Brad Paisley, George Strait Lead CMA Nominees
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8/30/2007 Taylor Swift’s shriek of delight after hearing her name announced as a CMA Horizon Award nominee was a highlight of the early-morning press conference revealing the names of all the nominees for the 41st Annual CMA Awards. Media and industry insiders gathered in Nashville for the CMA Award Nominees Press Conference at the Sommet Center, as Taylor Swift, joined by veteran nominees Montgomery Gentry announced names in several of the categories during a special live edition of CMT Insider. Sara Evans and Sugarland were in New York revealing nominees in five of the 12 categories on ABC’s Good Morning America. Leading the list of nominations with five each were Brad Paisley and George Strait. Brad was nominated for Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album (5th Gear,) Single (“Ticks,”) and Music Video of the Year (“Online,”) directed by actor-turned-video director Jason Alexander. George Strait received nods for Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album (It Just Comes Natural,) Musical Event (w/ Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson on a live version of “Hey Good Lookin’,”) and Single of the Year (“Wrapped”). He could also pick up two additional awards as producer for Single and Album of the Year. Josh Turner picked up his first nomination in the Male Vocalist of the Year category. He was previously nominated for the Horizon Award in 2004 and 2006. Artists receiving four nominations include reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney, nominated for that honor again, and also receiving mentions in the Male Vocalist, Musical Event (with Tracy Lawrence and Tim McGraw on Tracy’s “Find Out Who Your Friends Are,”) and Music Video of the Year (“You Save Me”) categories. Alison Krauss also received four nominations including Female Vocalist of the Year (her fifth nomination in that category), Vocal Group of the Year (Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas), and two for Musical Event of the Year with John Waite (scoring his first CMA Awards nomination) on “Missing You” and Vince Gill on “The Reason Why.” Martina McBride’s four nominations include Female Vocalist, Single, Song and Music Video of the Year for “Anyway.” She could pick up an additional trophy as producer for Single of the Year. Miranda Lambert picked up her first Female Vocalist of the Year nomination. She is a two-time Horizon Award nominee, and has also been nominated in the Music Video category. Little Big Town are nominated for Horizon Award for the second time this year, and also received a nomination for Vocal Group of the Year. Perhaps the most surprising nomination came in the Vocal Group of the Year category, as the Dixie Chicks, who have won that award four times, are nominated in the category for the first time since 2003. First-time nominees in the category are Emerson Drive, who are also nominated for Music Video of the Year (“Moments”). Rascal Flatts has swept the Vocal Group of the Year category the past four years, and are nominated again. They also received a nomination for Entertainer of the Year. In CMA Awards history, only two groups (Alabama and Dixie Chicks) have won Entertainer of the Year. The CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the 6,000 industry professional members of CMA, which was the first trade organization formed to promote an individual genre of music in 1958. “The 41st Annual CMA Awards” will be broadcast live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 7, from 8-11 p.m. (ET) on ABC. The special will be shot in high definition, with 5.1 channel surround sound. CountryHound.com will have complete coverage of the awards show, and more in-depth information about the nominees in the coming days and weeks. Stay tuned! The 41st Annual Country Music Association Award Nominees ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR Kenny Chesney Brad Paisley Rascal Flatts George Strait Keith Urban FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Alison Krauss Miranda Lambert Martina McBride Reba McEntire Carrie Underwood MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Kenny Chesney Brad Paisley George Strait Josh Turner Keith Urban HORIZON AWARD Jason Aldean Rodney Atkins Little Big Town Kellie Pickler Taylor Swift VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas Dixie Chicks Emerson Drive Little Big Town Rascal Flatts VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR Big & Rich Brooks & Dunn Montgomery Gentry Sugarland The Wreckers SINGLE OF THE YEAR (Award goes to Artist and Producer) “Anyway” Martina McBride Produced by Martina McBride RCA Records “Before He Cheats” Carrie Underwood Produced by Mark Bright 19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records “Lost In This Moment” Big & Rich Produced by Big Kenny and John Rich Warner Bros. Nashville “Ticks” Brad Paisley Produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois Arista Nashville “Wrapped” George Strait Produced by Tony Brown and George Strait MCA Nashville ALBUM OF THE YEAR (Award goes to Artist and Producer) 5th Gear Brad Paisley Produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois Arista Nashville It Just Comes Natural George Strait Produced by Tony Brown and George Strait MCA Nashville Long Trip Alone Dierks Bentley Produced by Brett Beavers Capitol Records Nashville Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing Keith Urban Produced by Dann Huff and Keith Urban Capitol Records Nashville These Days Vince Gill Produced by Vince Gill, John Hobbs and Justin Niebank MCA Nashville SONG OF THE YEAR (Award goes to Songwriter and Primary Publisher) “Anyway” Martina McBride/Brad Warren/Brett Warren Delemmava Music/Bucky and Clyde Music “Before He Cheats” Josh Kear/Chris Tompkins That Little House Music/Mighty Under Dog Music/Sony/ATV Cross Keys “Give It Away” Bill Anderson/Buddy Cannon/Jamey Johnson Sony/ATV Tree/Mr. Bubba Music/Slow Run Music/EMI Blackwood “Lost In This Moment” John Rich/Keith Anderson/Rodney Clawson Rich Texan Music/Warner-Tamerlane/Writer’s Extreme/ EMI April Music/Romeo Cowboy “Stupid Boy” Dave Berg/Deanna Bryant/Sarah Buxton Song Planet/That Little House Music/Cal IV Songs/ BergBrain Music MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR (Award to each Artist) Reba McEntire with Kelly Clarkson “Because of You” MCA Nashville Tracy Lawrence featuring Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” Rocky Comfort Records/CO5 Jimmy Buffett with George Strait and Alan Jackson “Hey Good Lookin’” (Live) MCA Nashville Alison Krauss and John Waite “Missing You” Rounder Records Vince Gill with Guest Vocalist Alison Krauss “The Reason Why” MCA Nashville MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR (Award goes to Artist and Director) “Anyway” Martina McBride Directed by Robert Deaton and George J. Flanigen IV “Before He Cheats” Carrie Underwood Directed by Roman White “Moments” Emerson Drive Directed by Steven Goldmann “Online” Brad Paisley Directed by Jason Alexander “You Save Me” Kenny Chesney Directed by Shaun Silva MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR Eddie Bayers, Jr. – Drums Jerry Douglas – Dobro Dann Huff – Guitar Mac McAnally – Guitar Randy Scruggs – Guitar
