. If you like giants slamming regular-sized people into walls, this was episode for you! The Lannisters continue to make their case for the most dysfunctional family in Westeros, as Tommen suspects Cersei of killing Trystane and prevents her from attending Myrcella’s funeral. View Slideshow: Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 2 Photos: Bran is Back! The High Sparrow returns, and it appears he won’t be as easily dispatched as many (including Jaime) initially thought. It’s beginning to seem like he’s another villain who’s in this for the long haul, but his aims, and the impact that he’ll have on the struggle for the Iron Throne are still unclear. “Everyone is poor and powerless, and yet together, we can overthrow an empire,” he tells Jaime, doing his best impression of Bernie Sanders’ evil twin. As the sole bad guy who claims to be working for the greater good, the Sparrow could prove to be a dangerous and formidable foe to the Lannisters. At the very least he’ll be the primary target of Cersei’s inevitable revenge. Speaking of Lannisters, Tyrion is still working for the missing Khaleesi. Although these days, that mainly means drinking a lot and spouting witty one-liners. In fairness, if we were about to single-handedly prove that dragons aren’t so bad after all, we’d need a glass of wine or seven, too. Tyrion unchains Dany’s scaly pets, and survives the encounter, but we still don’t know much about how well the dragons follow orders and what role they’ll play in her rescue. Unfortunately, that was the closest we got to a Daenerys update this week. Arya continues to practice the world’s most painful religion, though for once, she seems to be making progress. Meanwhile, Ramsay gets backed further into a corner and reacts like the evil vermin that he is by perpetrating one of the most despicable acts we’ve seen on GoT (no mean feat!). Like Ramsay, Sansa, Reek and Brienne are also laboring under the impression that Jon is alive, well and in command of the Night’s Watch. It’s partially for that reason that Reek (in a surprisingly touching scene) abandons the mission to return Sansa to safety and heads home. (The title of the episode applies to just about every storyline in equal measure.) That brings us back to the Iron Islands (Also worth noting: This episode was filled with some impressively seamless transitions.) where Euron Greyjoy throws his brother Balon to his death. And then finally – finally! – we get a direct answer to the question that Thrones fans have been asking for months: Can Melisandre bring Jon Snow back to life? The answer yes – but it ain’t easy. The showrunners did a good job of building tension during Jon’s resurrection scene, but the whole thing felt a bit inevitable, which was perhaps unavoidable, as fans have been predicting this outcome for months. We all knew that Jon was coming back somehow. His character is too significant to the show’s other storylines, and it would’ve been absurd to spend so much time establishing his importance just to kill him off in somewhat random fashion. Now that the “Jon is dead” storyline is resolved (Paul is still the walrus, BTW.) it almost feels like we can let out our bated breath and go about the business of beginning to bring “the great game” toward its conclusion. The episode is entitled “Home,” after all, and that could’ve meant several things in Jon’s case, but in the end, it seems to affirm that the Lord Commander truly belongs at Castle Black. View Slideshow: Game of Thrones Gambling Odds: Wager on Who Will Win the Iron Throne!
HBO Releases New Trailer For The Game Of Thrones Season 6 Is Jon Snow coming back to life? Will Khaleesi take back control of her dragons Image via YouTube Continue reading →
Game of Thrones Season 6 is coming. We’ve known this for a very long time, of course, but now HBO has revealed the exact date on which fans will be taken back to Westeros. So you better circle your calendar and set your DVR for Sunday, April 24 at 9/8c. This is when Game of Thrones Season 6 will premiere. HBO also confirmed during its panel at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour today that the smash hit drama will once again be paired with comedies Veep and Silicon Valley. The latter‘s third season and the former’s fifth season will also debut that night, at 10 p.m. and 10:30 pm, respectively. Very little is known about Game of Thrones Season 6, although author George R.R. Martin came out this week and said the book on which it is based will not be completed in time for new episodes. As loyal readers and viewers know, however, the series veered away from Martin’s source material pretty heavily over the last couple seasons anyway. The main question heading into Season 6 is whether Jon Snow is truly dead or not (SPOILER ALERT that we are just assuming: there ain’t no way, people!). One of the only true heroes of the series was seemingly stabbed to death by his colleagues as Castle Black to close out Game of Thrones Season 5 . We also know that Bran Stark, who sat out all of Season 5, will return for Season 6. What storyline are you most excited about for this spring?
