Just in case their insta-platinum album, Oprah appearance, Grammy win, and recent feature in this here magazine (which I would link to but it’s not online so I guess you have to go buy the paper product or something) weren’t enough to clue you in, Lady Antebellum are the hottest thing in country music at the moment. Perhaps not shockingly, then, they picked up seven nominations when Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire read off the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards nominations this morning. Seven! That’s more than Carrie Underwood (six), more than Taylor Swift (five), almost more than Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley combined (eight). (I am good at math.)
Rather than point out all the things that sort of irk me about this list (how on earth is Jamey Johnson still being nominated as best “new” anything?), let’s run down the things I find awesome.
1. Six nominations for my girl Miranda Lambert! Here’s hoping this ceremony marks the start of a huge year for Revolution.
2. Lee Ann Womack back in her rightful place: among the nominees for Top Female Vocalist, instead of at the podium, reading them.
3. David Nail’s wonderful “Red Light” scoring a nod for Single.
4. The fact that four of the five Song of the Year nominees were co-written by the artists.
5. Entertainer of the Year is fan-voted at the ACMs. Carrie Underwood (last year’s winner) and Taylor Swift are nominated. Fans, you know what that means: INTERNET SUPERFAN SMACKDOWN OH-TEN is ON!!!!!
What do you think about the nominees, Mixers? What made you cheer? Who got snubbed? And can any of those Entertainer dudes compete with the Swift/Underwood fanbases? (Have they provided a dial-up option for George Strait’s supporters?) Full list of nominees after the jump.
(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)
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ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR*
Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Zac Brown Band
TOP MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Darius Rucker
George Strait
Keith Urban
TOP FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Lee Ann Womack
TOP VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Randy Rogers Band
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band
TOP VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Joey + Rory
Montgomery Gentry
Steel Magnolia
Sugarland
TOP NEW SOLO VOCALIST OF THE YEAR*
Luke Bryan
Jamey Johnson
Chris Young
TOP NEW VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR*
Bomshel
Joey + Rory
Steel Magnolia
TOP NEW VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR*
Eli Young Band
Gloriana
The Lost Trailers
ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company(s)]
American Saturday Night – Brad Paisley (Arista Nashville)
Produced by: Chris DuBois, Frank Rogers
Lady Antebellum – Lady Antebellum (Capitol Records Nashville)
Produced by: Victoria Shaw, Paul Worley
Play On – Carrie Underwood (19/Arista Nashville)
Produced by: Mark Bright
“Quitter” Produced by Max Martin & Shellback for Maratone Productions and Mark Bright
Revolution – Miranda Lambert (Columbia Nashville)
Produced by: Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke
The Foundation – Zac Brown Band (Southern Ground / Bigger Picture / Atlantic)
Produced by: Keith Stegall, Zac Brown
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company(s)]
“Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum (Capitol Records Nashville)
Produced by: Lady Antebellum, Paul Worley
“People Are Crazy” – Billy Currington (Mercury)
Produced by: Carson Chamberlain, Billy Currington
“Red Light” – David Nail (MCA Nashville)
Produced by: Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke
“Toes” – Zac Brown Band (Southern Ground / Bigger Picture / Atlantic)
Produced by: Keith Stegall, Zac Brown
“White Liar” – Miranda Lambert (Columbia Nashville)
Produced by: Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke
SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
“Cowboy Casanova” – Carrie Underwood
Composers: Mike Elizondo, Brett James, Carrie Underwood
Publishers: Brett James Cornelius Music (ASCAP), Carrie Okie Music (BMI), Rincon Ave Music
(ASCAP), Stage Three Songs (ASCAP)
“Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
Composers: Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott
Publishers: EMI Foray Music (BMI), Darth Buddha (ASCAP), Dwhaywood Music (BMI), Hillary Dawn Publishing (SESAC), Radiobullets Publishing (BMI), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI), Year Of The Dog Music (ASCAP)
“People Are Crazy” – Billy Currington
Composers: Bobby Braddock, Troy Jones
Publishers: Crozier Music Enterprises LLC (BMI), Mighty Nice Music (BMI), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Tiltawhirl Music (BMI)
“White Liar” – Miranda Lambert
Composers: Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert
Publishers: Pink Dog Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Tiltawhirl Music (BMI)
“You Belong With Me” – Taylor Swift
Composers: Liz Rose, Taylor Swift
Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Taylor Swift Music (BMI)
VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)] (Off Camera Award)
“Boots On” – Randy Houser
Producer: Eric Welch
Director: Eric Welch (Drake footage: Vickie Vaughn)
“Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
Producer: Clarke Gallican
Director: David McClister
“Welcome To The Future” – Brad Paisley
Producers: Mark Kalbfeld, Jim Shea, Peter Tilden
Director: Jim Shea
“White Liar” – Miranda Lambert
Producer: Tameron Hedge
Director: Chris Hicky
“You Belong With Me” – Taylor Swift
Producer: Randy Brewer
Director: Roman White
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] (Off Camera Award)
“Hillbilly Bone” – Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins (Reprise Records / Warner Music Nashville)
Producer: Scott Hendricks
“Honky Tonk Stomp” – Brooks & Dunn featuring Billy Gibbons (Arista Nashville)
Producer: Ronnie Dunn, Terry McBride
“I Told You So” – Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis (19/Arista Nashville)
Producer: Mark Bright
“I’m Alive” – Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews (Blue Chair/BNA)
Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney
“Seeing Stars” – Jack Ingram featuring Patty Griffin (Big Machine Records)
Produced by: Jack Ingram, Jeremy Stover
*fan voted
Ever since they started letting this show become fan voted, it’s just not the same.
