Welcome to The Boot's News Roundup, a morning rundown of the news country music fans need to know. Read on to learn more about the latest goings-on in the country, Americana, bluegrass and folk genres.

The nominations for the 2018 E! People's Choice Awards are out, and some of country's biggest stars are among this year's nominees. Thomas Rhett is nominated in the all-genre Male Artist of 2018 category, while Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood are up in the all-genre Female Artist of 2018 category. Additionally, Dan + Shay in the Group of 2018 category, along with Little Big Town and Sugarland, while Shania Twain's Now Tour is up for Concert Tour of 2018. The 2018 People's Choice Awards -- which also feature a Country Artist of 2018 category -- will air for the first time ever on the E! on Nov. 11; a complete list of nominees, as well as voting details, is available on EOnline.com. -- AM

John Prine new house
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Jason Isbell will headline the 2019 All the Best Fest, a brand-new festival featuring and curated by Americana icon John Prine. According to Rolling Stone, the festival will be held in Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, on Nov. 11-15, and will feature four performances from Prine on the beach. Tyler Childers, Amanda Shires, I'm With Her, and Iris DeMent are also set to perform. -- AM

Zac Brown Band
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Zac Brown Band will team up with singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes for a new installment of CMT's Crossroads. The show will tape outside of Nashville in the coming days and air on CMT on Oct. 24 at 10PM ET. “Shawn is an incredibly talented artist, and it’s been exciting to watch his career rise over the past few years,” Brown says in a press release. “This Crossroads will be very special, with huge vocals and musicality. It will be unexpected and something that both sets of fans will enjoy.” -- AS

Jonah Platt Tennessee Whiskey the Musical
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Tennessee Whiskey: The Musical, a musical written about the life of songwriter Dean Dillon, has chosen Broadway actor Jonah Platt to portray Dillon. According to Deadline, the show's playwright, director and producer Dewey Moss will tell the story of Dillon's songwriting career and struggle with addiction through the production. The musical will feature a number of Dillon's country hits, many of which will be performed by the still-unnamed actor who portrays George Strait. There is no word yet on when the musical is set to hit the stage. -- AM

Rodney Crowell 2017 tour cancellation
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Rodney Crowell will release his first-ever Christmas album later this year. Titled Christmas Everywhere, the 12-song record is comprised entirely of holiday-themed original songs, and will feature performances from Vince Gill, poet Mary Karr, Brennen Leigh and more, according to a press release. In support of the album, Crowell will perform alongside Amy Grant and Gill during their Christmas performances at the Ryman Auditorium. Christmas Everywhere is due out on Nov. 2 via New West Records. -- AM

Lukas Nelson Lady Gaga Find Yourself
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Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real have released a new, five-song digital EP, Forget About Georgia. The project, available as of Friday (Sept. 7), features two previously unreleased songs, a David Bowie cover and the fan favorite "Forget About Georgia" in two forms. The EP is available for download here. -- AS

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