(CBS) Nominees for the for the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards were announced by musicians Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood Tuesday morning during a press conference in Nashville, broadcast live on The Early Show on CBS.
Kenny Chesney grabbed a leading 11 nominations, followed by Rodney Atkins with six. Paisley, Sugarland and Big & Rich all got four nominations, and Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift both received three nominations.
Paisley and Underwood, who was nominated for Top Female Vocalist, are the Academy's current Top Male and Top Female Vocalists. The CBS Broadcast also featured live performances by Rodney Atkins and Miranda Lambert, the Academy's reigning Top New Male and Female Vocalists, respectively.
Awards will be handed out at a May 18 ceremony at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and broadcast on CBS. For the first time in history, country music fans will get to choose the Academy's Entertainer of the Year. Other winners are chosen by members of the Academy of Country Music. Fan voting begins May 5.
Chesney's 11 nominations include Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist. He also was nominated as an artist and producer for Album of the Year for "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates," Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year for "Don't Blink." If he wins Entertainer of the Year, it will be his fourth consecutive win.
Atkins is nominated for six awards including Top Male Vocalist. He is also nominated for Song of the Year and Video of the Year for "Watching You" and Album of the Year for "If You're Going Through Hell." He won Top New Male Vocalist last year.
Paisley is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Top Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for "5th Gear" and Video of the Year for "Online."
Big & Rich received nominations for Top Vocal Duo and Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year for "Lost In This Moment." Also, John Rich is nominated for a producer and writer award, and Big Kenny is nominated for two producing awards.
Sugarland's nominations include Top Vocal Duo and Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year for "Stay." Jennifer Nettles also received two nominations for writing and producing, and Kristian Bush received one for producing.
Lambert and Swift both received nominations for Top Female Vocalist and Album of the Year for Lambert's "Crazy Ex- Girlfriend" and Swift's "Taylor Swift." Lambert is also nominated for Single Record of the Year for "Famous In a Small Town," and won Top New Female Vocalist last year. Swift also received a nomination for Top New Female Vocalist.
Underwood received one nomination for Top Female Vocalist. Last year, she won Top Female Vocalist.
Following is the list nominees in the 13 categories voted on by the membership:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• Rascal Flatts
• George Strait
• Keith Urban
TOP MALE VOCALIST
• Rodney Atkins
• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• George Strait
• Keith Urban
TOP FEMALE VOCALIST
• Miranda Lambert
• Martina McBride
• LeAnn Rimes
• Taylor Swift
• Carrie Underwood
TOP VOCAL GROUP
• Diamond Rio
• Eagles
• Emerson Drive
• Little Big Town
• Rascal Flatts
• Big & Rich
• Brooks & Dunn
• Halfway To Hazard
• Montgomery Gentry
• Sugarland
TOP NEW MALE VOCALIST
• Luke Bryan
• Jack Ingram
• Jake Owen
TOP NEW FEMALE VOCALIST
• Sarah Buxton
• Kellie Pickler
• Taylor Swift
TOP NEW DUO OR VOCAL GROUP
• Carolina Rain
• Lady Antebellum
• The Wreckers
ALBUM OF THE YEAR (Award to Artist/Producer/Record Company
• 5th Gear - Brad Paisley (Arista Nashville)
Produced by Frank Rogers
• Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - Miranda Lambert (Columbia)
Produced by Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke
• Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates - Kenny Chesney (BNA)
Produced by Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney
• If You're Going Through Hell - Rodney Atkins (Curb)
Produced by Rodney Atkins, Ted Hewitt
• Taylor Swift - Taylor Swift (Big Machine)
Produced by Scott Borchetta, Nathan Chapman
# 6 Produced by Robert Ellis Orrall
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR (Award to Artist/Producer/Record Company)
• Don't Blink
Kenny Chesney, Produced by Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney
BNA
• Famous In A Small Town
Miranda Lambert, Produced by Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke
Columbia
• Lost In This Moment
Big & Rich, Produced by Big Kenny, John Rich
Warner Bros/WRN
• Stay
Sugarland, Produced by Kristian Bush, Byron Gallimore, Jennifer Nettles
Mercury
• Watching Airplanes
Gary Allan, Produced by Gary Allan , Mark Wright
MCA Nashville
SONG OF THE YEAR (Award to Composer/Pubisher/Artist)
• Don't Blink
Kenny Chesney
Writers: Casey Beathard, Chris Wallin
Publishers: Lavender Zoo Music (BMI), Mama's Dream Music (ASCAP), Sony/ATV Acuff Rose (BMI), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)
• Lost In This Moment
Big & Rich
Writers: Keith Anderson, Rodney Clawson, John Rich
Publishers: EMI April Music, Inc. (ASCAP), Romeo Cowboy Music (ASCAP), WB Music
Corp. (ASCAP), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI), Writer's Extreme Music (BMI)
• Moments
Emerson Drive
Writers: Dave Berg, Annie Tate, Sam Tate
Publishers: Gravitron (SESAC), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)
• Watching You
Rodney Atkins
Writers: Rodney Atkins, Steve Dean, Brian White
Publishers: Bethar Music (BMI), Mike Curb Music (BMI), Multisongs (SESAC), Songs
From The White House (SESAC)
• Stay
Sugarland
Writer: Jennifer Nettles
Publishers: Jennifer Nettles Publishing (ASCAP)
VIDEO OF THE YEAR (Award to Producer/Director/Artist)
• Don't Blink - Kenny Chesney
Producer: Tacklebox Films
Director: Shaun Silva
• Lost In This Moment - Big & Rich
Producer: Big Kenny, Steve Lamar, Marc Oswald
Director: Deaton Flannigan
• Online - Brad Paisley
Producer: Frames Per Second
Director: Jason Alexander
• Stay - Sugarland
Producer: Kristian Bush, Byron Gallimore, Jennifer Nettles
Director: Shaun Silva
• Watching You - Rodney Atkins
Producer: Broken Poet Production
Director: Eric Welch
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR (Award to Artist/Producer/Record Company)
• Because Of You - Reba McEntire Duet With Kelly Clarkson
Produced by Tony Brown, Reba McEntire
MCA Nashville
• Find Out Who Your Friends Are - Tracy Lawrence With Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
Produced by Julian King, Tracy Lawrence
Rocky Comfort/CO5
• Shiftwork - Kenny Chesney Duet With George Strait
Produced by Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney
BNA
• Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore - Bon Jovi Featuring LeAnn Rimes
Produced by Dann Huff
Mecury
• What You Give Away -Vince Gill With Sheryl Crow
Produced by Vince Gill, John Hobbs, Justin Niebank
MCA Nashville
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