The nominees for the 43rd Annual CMA Awards were announced this morning, and you should get excited! It’s country music’s biggest night! Except for that other one with rearranged letters that happens in April! (Will I ever stop making fun of that? No! It amuses me!)
There are more or less exactly zero surprises here: Brad Paisley leads with six SEVEN* noms surrounding his American Saturday Night, including “Then” for Song/Single of the Year — it’s only made me cry like six dozen times, I fail to see what is the big deal — and Entertainer of the Year, which he will probably lose to Chesney again, despite the fact that these people obviously find Brad entertaining enough to let him host the show. (Paisley and Carrie Underwood will resume their duties as emcees on the Nov. 11 telecast.)
Elsewhere, all kinds of men crawling all up in this here dancerie: Chesney, Urban, Strait, Randy Houser (really?), Jamey Johnson, Jake Owen, blah blah blah. It’s a good thing they gave Taylor Swift an Entertainer nod — yes, I do mean that in all sincerity, she’s earned it — just to break up the sausage party. (Did your current ACM EOY, Carrie Underwood, get snubbed here? I say no: ACM EOY was fan voted, so of course she won… but she hasn’t been touring, new album’s not out yet, etc. We’re between cycles for Ms. Underwood. Calm yourselves, psycho fans!)
I also enjoy the dueling frat parties of Darius Rucker and the Zac Brown Band vying for Best New Artist; both went (somewhat unexpectedly) platinum this year, and it should be interesting to see which way the votes swing. I say Zac — just cause Darius came in with a pre-existing fan condition — but I’m probably wrong. And you knew I’d bring this up eventually: Thank god someone finally nominated Sugarland’s Love on the Inside for Album of the Year.
Other questions: Will Lady Antebellum end Rascal Flatts’ reign of terror to win their first Vocal Group Award? Will Brooks & Dunn win their last award for Duo? How much do you think Letterman’s BEST SONG EVAR ZOMG endorsement of Billy Currington’s “People Are Crazy” helped that song get its Song/Single nods? How weird is it that they gave Randy Travis a Song of the Year nom for Carrie Underwood’s sledgehammery cover of his “I Told You So”? And, as always: Keith or Kenny, people, Keith or Kenny… or Taylor?
Check out the full list of nominees after the jump, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
*UPDATE 9/10: Paisley scored another nod alongside Keith Urban today, when the CMA realized they’d left the pair’s “Start a Band” off the list of nominated Musical Events. Oopsy.
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Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Keith Urban
Female Vocalist
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Male Vocalist
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Darius Rucker
George Strait
Keith Urban
New Artist
Randy Houser
Jamey Johnson
Jake Owen
Darius Rucker
Zac Brown Band
Vocal Group
Eagles
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band
Vocal Duo
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Joey & Rory
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland
Single of the Year
(Award goes to artist and producer.)
“Chicken Fried”
Zac Brown Band
Producer: Keith Stegall
Atlantic Records
“I Run to You”
Lady Antebellum
Producers: Victoria Shaw and Paul Worley
Capitol Records Nashville
“In Color”
Jamey Johnson
Producers: The Kent Hardly Playboys
Mercury Nashville
“People Are Crazy”
Billy Currington
Producers: Carson Chamberlain and Billy Currington
Mercury Nashville
“Then”
Brad Paisley
Producers: Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois
Arista Nashville
Album of the Year
(Award goes to artist and producer.)
American Saturday Night
Brad Paisley
Producers: Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois
Arista Nashville
Defying Gravity
Keith Urban
Producers: Dann Huff and Keith Urban
Capitol Records Nashville
Fearless
Taylor Swift
Producers: Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift
Big Machine Records
Love on the Inside
Sugarland
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles
Mercury Nashville
That Lonesome Song
Jamey Johnson
Producers: The Kent Hardly Playboys
Mercury Nashville
Song of the Year
(Award goes to songwriters.)