Now they are rewarding “gay” county, otherwise know as LA?
Yay for Lee Ann, Miranda, Carrie, Brad, and Chris Young’s nominations!! Miranda, Carrie, and Chris Young are proof that reality shows can too find great talent. Anybody else surprised Martina didn’t get into Female Vocalist?
Lady A’s on the fast track to overrated IMO. I think they’re talented but their music is OK not great.
I’m surprised none of Brad’s or Reba’s songs made the Song or Single categories. Especially Welcome To The Future and Consider Me Gone.
Isn’t it interesting how Rascal Flatts STILL didn’t get into the Entertainer Of The Year category even though there are 8 nominees? I guess they’re still being punished for their stunt a couple of years ago trying to bribe fans for votes with a free download.
rascal flatts have also kinda had a down year.. didn’t really have any singles.
I think that too much of the Dann Huff overproduced loud guitars hack of Rascal Flatts’ last album wore the ACM nominee committee out too much. They sound like an overwrought ’80s heavy metal power ballad clashing with country sounds sometimes.
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR*
Kenny Chesney ???????????????
REALLY???
It’s funny to me how Taylor Swift’s Grammy winning album isn’t nominated for best album in her own genre of music. About time she’s shut out of a category she shouldn’t be in anyway. But I’m so happy to see Lee Ann as a nominee!!!!
she won for fearless last year so she can’t be nominated again
Fearless has won enough awards. I think that the ACM awards felt that the Fearless singles were so big on the pop radio stations more than country that they didn’t want to nominate it in this year’s awards. Also, Fearless came out in late 2008, and they didn’t want to overdo it by being the umpteenth awards show to nominate it. It’d be weird to nominate a 2008 album on a 2010 awards show.
Taylor won Album Of the Year at the 2009 ACM Awards last year. She also won it at the CMA awards. do your research before you comment please.
Carrie is going to win ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR sorry tay…. Not
AGREED.
Taylor Swift’s undeservingly long streak is done. ACMs is Carrie’s night, along with Miranda and Lady Antebellum.
I am a Carrie fan, but I hope Miranda takes Female Vocalist this year. She deserves it. And George deserves to be Entertainer of the year.
I am disappointed about the fact that Taylor is nominated for Female Vocalist.
She sings horrible, and has nothing on the other nominees
I’m gonna need some one else other than Taylor, Carrie, and Kenny to win everything. I love Kenny, but c’mon.
I’m rooting for Lady A and Miranda Lambert the most.
But Taylor will win. Her fans are like Britney Spears ones. They’ll sit on the computer for hours missing their homework to vote for T. Swift. Between her and Carrie…. no comment…
i’m for any george strait vote
carrie underwood is the best she is going to win not only entertainer of the year but every thing else she is up for.
Bingo.
Carrie fans better watch out… Taylor’s taking Entertainer this year!
Not in this lifetime.
Taylor Swift please she’s dreadful to listen to. Go Carrie and Zac Brown Band they deserve to win everything
Congratulations CHRIS YOUNG!!!! You have an awesome voice and deserve to win!!!!
As far as top female, I like Carrie too, but I would love to see Miranda take it home.
My support for Entertainer of the year goes to Carrie Underwood. Could somebody explain the appeal of Taylor Swift. I’ll admit I like some of her music and I have never seen her live, however, the performances on awards shows that I have seen shows me that she can’t entertain because she CAN NOT sing live!
Agree! I was disappointed he wasn’t nominated for Album of the Year – Defying Gravity is his best album.
Keith didn’t make the cut off for the nominations when he released it. That was very controversial this year.
KEITH URBAN -HAS MY VOTE ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR AND MALE VOCALIST HE IS AMAZING
Congrats, Lady A! And to think it started with them getting named Best New Artist at last year’s ACMs. They deserve it!
Do the people that vote for Entertainer of the Year even really know what that means? That means they can really rock out, own a stage, and put on a damn good show. I’ve seen four out of the eight nominees in concert and the guy that deserves to win is Keith Urban. Best concert I’ve ever been to by a mile.
Also, more nominations for Miranda Lambert than Taylor Swift! That makes me do a happy dance! Miranda is amazing.
Actually I think it’s supposed to be about everything you do, which is more than touring. It’s about your music, it’s about how you represent country music, it’s about your concerts, it’s about your writing, it’s about your playing.
Don’t get me wrong I think Keith’s got the best live show and he deserves more Entertainer awards than he’s won. But I think it’s a travesty Brad Paisley hasn’t won Entertainer Of The Year yet because he’s got it all, especially with the way he represents a bridge between traditional and contemporary country.