[Updated] Paisley Scores 7, Leads CMA Nominations
ABC News anchor Robin Roberts congratulates Darius Rucker and Lee Ann Womack on their CMA Award nominations. The artists revealed some of the nominees live this morning (9/9) on ABC News’ “Good Morning America.”
Editor’s Note: An oversight by CMA has been resolved, resulting in Paisley’s nomination count rising to seven, and Urban’s rising to four. They were inadvertently left off the original list of nominees in the Musical Event category.
Nominees for the 43rd Annual CMA Awards were revealed yesterday (9/9) morning, with Brad Paisley leading the pack with seven nods. Paisley was nominated for Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for American Saturday Night (produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois); Single and Song for “Then” (songwriters DuBois and Ashley Gorley); Music Video for “Start a Band” with Keith Urban, which was directed by Jim Shea; and Musical Event with Urban for the same song.
Urban follows closely with five nominations. Jamey Johnson, George Strait, Taylor Swift, and Zac Brown, each received four nominations.
Among the other highlights:
Strait now has 79 career total CMA Awards nominations, which ties him with Alan Jackson for the most nominations to date. He leads the trophy count with 22.
Swift’s four nominations include her first for Entertainer of the Year. The last time a solo female artist was nominated for Entertainer of the Year was Faith Hill in 2000. Shania Twain was the last female artist to claim the award in 1999.
A powerhouse in the Entertainer of the Year category, Kenny Chesney has won the trophy four times. If he takes it home again this year, it will tie him with Garth Brooks for the most wins in the category.
If Carrie Underwood wins Female Vocalist again, it will tie her with Martina McBride and Reba McEntire for most wins in the category. McBride and McEntire are nominated as well. In fact, McEntire is the female artist with the highest number of nominations in the 43-year history of the CMA Awards with 48.
Brooks & Dunn are nominated for Vocal Duo, a category they have won a record 14 times. They have 19 trophies total.
Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Keith Urban
Female Vocalist
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Martina McBride
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
Musical Event of the Year
“Cowgirls Don’t Cry” Brooks & Dunn ft. Reba McEntire
“Down The Road” Kenny Chesney (with Mac McAnally)
“Everything But Quits” Lee Ann Womack (duet with George Strait)
“I Told You So” Carrie Underwood ft. Randy Travis
“Old Enough” The Raconteurs ft. Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe
“Start A Band,” Brad Paisley (duet with Keith Urban), Arista Nashville
Vocal Group of the Year
Eagles
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band
Vocal Duo of the Year
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Joey + Rory
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland
Single of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Producer)
“Chicken Fried,” Zac Brown Band
Produced by Keith Stegall, Atlantic Records
“I Run To You,” Lady Antebellum
Produced by Victoria Shaw and Paul Worley, Capitol Records Nashville
“In Color” Jamey Johnson
Produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys, Mercury Nashville
“People Are Crazy,” Billy Currington
Produced by Carson Chamberlain and Billy Currington, Mercury Nashville
“Then,” Brad Paisley
Produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois, Arista Nashville
Album of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Producer)
American Saturday Night, Brad Paisley
Produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois, Arista Nashville
Defying Gravity, Keith Urban
Produced by Dann Huff and Keith Urban, Capitol Records Nashville
Fearless, Taylor Swift
Produced by Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift, Big Machine Records
Love On The Inside, Sugarland
Produced by Byron Gallimore, Kristian Bush, and Jennifer Nettles, Mercury Nashville
That Lonesome Song, Jamey Johnson
Produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys, Mercury Records
Song of the Year (Award goes to Songwriter(s))
“Chicken Fried,” Zac Brown/Wyatt Durrette
“I Told You So,” Randy Travis
“In Color,” Jamey Johnson/Lee Thomas Miller/James Otto
“People Are Crazy,” Bobby Braddock/Troy Jones
“Then,” Brad Paisley/Chris DuBois/Ashley Gorley
Music Video of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Director)
“Boots On,” Randy Houser, Directed by Eric Welch
“Love Story,” Taylor Swift, Directed by Trey Fanjoy
“People Are Crazy,” Billy Currington, Directed by The Brads
“Start A Band,” Brad Paisley (duet with Keith Urban), Directed by Jim Shea
“Troubadour,” George Strait, Directed by Trey Fanjoy
Musician of the Year
Eddie Bayers- Drums
Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar
Dann Huff – Guitar
Brent Mason – Guitar
Mac McAnally – Guitar
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Congrats to all, but I believe Jason Aldean has earned a spot on this list, come on people!!
I completely agree with Monte. Where’s the love for Jason Aldean? He’s had an amazing year!
WOW! How did JAMES OTTO get overlooked, seriously?!
Dierks Bentley, hang in there, next year will be your turn!!
where is Gary Allan?! he’s the most amazing country artist live!!
also, in agreement with James Otto being overlooked.
Trace Adkins was skipped again…really? What does that guy have to do?
Congratulations everyone!! I agree, Jason Aldean or Eric Church should have been nominated.
When awards do nothing but honor “the usual suspects,” they cease to be relevant.
Come on, Taylor Swift Entertainer of the Year?
You gotta be kidding …..
Nope, CMA isn’t kidding. They obviously know Taylor DESERVES to be nominated. Her Fearless Tour is THE BEST concert I have ever been to in my entire life. She puts on a better concert than anyone out there.
Carrie Underwood got robbed! She deserved entertainer!
I agree, Carrie deserves an Entertainer of the Year nomination more than Taylor!! But we know Kenny will win, so I guess that’s okay!
Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, James Otto, Trace Adkins, and Eric Church ALL should’ve been on that list somewhere. 🙁
She’s Country by Jason Aldean is the most downloaded song in the U.S. & it doesn’t even get recognized? there are so many talented artist that never get on this list that play their behinds off & we hear them over & over on the radio yet we see the same nominee’s every year. I agree with Bored! I mean yes some of these artist deserve these awards yet some i think are just handed them. I seriously think Carrie Underwood should replace Taylor Swift in the entertainer category also…I’m just sayin’!
TAYLOR TAYLOR TAYLOR TAYLOR TAYLORR<333
carrie carrie carrie carriee<3333
Congratulations to all the nominees! I guess we all have our favourites, and some of mine are EVEN included in the noms! lol! GREAT to see Billy Currington up there ‘People are Crazy’ is one of my favourite country songs EVER! I was expecting to see Dierks name there as well, he truly deserves the recognition.
Oh and as an Aussie visitor to this site I really should say GO KEITH!! you little beauty! Yay!
Hope the awards are a big success and a heck of a lot of fun!! Best wishes from Sydney, Oz. xo 🙂
And where are the nominees for Nashville Music Awards for ’09 published?
It looks to me like it fell apart…there is nothing on the official site that was supposed to have nominees listed in August.
Dierks Bentley–the second most played artist this year behind Keith Urban, 2 #1 singles and a #1 album–yet not one nomination. Something is NOT right with this picture!