“Chicken Fried”
Songwriters: Zac Brown and Wyatt Durette
“I Told You So”
Songwriter: Randy Travis
“In Color”
Songwriters: Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller and James Otto
“People Are Crazy”
Songwriters: Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones
“Then”
Songwriters: Brad Paisley, Chris DuBois and Ashley Gorley
Musical Event
(Award goes to each artist.)
“Cowgirls Don’t Cry”
Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire
Arista Nashville
“Down the Road”
Kenny Chesney (with Mac McAnally)
Blue Chair Records, BNA Records
“Everything But Quits”
Lee Ann Womack (duet with George Strait)
MCA Records
“I Told You So”
Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis
19 Recordings/Arista
“Old Enough”
The Raconteurs featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe
Third Man Records, Warner Bros. Records
“Start a Band”
Brad Paisley (duet with Keith Urban)
Arista Nashville
Music Video
(Award goes to artist and director.)
“Boots On”
Randy Houser
Director: Eric Welch
“Love Story”
Taylor Swift
Director: Trey Fanjoy
“People Are Crazy”
Billy Currington
Directors: The Brads
“Start a Band”
Brad Paisley (duet with Keith Urban)
Directors: Jim Shea
“Troubadour”
George Strait
Director: Trey Fanjoy
Musician of the Year
Eddie Bayers — drums
Paul Franklin — steel guitar
Dann Huff — guitar
Brent Mason — guitar
Mac McAnally — guitar
Photo Credit: Kurt Markus
I actually like Carrie Underwood’s cover of I Told You So. So does Randy, judging by the praise he’s lavished on it. Her live version is even better than the recorded one. The way she sings the verses is stirring.
I’m happy about Jamey Johnson’s nominations. Someone needs to give the man an Album Of The Year award. Lee Ann Womack deserved more nominations.
You’ll consider this blasphemy but although I agree with Sugarland’s album nomination I don’t think it deserves to win. Maybe it’s because radio keeps reminding me that the album includes songs like ‘All I Want To Do’ and “It Happens”. I agree with Chicken Fried getting a Single nomination but not Song. I’d love it if Lady Antebellum beat out Flatts.
Brad Paisley for Entertainer Of The Year please! By the way the CMA year is July through June so Underwood was on the 2nd leg of her tour from July-December 2008. Plus she and Brad are the genre’s best ambassadors.
Oh and by the way the ACM EOY was determined by industry votes AND fan votes, same as last year when Rascal Flatts failed to beat Kenny Chesney despite a larger online fanbase.
I am thrilled to see a couple nods to Taylor Swift, I wish more people were aware of the extremely talented writing talent she is. And I get a kick out of her reactions when she wins things; she seems genuinely surprised [although those days are probably coming to a close] and appreciative. I hope she grabs the EOY award…she’s worked very hard!
COUNTRY MUSIC SUCKS.
SEE WHAT YOU MADE ME DO WHITNEY PASTOREK!?!
I surprised Julianne Hough didn’t get nominated for Best New Artist
surprised or relieved?
Surprised because she won the same award at the Academy of Country Music Awards.
ugh..that is all
I can completely understand putting Taylor Swift into the EOY category. I may not like her, but I can’t deny the number of new young fans she has brought to country music.
However, having her in the “Female Vocalist” category is an insult to the other women in the category. Taylor Swift is nowhere near the vocalist that Martina McBride or Carrie Underwood are. Anyone who has heard her live can attest to that, it’s a little painful.
Blake Shelton was rob!! ……. again. I can NOT believe he is not nominated … WTF!!
Taylor swift DOES NOT deserve to be up for entertainer of the year.
1) she can’t sing
2) this is what, her 2nd year being famous!
3) Carrie Underwood won EOY becuase she is an amazing vocalist and person, Carrie Underwood derserved it, Taylor Swift DOES NOT!!
CARRIE UNDERWOOD IS THE BEST!
HER AND BRAD ARE SOOOO FUNNY!
