2013 Billboard Music Awards Shower Taylor Swift; Trace Adkins Breaks His Foot + More: Country Music News Roundup

Taylor Swift is up against Justin Bieber and Bruno Mars for Billboard's inaugural Milestone Award, an honor set to recognize "an innovative artist that achieved a notable chart milestone over the past year." The winner will be chosen by fans in an online vote here, and will be announced at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards on May 19. Taylor, fun. and Maroon 5 lead the pack of Billboard nominees with 11 nods apiece. [Billboard]

Jewel will perform in a live webcast concert series from the Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, on May 1 at 9:00 PM ET at CBS.com. The performance will feature songs from the singer-songwriter's recent Greatest Hits album, such as "Two Hearts Breaking," a new track from the disc. Get the latest information and updates on the concert at Facebook or by following @StagesideLive on Twitter.

The Grand Ole Opry and the Academy of Country Music were the recipients of Social Media Icon Awards, presented in New York City this past weekend by PR News. The Opry earned the honor in the category of "Twitter: Best Use of Hashtags," while the ACM took the award for "Twitter: PR Campaign." The Social Media Icon Awards honor the most outstanding social media campaigns in the fields of communications and public relations that take chances, make incredible strides and understand the power of social media in public relations.

Leave it to the rough-and-tumble Trace Adkins to break his foot, post a cringe-worthy photo of it on Twitter and then cap it off with the understatement that "This is gross." (You've been warned, it is pretty gross!) The oversharing didn't stop there, however, as Trace later tweeted, "I also have a rash that I'm trying to get a good pic of. Having some difficulty." In spite of his latest impediment, Trace continues to compete on "All-Star Celebrity Appreentice," airing Sunday nights on NBC.

Trace wasn't the only one sharing a medical issue with Twitter followers. Gloriana -- or, to be more precise, two-thirds of the hit duo -- members Mike Gossin and Rachel Reinert, were treated for "extreme food posioning" Friday night (April 19) and sent out this photo of an EMT administering aid to them on their bus. Tom Gossin, apparently the last Gloriana member standing, tweeted: "Please say a prayer for Mike and Rach." A Saturday tour stop in Texas was postponed.

Thomas Rhett's long-awaited debut album will be out later this year, and he's thrilled to have his dad, Rhett Akins, be such a prominent part of it. Rhett has three songwriting credits on the project, including one he wrote with his lookalike son, "What You Got in That Cup." Rhett explains the other two songs penned by his pop were last-minute additions. "I let him have a couple towards the end," he laughs, "so it's been cool to write songs with dad and not only just to write 'em, but to have them on your debut record."

Songs written by several patients of Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt will be released May 14 on a compilation CD titled Everybody Has a Story. The brave and talented patients -- Austin Bagby, Ethan Carpenter, Courtney Gaoette, Erica Kilburn, Amy Overton, Gigi Pasley and Christopher Weber -- underwent clinical music therapy sessions while at the hospital being treated for serious illnesses including cancer and cystic fibrosis. The product of those sessions are beautiful songs recorded for the project by Kix Brooks, Melinda Doolittle, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Faith Hill, Alison Krauss, Maura O'Connell, Johnny Reid, SHEL and Phil Vassar. Proceeds will benefit future music therapy sessions for sick children. Visit EverybodyHasAStoryCD.com for more information.