Miranda Lambert at Riverbend

Thursday, December 16, 2010

photo Miranda Lambert is seen backstage at the Grammy Nominations Concert on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Dan Steinerg)

New country music star Miranda Lambert will headline at Riverbend 2011 on June 15.

Lambert will be the highest-paid act ever booked for the festival, according to Chip Baker, executive director of Friends of the Festival, which produces Riverbend.

"I'm not going to give you the number, but this is the biggest money we've put out there," he said. "We booked her because it is our 30th anniversary."

Lambert was among the big winners at this year's Country Music Association Awards show, winning Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for "Revolution," and Song and Video of the Year for "The House That Built Me."

She is nominated for Grammy Awards for Song of the Year, Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song for "The House That Built Me" and for Best Country Album for "Revolution."

Talent and production coordinator Joe "Dixie" Fuller called Lambert the "epitome of new young country."

"They have high expectations for her [in Nashville], and she is meeting all of their expectations beautifully," he said.

Baker said the overall entertainment budget for Riverbend 2011 is 10 percent higher than it was in 2010.

"We try to increase it incrementally every year," Baker said.

The three highest-paid Riverbend acts before Lambert's booking were Kid Rock, Hank Williams Jr. and Sheryl Crow, he said.