DIERKS BENTLEY, KENNY CHESNEY, GRETCHEN WILSON AND GEORGE STRAIT TO PERFORM ON �THE 40TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS�

Country Music�s top artists of the year, Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Gretchen Wilson and George Strait, will perform on �The 40th Annual CMA Awards� to be telecast MONDAY, NOV. 6 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. The artists join a star-packed lineup of nominees and performers that already includes CMA Awards hosts Brooks & Dunn, Sara Evans, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood.

In 2004, Bentley received his first nomination for the Horizon Award. He claimed the trophy in 2005, and in 2006 he is nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year for the first time. Bentley, who has been on the road with Chesney�s �The Road and the Radio� tour, will headline his own tour. �The Locked & Loaded� tour begins October 4, and Bentley�s next album, �Long Trip Alone,� comes out October17.

Chesney received four CMA Awards nominations in 2006, including Entertainer, which he won in 2004; Male Vocalist; Album for �The Road and the Radio�; and Single of the Year for �Summertime.� He could win two additional Awards for co-producing his nominated Album and Single of the Year with Buddy Cannon. Chesney, who has sold nearly 25 million albums, released a concert disc, �Live Those Songs Again,� September 19. He concluded his successful summer stadium tour on September 3, having performed for close to 6 million fans over the past five summers.

Wilson won the Horizon trophy in 2004 and last year she was named CMA Female Vocalist of the Year. She is nominated in that category again in 2006 and picked up an additional nomination for Musical Event of the Year with Merle Haggard for �Politically Uncorrect.� The multi-Platinum artist�s highly-anticipated autobiography, Redneck Woman: Stories from My Life, comes out November 1.

The legendary Strait will also perform in addition to being formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on the CMA Awards, along with artist Sonny James and musician/producer Harold Bradley. Strait recently enjoyed his 53rd No. 1 single with �Give It Away,� making him Billboard magazine�s all-time leader for No. 1 Country singles. The song is from Strait�s forthcoming album, �It Just Comes Natural,� which is due in stores October 3.

Additional artists will be added to the lineup and announced at a later date. �The 40th Annual CMA Awards� airs live from the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville. It is a production of the Country Music Association. Walter C. Miller is the executive producer and Robert Deaton is the consulting producer.

�The 40th Annual CMA Awards� is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC�s selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound.