SWIFT PRANKS URBAN WITH KISS TRIBUTE

Country star TAYLOR SWIFT played a prank on her touring partner KEITH URBAN at a concert in Missouri - by taking the stage to perform their duet dressed as a member of rock group KISS.

TIMBALAND WANTS TO GO COUNTRY WITH SWIFT

Hip-hop superproducer TIMBALAND is planning a change in musical direction - he wants to work with country singing sensation TAYLOR SWIFT.

BEYONCE & LADY GAGA LAND NINE VMA NOMINATIONS EACH

BEYONCE and LADY GAGA will fight it out for the title of pop queen of the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards after landing nine nominations apiece.

Is Joe Jonas’ new tune ‘Much Better’ about ex-flame Taylor Swift?

LONDON - Joe Jonas has said that it’s for fans to decide whether or not his band’s new tune ‘Much Better’ is about his ex Taylor Swift.

List of winners at Country Music Television awards

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Here is a list of the winners at the Country Music Television awards, presented Tuesday:

Taylor Swift wins CMT video of the year for ‘Love Story’; thanks Shania Twain, Brooks

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Taylor Swift won video of the year at the Country Music Television awards for “Love Story.”

Sugarland, Zac Brown Band, Kid Rock early winners at Country Music Television video awards

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Taylor Swift opened Tuesday’s Country Music Television awards with a skit about living out her dreams. The 19-year-old country and pop sensation went a long way toward doing just that by winning video of the year and female video of the year for “Love Story” and by performing with one of her favorite rock bands.

Comedian Bill Engvall admits feeling ‘really nervous’ as he prepares for CMT Awards on Tuesday

LOS ANGELES — Bill Engvall is a comedian, a sitcom star and a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. So, hosting this week’s CMT Awards should be a piece of cake.

Despite challenges, country artists look to increase the genre’s popularity overseas

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dierks Bentley and his band recently jetted to Australia to open six shows for Brooks & Dunn, playing to more than 10,000 people a night in the country’s largest cities.

Best Sellers-Audio

Weekly charts for the nation’s best-selling recorded music as they appear in next week’s issue of Billboard magazine. Reprinted with permission. (Platinum signifies more than 1 million copies sold; Gold signifies more than 500,000 copies sold.):

Taylor Swift’s dad enjoys embarrassing her

WASHINGTON - Country-pop singer Taylor Swift has a great relationship with her dad, but she has revealed that there are times when he can make her go red in the face with embarrassment.

‘Twilight’ takes a bite out of MTV Movie Awards, but ‘Bruno’ encounter with Eminem steals show

LOS ANGELES — The MTV Movie Awards were a blood bath Sunday night with “Twilight” taking five trophies, including best movie. But it was Sacha Baron Cohen who gave the show its trademark bizarro moment when he landed upside-down on the lap of Eminem, who may or may not have been deeply offended.

Taylor Swift was a loner in junior high school

WASHINGTON - Taylor Swift may have crowds falling at her feet now, but the popular young country artist did not have many friends during her high school days.

Taylor Swift takes fans on the road as ‘Dateline’ goes on country singer’s tour bus

NEW YORK — People can’t seem to get enough of Taylor Swift, so “Dateline NBC” is devoting an entire hour to the country sensation later this month.

Urban tries to protect his daughter from cameras; talks new tour, bringing family on the road

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Keith Urban understands that paparazzi come along with the fame, but he draws a line when it comes to his infant daughter.