Tuning in to TV: ‘Talent’ singer hasn’t had background check

An “America’s Got Talent” singer whose Afghanistan war injury claims have been called into question wouldn’t face vetting by producers unless he made it into the final rounds, according to a person familiar with the production.

Timothy Michael Poe was among about 4,000 people who vied for a spot on the NBC series, which doesn’t scrutinize contestants until they reach the ranks of the top 48, said the person, who wasn’t authorized to discuss the issue publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

It’s unknown whether Mr. Poe, a guitar-strumming country singer, is among the top 48 who were picked in a Las Vegas audition round in April or if he’s out of the competition. NBC declined to comment, as did the person close to the production.

Mr. Poe, who was seen on a pretaped episode of “America’s Got Talent” on Monday, was among about 100 acts that the show’s judges sent on to the Las Vegas round. The 48 who made that cut will start competing in live telecasts beginning July 2.

On Monday’s show, Mr. Poe told judges Howie Mandel, Howard Stern and Sharon Osbourne that he spent 14 years in the military and suffered a broken back and brain injury when he was hit by a grenade in Afghanistan in 2009. But Lt. Col. Kevin Olson, a spokesman for the Minnesota National Guard, said Mr. Poe’s military records do not include a grenade injury.

Carrie Underwood wins CMT video of the year

Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena is turning into quite a memorable place for Carrie Underwood and her husband, NHL star Mike Fisher.

Ms. Underwood won her third video-of-the-year award at the CMT Music Awards on Wednesday night, carving out yet another great memory for the couple in the home of Mr. Fisher’s Nashville Predators.

Ms. Underwood’s two wins — she also won for collaboration of the year for “Remind Me,” with Brad Paisley — mean she has won nine CMT belt buckles since 2006. She matched Taylor Swift’s run in the fan-voted video-of-the-year category over the same period.

The former “American Idol” winner was the night’s only multiple winner, and her fans did it for her again.

“They’re the ones in control,” Ms. Underwood said. “I have a really active fan base. The people who come to my concerts and support me, they really get out, and they do stuff. They vote. Any polls or any awards show, anything that they have control of, they’re all about it.”

Luke Bryan pulled off the surprise of the night, taking male video of the year for “I Don’t Want This Night to End.”

Miranda Lambert won her third straight female video-of-the-year award for the emotional “Over You,” a song she co-wrote with husband Blake Shelton about the untimely death of his brother.

Rising duo Thompson Square was nominated twice for duo video of the year and won for “I Got You.” Former “American Idol” winner Scotty McCreery took home breakthrough video of the year for “The Trouble With Girls” just hours before his high school graduation ceremony in Raleigh, N.C. Lady Antebellum won group video of the year for “We Owned the Night.”

And Jason Aldean, a multiple nominee in the past, won his first belt buckle, taking home CMT performance of the year for “Tattoos on This Town.”

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