NASHVILLE, TN. (Top40 Charts/ Academy of Country Music) - Nominations have been announced for the 42nd ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS. Winners will receive their awards during a star-studded event to be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden
Arena in Las
Vegas on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.
The nominees were announced at a press conference held today at the Ford Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. Participating in the press conference was multi-platinum recording artists Kenny Chesney and Sugarland along with Hannah Storm of CBS' 'The Early Show.'
This morning George Strait led with eight nominations, including Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist. In addition Strait was nominated as artist and producer for both Album of the Year for 'It Just Comes Natural' and Single Record of the Year for "Give It Away" along with nods for Song of the Year for "Give It Away" and Video of the Year for "Seashores of Old Mexico." Strait has previously won 15 Academy of Country Music Award honors.
Brooks & Dunn are nominated for seven awards including Entertainer of the Year, Top Vocal Duo, Album of the Year for 'Hillbilly Deluxe,' Video of the Year for "Hillbilly Deluxe," and Vocal Event of the Year for "Building Bridges" with Vince Gill and Sheryl Crow. They have previously been awarded 21 Academy of Country Music Awards as a duo, with Ronnie Dunn having received 22 Academy of Country Music Awards in total.
Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn is nominated in seven categories as part of Brooks & Dunn (see above) and also has additional solo nomination in the Vocal Event of the Year category for "I Don't Want To" with Ashley Monroe.
Rascal Flatts are nominated in six categories, including Entertainer of the Year, Top Vocal Group, Album of the Year for 'Me and My Gang,' and Single Record of the Year for "What Hurts the Most." They have previously been awarded six Academy of Country Music Awards.
Carrie Underwood has five nominations including Top Female Vocalist, Album of the Year for 'Some Hearts,' along with Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year all for "Before He Cheats." She was awarded two Academy of Country Music Awards last year-Top New Female and Single Record of the Year-in her first year to ever be nominated for a country music award.
Big & Rich received four nominations including Top Vocal Duo, Video of the Year for "8th of November" and for Vocal Event of the Year for "That's How They Do It In Dixie," with Hank Williams Jr., Gretchen Wilson and Van Zant.
John Rich has an additional nomination for producing Gretchen Wilson's single, "Politically Uncorrect" which brings his total to five nominations.
Vince Gill, Josh Turner and Gretchen Wilson all received three nominations. Vince Gill received nods for both artist and producer for Album of the Year for 'These Days,' and Vocal Event of the Year for "Building Bridges." Josh Turner is nominated for Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Would You Go With Me," and Vocal Event of the Year for "Me and God." Gretchen Wilson is nominated for Vocal Event of the Year for both "Politically Uncorrect" and "That's How They Do It In Dixie," for the former, she receives an additional producing nod.
Kenny Chesney - on hand at the press conference to read the nominations live - received two nominations, one each for Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist. He has previously been awarded six Academy of Country Music Awards including reigning, back-to-back Entertainer of the Year wins. Sugarland, also on hand to read nominations, received one nod in the Top Vocal Duo category. They were last year's Top New Duo or Vocal Group winner.
