LAS VEGAS – Luke Bryan didn’t want the American Country Awards to end.

He cleaned up during the fan-voted show, earning nine awards, including artist and album of the year. His smash hit “I Don’t Want This Night To End” was named single and music video of the year.

Miranda Lambert took home the second most guitar trophies with three. Jason Aldean was named touring artist of the year. Carrie Underwood won female artist of the year, and a tearful Lauren Alaina won new artist of the year.

Bryan, Aldean, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and Trace Adkins with Lynyrd Skynrd were among the high-energy performances.

The third annual ACAs were held at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas Monday night.

Officials confirm death of singer in Mexico crash

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MONTERREY, Mexico – U.S. authorities confirmed Monday that Jenni Rivera, a U.S.-born singer whose soulful voice and openness about her personal troubles made her a Mexican-American superstar, was killed in a plane crash in northern Mexico.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to help investigate the crash, and the board was told by Mexican authorities that Rivera had died in Sunday’s crash.

Rivera’s relatives in the U.S. already had few doubts that she was on the Learjet 25 that disintegrated on impact in rugged territory near the town of Iturbide in the Sierra Madre Oriental in Nuevo Leon state.

“I believe my daughter’s body is unrecognizable,” her father, Pedro Rivera, told dozens of reporters who had gathered in front of his Los Angeles-area home.

He said that his son would fly to Monterrey.

Alejandro Argudin, of Mexico’s civil aviation agency, said Monday it would take at least 10 days to have a preliminary report on what happened to the plane.

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DJs say prank gone wrong  is ‘gut-wrenching’

SYDNEY – They say they expected a hang-up and a few laughs. Instead, the Australian DJs behind a hoax phone call to the London hospital where the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge was being treated were deeply apologetic Monday as they described how their joke ended up going too far.

The phone call — in which they impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles — went through, and their station broadcast and even trumpeted the confidential information received. Whatever pride there had been over the hoax was obliterated by worldwide public outrage after Friday’s death of Jacintha Saldanha, the first nurse they talked to.

“There’s not a minute that goes by that we don’t think about her family and what they must be going through,” 2DayFM radio host Mel Greig told Australia’s “A Current Affair,” her voice shaking. “And the thought that we may have played a part in that is gut-wrenching.”

Police have not disclosed the cause of Saldanha’s death, but many assume it was related to the stress from the call. An autopsy is being held Tuesday.

Prime Minister David Cameron said at a luncheon Monday that “the suicide of this nurse, who worked incredibly hard and obviously was incredibly dedicated … is an absolute tragedy.”

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His office later said Cameron’s comment was not an official acknowledgment that the death was a suicide.

Lady Antebellum singer tweets the news — she’s pregnant

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott is expecting.

Scott announced her pregnancy Friday on Twitter, calling the baby “our Christmas gift.” A spokeswoman confirmed the news and said no other details were available.

It’s the first child for the 26-year-old “Need You Now” singer and her husband, Chris Tyrrell. It’s also the first child for the trio, which includes Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood.

Later in the day Scott traveled to Las Vegas, where the Lady A attended Monday’s American Country Awards. Scott tweeted that she was headed to bed: “… this growing a baby thing makes ya sleepy!”

 


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