Thousands of patriotic Houstonians flooded downtown Houston on Friday night for the city’s signature Independence Day celebration, ‘Freedom Over Texas.’

🎆🎇 Houston’s signature Fourth of July celebration, Freedom Over Texas, is set to return Thursday with six hours of live entertainment, family-friendly festivities, and a fireworks finale expected to draw tens of thousands to the city’s downtown.

Already considered a hub for Latin, hip-hop and electronic music, Miami is now going country.

Already considered a hub for Latin, hip hop and electronic music, now Miami is going country.

Carrie Underwood brought the Academy of Country Music Awards to church.

Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton will have a small audience at this year's Academy of Country Music Awards show on Sunday of vaccinated medical workers.

Morris and Stapleton lead the nominations for this year's Academy of Country Music Awards. The academy announced on Friday that Morris and Stapleton both had six nominations ahead of the April 18 awards show, which will air on CBS from Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo)NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Maren Morris and Chris Stapleton are the leading nominees for the Academy of Country Music Awards, but only Stapleton joined the all-male ballot for the top prize of entertainer of the year. The academy announced on Friday that Morris and Stapleton both had six nominations ahead of the April 18 awards show, which will air on CBS from Nashville, Tennessee. AdMiranda Lambert, who is already the most nominated artist in ACM history, stretched her streak with five nominations.

The restrictions prevent AP from providing coverage of the ceremony “to its standards,” according to an advisory it sent to members. Organizers had initially sought AP photo coverage from inside the ceremony, but said that due to coronavirus precautions it could not accommodate a wire service photographer. The AP said it would cover the show if it could take screenshots of the broadcast, as it has done successfully for the Emmy Awards, BET Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and others. The AP insists that if it covers the event, it be done so without restrictions on images that are publicly broadcast. The Country Music Association also faced criticism for a social media post it made declaring the show to be “a no drama zone,” apparently encouraging artists to remain apolitical.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard is the second artist so far that will miss a scheduled performance at the CMA Awards on Wednesday due to COVID-19. Hubbard posted a note on his Instagram page on Monday saying he was asymptomatic and quarantining on his bus outside his home. It comes days after another artist, Lee Brice, also revealed he had tested positive and would also not perform on the show, which airs on ABC from Nashville, Tennessee. “We have been extremely diligent with our testing process in advance of anyone entering our footprint,” the statement said. “Every single person has been tested, and many will be tested repeatedly throughout the week.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Country singer Lee Brice tested positive for COVID-19 and will not perform as scheduled at the CMA Awards on Wednesday. A representative for Brice told The Associated Press on Sunday that he is “in good spirits and not experiencing any symptoms." Brice was tested ahead of the awards show, which will be broadcast on ABC from Nashville, Tennessee, where he had been scheduled to perform with Carly Pearce. Pearce and Brice are both nominated for their duet “I Hope You're Happy Now," in the categories musical event of the year and music video of the year. A CMA spokesperson said Brice was tested and received his result before arriving onsite for any of show rehearsals or activities.

This combination photo shows, from left, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert, who were nominated for Entertainer of the Year for the 54th Annual CMA Awards on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020.

The CMAs announced Tuesday that Lambert earned seven nominations. She's followed by Luke Combs, who continues his streak of success as one of country musics biggest streaming artists with six nominations, including his first for entertainer of the year. Combs earned his first all-genre No. Carrie Underwood joins Combs and Lambert in the entertainer of the year category, along with Keith Urban and Eric Church. Other top nominees include Maren Morris, who scored five nominations including song and single of the year for her love song, The Bones."