Nominations for the 38th annual Academy of Country Music Awards

LOS ANGELES (CMA) - The final nominations for the 38^th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards were announced today with Toby Keith leading with eight nominations, Alan Jackson with six and Kenny Chesney and Trick Pony earning five each. Multiple ACM-winning superstar LeAnn Rimes, newcomer Jennifer Hanson and Access Hollywood�s Nancy O�Dell joined executive producer Dick Clark to read the nominations at a press conference this morning at Tiffany & Co. at Two Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Brooks & Dunn, Lonestar and Wynonna have been named as the nominees for the second annual The Home Depot Humanitarian Award it was also announced this morning. The ACMs and Home Depot entered into an additional three year deal for this fan-voted award on the telecast. Reba McEntire was the first recipient of this award in last year�s show. She received a beautiful crystal award that was designed exclusively by Tiffany & Co., and a HomeDepot/KaBOOM! playground built in the town of her choice. Atoka, Oklahoma is the location for the Reba McEntire playground built in November of 2002. Voting will begin immediately on the Home Depot website for the winner of the 2003 Home Depot Humanitarian Award and will continue into the first two hours of the May 21 show. The winner will be announced in the final hour of the CBS telecast.

�The nominees for the 38^th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards represent the very best in the business today,� commented Bob Romeo, Chairman of the Academy Of Country Music Board Of Directors. �The diversity reflected in the nominations of established and newer artists is a complement to the country music industry. We are very excited about putting together what we hope will be our best show ever,� said Jack Lameier, Academy Of Country Music President.

In the third round of voting for the Academy of Country Music Awards, Toby Keith has eight nominations, and as the artist and co-producer on four of the categories, he could receive as many as 12 trophies. Keith is nominated as �Entertainer Of The Year,� �Top Male Vocalist", �Album Of The Year,� �Single Record Of The Year,� �Song Of The Year,� �Vocal Event Of The Year,� and has two nominations for different songs in the �Video Of The Year� category.

Alan Jackson has six nominations and as the composer and artist on �Song Of The Year� could win as many as seven trophies. Jackson is nominated for �Entertainer Of The Year,� �Top Male Vocalist,� �Album Of The Year,� �Song Of The Year,� �Vocal Event Of The Year� and �Video Of The Year.�

Kenny Chesney and Trick Pony have five nominations each. Chesney is nominated for �Entertainer Of The Year,� �Top Male Vocalist,� �Song Of The Year,� �Album Of The Year,� and �Single Record Of The Year.� In the latter two categories, as both the artist and the co-producer, he could receive as many as seven trophies. Trick Pony is nominated for �Top Vocal Group,� �Album Of The Year,� �Single Record Of The Year,� �Vocal Event Of The Year,� and �Video Of The Year.�

The Dixie Chicks and Willie Nelson are each nominated in three categories. The Dixie Chicks are nominated for �Entertainer Of The Year,� �Top Vocal Group,� and for �Album Of The Year" (as both the artist and co-producer.) Willie Nelson is nominated three times in the �Vocal Event Of The Year� category for duets with Toby Keith, Lee Ann Womack and Trick Pony respectively.

Brooks & Dunn (�Entertainer Of The Year,� �Top Vocal Duo,� �The Home Depot Humanitarian Award,�) Rebecca Lynn Howard (�Top New Female Vocalist,� �Song Of The Year�,) Tim McGraw (�Top Male Vocalist,� �Video Of The Year,�) Rascal Flatts (�Top Vocal Group,� �Song Of The Year�) and Lee Ann Womack (�Top Female Vocalist,� �Vocal Event Of The Year�) are also multiple nominees.

Approximately two weeks prior to the broadcast, additional awards will be announced, including Radio Station of the Year, On-Air Personality of the Year, Don Romeo Talent Buyer/Promoter of the Year, Nightclub of the Year and Casino of the Year.

The 38^th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards will be a live primetime television show broadcast by the CBS Television Network. The West-Coast based Academy will, for the first time, hold the highly rated awards show at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. This year�s show will air on Wednesday, May 21 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET; delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. Reba McEntire will be this year�s host of the Awards show.

Nominees and winners of the Academy of Country Music Awards are voted on by members of the Academy Of Country Music, which works to enhance and promote country music throughout the world.

Presenters and performers who will appear on the special will be announced at a later date. Also to be presented during the live broadcast will be the Academy�s Pioneer Award, which goes to an outstanding pioneer in the field of country music. The 38^th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards is produced by dick clark productions. Dick Clark and Al Schwartz are executive producers. R. A. Clark and Barry Adelman produce the show. Ron Weed is a co-producer.