With her first collection of all-new material in four years now in stores, country singer Martina McBride [ tickets ] stays busy in late 2003 with a month-long holiday tour.

McBride's holiday outing is scheduled to kick off late next month, and is preceded by a single October performance, which takes place in West Point, NY, on Saturday (10/4).

Released on Sept. 30, "Martina" is McBride's first new studio set since 1999's "Emotion," and follows 2001's "Greatest Hits." The new album houses the Top 10 country hit "This One's for the Girls," which features background vocals from two of the song's authors--Hillary and Aimee Mayo (who co-wrote the song with Chris Lindsey)--as well as Faith Hill, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, and McBride's two daughters, Delaney and Emma.

McBride co-produced "Martina" with long-time producer Paul Worley, and recorded the set at her new Nashville studio, dubbed Blackbird.

Last month, the Recording Academy awarded McBride its Recording Academy Heroes Award, which is the GRAMMY^® organization's "highest honor and recognizes those who have improved the lives of music makers and those who use the power of music to improve the lives of all Americans," according to a press release. Each year, the award is given to one senator, one congressperson, one recording artist and one local nonprofit organization. McBride was honored for her work with domestic-violence organizations and other charities.

Over the course of her 12-year recording career, McBride has sold almost 8 million albums and produced six No. 1 singles.