No more teases. No more vague posters. No more rumor or innuendo. HBO has come out with a new video that features actual footage from Game of Thrones Season 6 . It's not a lot. And it doesn't reveal very much, if anything at all. But, hey, this is Game of Thrones! We'll take whatever we can get! The footage begins around the two-minute, 15-second mark of the following video, which is meant to be a year-end celebration by HBO. It highlights the network's successful programs from the last 12 months and it previews what's on tap for 2016. And leading the way, in the eyes of many, is Game of Thrones Season 6. So, what do the clips reveal: Daenerys is disheveled and looking concerned while surrounded by the Dothraki. Cersei with short hair, giving a rare hug to Tommen. Ramsay Bolton grimly leading his men into battle. No, we'll end all hopes right now and report that there is not any footage of Jon Snow, despite the very strong rumor that he will return this spring. This Game of Thrones poster only added fuel to that exciting fire. Brand new episodes of this epic drama get underway in early April. Check out the following footage, as many times as need be, and see if you can pick out any real spoilers from the action teased here.
They have no idea what is going to happen. So intones the first official trailer for Game of Thrones Season 6 , just released by HBO and, no, it's not referencing the hit drama's showrunners with the above quote. It's talking instead about the characters themselves (and perhaps even the viewers), who simply cannot predict what is about to go down this spring. Then again, the worst kept secret in television appear to be out now that HBO has also unveiled the first poster for Season 6 . It features a supposedly dead Jon Snow, seemingly confirming the return of that beloved character. Jon Snow is also featured prominently in the following trailer, as we relive his death to close out Game of Thrones Season 5 and we even go way back in time to the death of Ned Stark. There is no new footage depicted in the promo, just a reminder of all the death and violence that has befallen Westeros over the years. Why do we have a feeling that even more is on tap throughout Season 6? We also get a look at Bran Stark, who was absent from Season 5, but who will come back and play a key role in 2016. In what capacity? We'll find out in a few months. Look for new Game of Thrones episodes to kick off in April of next year and get yourself excited for all to come now. Check out the teaser now:
Who says Donald Trump doesn't respect women?!? Oh, right, Donald Trump says Donald Trump does not respect women . But the Presidential candidate was conducting a press conference in South Carolina on Thursday when he read aloud a blurb in The New York Times. “'Ricardo Sánchez, known as El Mandril for his Spanish drive-time radio show in Los Angeles, has taken to calling Donald J. Trump El Hombre del Peluquín,” Trump read, holding a copy of the paper in front of him. “In other words, The Man of the Toupee.'” Trump proceeded to open his arms in disbelief and noted: “This is on the front page of the New York Times!” He does make a valid point there. But then Trump called upon a random woman in the crowd to come up on stage and feel his hair in order to prove it is not a toupee. After she confirmed its validity, Trump replied: “You're very nice. Thank you. Somebody's got a very nice wife, I don't know who she is.” Hey, at least Trump didn't kick out any Latino reporters this time around.
Isn't it great when little kids react with glee over the prospect of becoming big brothers and/or sisters? You know, basically the exact opposite way from how this young boy reacted to the news from his mom? In the following video, a mother delivers the big news to her five-year old son. And, yes, his response is partly adorable because he has a British accent. But it's mostly so adorable because of the way he smiles, the questions he asks, the general, overall happy demeanor he exudes over his pending little sibling. Watch now and compare to the cute ways other kids have reacted to stuff .