Members of the Academy of Country Music select the nominees and winners of the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS. Host, presenters and performers who will appear on the special will be announced at a later date. Following is the list of final nominees in the 13 categories voted on by the membership. Winners in each of the following categories will be presented with an ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARD during the television broadcast:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
* Brooks & Dunn
* Kenny Chesney
* Tim McGraw
* Rascal Flatts
* George Strait
TOP MALE VOCALIST
* Kenny Chesney
* Toby Keith
* Brad Paisley
* George Strait
* Keith Urban
TOP FEMALE VOCALIST
* Sara Evans
* Faith Hill
* Miranda Lambert
* Martina McBride
* Carrie Underwood
TOP VOCAL GROUP
* Diamond Rio
* Emerson Drive
* Little Big Town
* Lonestar
* Rascal Flatts
TOP VOCAL DUO
* Big & Rich
* Brooks & Dunn
* Montgomery Gentry
* Sugarland
* The Wreckers
TOP NEW MALE VOCALIST
* Rodney Atkins
* Craig Morgan
* Chris Young
TOP NEW FEMALE VOCALIST
* Miranda Lambert
* Kellie Pickler
* Taylor Swift
TOP NEW DUO OR VOCAL GROUP
* Heartland
* Little Big Town
* The Wreckers
ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
* Hillbilly Deluxe - Brooks & Dunn (Arista Nashville)
Produced by Tony Brown, Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks
No 3 Produced by Mark Wright, Tony Brown, Ronnie Dunn, Kix Brooks
No 6 Original demo produced by Kix Brooks, Tom Shapiro
* It Just Comes Natural - George Strait (MCA Nashville)
Produced by Tony Brown, George Strait
* Me and My Gang - Rascal Flatts (Lyric Street Records)
Produced by Dann Huff, Rascal Flatts
* Some Hearts - Carrie Underwood (19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records)
No 1, 2, 4, 7, 10 & 13 Produced by Mark Bright
No 3, 6, 8, 9, 11 & 12 Produced by Dann Huff
* These Days - Vince Gill (MCA Nashville)
Produced by Vince Gill, John Hobbs, Justin Niebank
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
* Before He Cheats
Carrie Underwood, Produced by Mark Bright
19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records
* Give It Away
George Strait, Produced by Tony Brown, George Strait
MCA Nashville
* I Loved Her First
Heartland, Produced by Walt Aldridge
Lofton Creek Records
* What Hurts the Most
Rascal Flatts, Produced by Dann Huff, Rascal Flatts
Lyric Street Records
* Would You Go With Me
Josh Turner, Produced by Frank Rogers
MCA Nashville
SONG OF THE YEAR [Award to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
* Amarillo Sky
Jason Aldean
Writers: John Rich, Big Kenny, Rodney Clawson, Bart Pursley
Publishers: Rich Texan Music (ASCAP), Bound For Sound Music (ASCAP) All
rights admin. By WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) Big Love Music (BMI) Admin. By
Carol Vincent and Associates. Grinnin' Girl Music (BMI) Bar Two Beat One
Music (ASCAP) Used by permission. All rights reserved.
* Before He Cheats
Carrie Underwood
Writers: Chris Tompkins, Josh Kear
Publishers: That Little House Music (ASCAP)/ Mighty Underdog
Music/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing (ASCAP)
* Give It Away
George Strait
Writers: Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon, Jamey Johnson
Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing/Mr. Bubba Music, Inc., admin. by
Sony/ATV Music Publishing (BMI); Run Slow Music, admin. By ICG (ASCAP);
EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)
* If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)
Rodney Atkins
Writers: Sam and Annie Tate, Dave Berg
Publishers: Gravonitron Music, Whaddayadef Music, Cal IV Songs,
BerdBrain Music
* Would You Go With Me
Josh Turner
Writers: Shawn Camp, John Scott Sherrill
Publishers: Sony/ATV Songs LLC/All Mighty Dog Music/Travelin'
Arkansawyer Music, admin. By Sony/ATV Music Publishing; Sony/ATV Songs
LLC/All Mighty Dog Music/City Wolf Music, admin. By Sony/ATV Music
Publishing (BMI)
VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Award to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
* 8th of November - Big & Rich
Producer: Steve Lamar
Director: George Deaton, Robert Flanigan, Marc Oswald
* Amarillo Sky - Jason Aldean
Producer: Brittany Hailes
Director: Wes Edwards
* Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood
Producer: Randy Brewer
Director: Roman White
* Hillbilly Deluxe - Brooks & Dunn
Producer: Mark Kalbfeld
Director: Michael Salomon
* Seashores of Old Mexico - George Strait
Producer: Shelli Jury
Director: Trey Fanjoy
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
* Building Bridges - Brooks & Dunn with Vince Gill & Sheryl Crow
Produced by Tony Brown, Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks
Arista Nashville
* I Don't Want To - Ashley Monroe & Ronnie Dunn
Produced by Mark Wright
Columbia Nashville
* Me and God - Josh Turner featuring Dr. Ralph Stanley and Marty Roe, Dana
Williams and Gene Johnson of Diamond Rio
Produced by Frank Rogers
MCA Nashville
* Politically Uncorrect - Gretchen Wilson featuring Merle Haggard
Produced by Gretchen Wilson, John Rich and Mark Wright
Columbia Nashville
* That's How They Do It In Dixie - Hank Williams Jr. with Gretchen Wilson,
Big & Rich and Van Zant
Produced by Doug Johnson for Curb Productions
Curb Records
The 42nd ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS ceremony honoring country music's top talent as well as the industry's hottest emerging talent, will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.
