Meet Nathan Hemmelgarn aka CountryGuyMN, this week’s Featured Care Bear! Learn more about Nathan and his Care Bear story below.

Where are you from? Farmington, MN

What was the very first Carrie Underwood song you heard? Besides all of her American Idol performances it was ‘Inside Your Heaven’

How many years have you been a Carrie Underwood fan? Since she won American Idol in 2005

How many Carrie Underwood shows have you been to? 25

What is the farthest you have travelled for a Carrie Underwood show? Drove from MN to NYC!

What is one thing that sets you apart from other Carrie Underwood fans? Not sure what sets me apart from everyone…. I feel like when we see each other at shows we all share our stories and our passion for country music and our girl Carrie! You become instant friends with these people because we share this passion together!!! And I love that all the members in this fan club see that… I have been in other fan clubs that the community doesn’t get along… they’re rude and it’s like a competition with everyone… which I don’t know why…. this is the only fan club I have been apart of since the day it started!! We all love Music, Country, and Carrie….. we all just come together as one and have a good time!!!! ?

Tell us your favorite Carrie Underwood related story: Long story short. I had a best friend growing up! Her and I did everything together all the way up to high school. We graduated and lost touch… 4 years go by and we were at a mutual friends bday party and I went to go pay and my Carrie fan club card fell out of my wallet. She was like SHUT UP I’m in Carrie’s fan club! And since then we have been taking road trips to see her shows and picked up from where we left off! CARRIE BROUGHT THESE TWO SMALL TOWN BESTFRIENDS BACK TOGETHER!! I’ll be forever grateful for that!! ?

If you haven’t already, enter to be the next Featured Care Bear here.

“CMA International Awards are a way to recognize our genre’s best ambassadors to fans globally. The recipients of these Awards are the ones on the front lines, continuously driving CMA’s mission to advance Country Music around the world,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer.

The announcement follows several weeks packed with festivals and other Country Music events in three different countries – first with the C2C Festival in London, Dublin, and Glasgow; and more recently with the CMC Music Awards and sold-out CMC Rocks QLD Festival in Australia.

Following is a list of the 2017 Recipients of the CMA International Awards:

International Artist Achievement Award – Carrie Underwood
Formerly the International Touring Artist Award, the CMA International Artist Achievement Award recognizes outstanding achievement by a U.S.-based artist who contributes to the awareness and development of Country Music outside the United States.

Underwood has made touring internationally a priority since performing her first U.K. concert with a quick sell-out at the iconic Royal Albert Hall in 2012, followed by sold-out tours throughout Australia and Canada. After first headlining C2C in 2013, she became the first artist to headline twice, performing in London, Glasgow, and Dublin in 2016, as well as adding dates in Sweden and Norway. Underwood made 3 additional trips to the U.K. in support of her recent Storyteller album for the Apple Music Festival and major TV performances including “X Factor” and “The Jonathan Ross Show.” Last winter, she reteamed with former tour mate Keith Urban for an arena/stadium tour of Australia and New Zealand, bringing her to nearly 25 international markets over the course of the year. Underwood was presented her trophy backstage at the Grand Ole Opry by CMA Board Chairman Sally Williams while celebrating her 100th performance.

International Country Broadcaster Award – Bob Harris
The International Country Broadcaster Award recognizes outstanding achievement by radio broadcasters outside the U.S. who have made important contributions to the development of Country Music in their country.

A three-time CMA International Award recipient, Harris is one of the most visible proponents for Country Music abroad. As host of BBC Radio 2’s “Bob Harris Country,” the 40-year industry veteran brings CMA Awards coverage to the U.K. on the region’s most popular radio station. Harris received his Award from CMA Award winner Kristian Bushduring the C2C Festival in London.

Jo Walker-Meador International Award – Rob Potts
Named for Country Music Hall of Fame member and longtime Executive Director of CMA, the Jo Walker-Meador International Award recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual or company in advocating and supporting Country Music’s marketing development in territories outside the United States.

Potts, one of Australia’s leading promotors, heads Rob Potts Entertainment Edge where he has been at the forefront of Country Music’s surge Down Under. He is one of the founders of the CMC Rocks festival franchise, including CMC Rocks QLD, Australia’s first sold-out Country Music festival. Potts also serves as Chairman of the CMA Australian Advisory Group. Five-time CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town presented Potts his trophy backstage at the CMC Rocks QLD Festival in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia.

Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award – The Shires
The Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award recognizes outstanding achievements by a Country Music artist originally signed outside of the United States – in both furthering the popularity of Country Music and bringing attention to the Country Music format in their foreign-based territory.

Comprised of Brits Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes, The Shires are among the U.K.’s most successful homegrown Country acts. Their latest album, My Universe, is the fastest-selling U.K. Country album in history, and their Gold-certified debut, Brave, was the first British Country album to hit Top 10 on the U.K. all-genre albums chart. They made their Grand Ole Opry debut in 2015. The Shires were surprised with the Award during the sold-out CMA Songwriters Series in London, which kicked off C2C weekend.

Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award – Richard Wootton
The Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award recognizes outstanding achievements in the media, which contribute to the development of Country Music outside the United States. Radio, TV, print journalists, authors, editors, television writers, producers, and PR companies, who reside outside the United States, are eligible to win this Award.

As the head of Richard Wootton Publicity, Wootton is at the forefront of the Country Music industry in the U.K. He has represented countless Country artists who have embarked on European careers, as well as worked with record labels and C2C. He previously won the Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award in 1991. A member of the CMA U.K. Advisory Group, Wootton received his Award from Bush during the Group’s London meeting.

CMA International Awards are voted on by CMA International Membership as well as a panel of domestic U.S.-based industry.

Through honors such as these and events including the international expansion of the CMA Songwriters Series (Belfast, Dublin, London, Paris) and involvement in the popular C2C concerts since 2013, CMA seeks to recognize and empower its international membership and Country Music fans globally.

Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame member Connie Smith introduced Underwood on Saturday’sfirst show and presented her fellow Opry member with a commemorative print and a rose bouquet in celebration of 100 Opry appearances. “Opry fans, all of us Opry members, and the entire Opry family are excited when you come home to the Opry stage,” Smith said to Underwood. “Even when you’ve been on the road more than 200 days a year, you’ve always come back to the Opry. That tells me you love us, and we love you right back.”

“I grew up dreaming of one day performing here and maybe even becoming a member. That dream comes true over and over each time I take the Opry stage,” Underwood said. “Here’s to the next 100!”

Backstage, Underwood marked the 100-show milestone with a specially-decorated cake from Nashville’s IveyCake and 100 pink roses in her dressing room, a surprise gift from the Opry.

Next week, Carrie heads to Las Vegas to perform on the “52nd Academy of Country Music Awards” on Sunday, April 2 on CBS where she is up for two awards including Entertainer of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year. Carrie has a career win of 12 ACM Awards including being the first female artist to be twice named the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year and the Triple Crown Award.

Photos by Chris Hollo for Grand Ole Opry.

The ACM Awards will broadcast LIVE from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 2 (live 8:00-11:00 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. CLICK HERE for more info.

To wish Carrie a Happy Birthday, add your personalized message to the comments section below.

Metallica’s James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich are nominated for Best Rock Song (“Hardwired”).

Carrie Underwood is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance (“Church Bells”).

Four-time GRAMMY winner Urban is up for Best Country Album (Ripcord) and Best Country Solo Performance (“Blue Ain’t Your Color”).

The 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich is executive producer, Louis J. Horvitz is director, Ben Winston is a producer, and David Wild and Ehrlich are the writers.

Carrie soars into 2017 with multiple award nominations including a Grammy nod for Best Country Solo Performance for her #1 hit “Church Bells,” and a People’s Choice Award nomination for Favorite Female Country Artist. She is also a double nominee at the upcoming iHeartRadio Music Awards for Country Song of the Year, “Church Bells,” and Country Artist of the Year.  Carrie’s 2016 sold-out 360-degree “Storyteller Tour – Stories in the Round” is also nominated in the Most Creative Stage Production category at next month’s Pollstar Awards.

 

Carrie previously attended The Golden Globes in 2011 as a nominee in the “Best Original Song-Motion Picture” category for the song “There’s A Place For Us,” written by Carrie, Hillary Lindsey, and David Hodges, for Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. This year she joins an elite list of presenters including Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Kristen Bell, Annette Benning, Pierce Brosnan, Naomi Campbell, Jessica Chastain, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gal Gadot, Hugh Grant, John Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, Felicity Jones, John Legend, Ryan Reynolds, Sting, Emma Stone, Vince Vaughn, Carl Weathers, Kristen Wig, and many more.