Rascal Flatts was robbed yet again for EOTY they deserve that award they are the best country band out there Gary Levox has the voice of a angel Jay DeMarcus is amazing with his bass and Joe Don Rooney is amazing with the guitar and RASCAL FLATTS ARE MY ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
How in the world is Sugarland not in the EOY category? Did any of these other artists have a #1 debut album on the album chart or get their own primetime ABC special? It’s almost like they get punished for being in the mainstream – absurd, these awards continue to be a joke
agreed
RASCAL FLATTS ARE UNSTOPPABLE AND ROCK COUNTRY MUSIC
FLICKITYFLACK…you may want to get one bit of FACT straight about your comment about the Flatts not winning with the fan votes counting…Do you realize that they decided to take AWAY those votes from Rascal Flatts because before the awards they sent out a FLYER to their fan club saying to go to the site and vote for them…HOWEVER…because on that same sheet there was a code for a free download…they claimed the Flatts BOUGHT votes…therefore they were never tallied…Just thought everyone should know that…the Flatts were ROBBED of the win…just like the were ROBBED of the nomination…
~They sold out Wrigley Field (ONLY COUNTRY GROUP TO EVER EVEN PLAY THERE) along with selling out every other venue this summer…
~DEBUT their FIFTH ALBUM IN A ROW on top of ALL BILLBOARDcharts…
~Set COUNTLESS i-tunes recodes for digital downloads for their album Unstoppable…
~Were in the biggest movie of the summer…
~Have their own clothing line for JCP…
~Their own meal at Denny’s and their faces on Hershey’s candy…
Do you want me to go on…LINE THEIR NUMBERS UP WITH EVERYONES…they dominate the competition…and don’t get me started on the fact that all Tay does at concerts is flip her hair…and that KC has had the same show and the same openining for the last 5 years…give me a break!!! Rascal Flatts loves their fans and changes their set and their whole show every 6 months…
It’s all politics and it’s all a load of C-R-A-P!!!
I agree with JOLT 100%! Rascal Flatts was robbed again this year! Not even a nomination for EOTY, or album, or song/single? LOAD OF CRAP!!! They have shined over other artists, but because of the politics of all of these awards shows, they continue to be snubbed. I for one, am SICK of it!
RASCAL FLATTS ARE MY EOTY ALWAYS!!!
country awards are such a joke! they reward those who don’t deserve it to try and seem more mainstream and then throw in some old timers who don’t deserve it so they seem more relevant to the genre! As long as Martina McBride is alive, NO ONE esle should be winning female vocalist!
You are a contridiction. You say they “throw in some old timers who don’t deserve it so they seem more relevant to the genre” and then go on to say in the very next sentence “As long as Martina McBride is alive, NO ONE else should be winning female vocalist!” Martina’s album was a flop for someone of her level (not even gold). And, by the way, Carrie and Reba are Martina’s vocal equals. While Taylor can’t sing, Miranda can sing, but she’s not the vocalist the other three are. I do think she does have the chops to be nominated and is much more of a story teller than McBride. Reba is probably the best combination of storyteller and vocalist. Carrie is probably the best vocalist right now, with the most relevant music. The winner will be either Underwood or McIntyre. And, either would be a good choice.
Okay yes Taylor is a talented SONGWRITER…but that does not mean she can sing! I’m sorry but most people over the age of fifteen know this and since when can Taylor Swift call herself a “country” artist when she’s all over the pop radio with remixes of her songs? Carrie Underwood, maybe not this year cause she’s been quiet, but in years past, has deserved the entertainer of the year award. Country music is so male dominated. Now the association decides to nominate a woman and it’s Taylor Swift?! I’m sorry that is just ridiculous. If she wins EOTY or female vocalist I will throw up… not that she has a shot in hell at winning the vocalist award.
Reba should win the Female vocalist award this year for many reasons. Reba is still outselling most female country singers 35 years into her career and is still breaking records. Reba is the one I’m rooting for but I still like them all. Hopefully they vote for talent and not just youth.
I agree with JOLT 100%. Rascal Flatts deserves more respect than they are receiving from their peers. They are not only EOTY in my eyes and the hearts of their very loyal fan base but they are also men among men. Their response to the fans was one of dignity, respect and appreciation of their fans.