Paisley Leads Way Among ACM Nominees

Reigning Top Male Vocalist Gets 6 Nominations, Including Entertainer Of The Year

(CBS)  Brad Paisley leads all finalists for the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards with six nominations.

The finalists were announced in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday morning with Paisley garnering nods for Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist. - In addition, Paisley was nominated for Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year for "Waitin' on a Woman," and Vocal Event of the Year for "Start a Band" with Keith Urban. Paisley is the reigning Top Male Vocalist.

The nominations were announced by four of country's hottest stars -- Julianne Hough, LeAnn Rimes, Kellie Pickler and Jessica Simpson -- during a live broadcast on The Early Show from the Country Music Hall of Fame's Ford Theater.

Rimes got a surprise after the nominations were announced as co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez informed her she was the recipient of the Home Depot Humanitarian Award in recognition of all the time and effort and passion she devotes to many charitable organizations.

"Dancing with the Stars" champ Hough also got a shock, as she was nominated for top new female vocalist, an honor she says caps "an amazing year and a half" in which she's toured with Paisley and George Strait and had a hit song with "That Song in My Head."

Heidi Newfield is nominated for five awards, including Top Female Vocalist. She is also nominated for Single Record of the Year and is nominated as an artist and composer for Song of the Year for "Johnny & June," for which she is also nominated for Video of the Year.

Kenny Chesney is nominated for four awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Top Male Vocalist and as an artist and producer for Vocal Event of the Year for "Down the Road" with Mac McAnally. If Chesney wins Entertainer of the Year, it will be his fifth consecutive win, which will tie Alabama for the most consecutive wins in this category.

Jamey Johnson received four nominations, including Top New Male Vocalist, Single Record of the Year and as an artist and composer for Song of the Year for "In Color." This is the first time Johnson has been nominated as an artist. He previously won an Academy of Country Music Award in 2006 for Song of the Year for "Give It Away," which was recorded by George Strait.

George Strait received four nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, Top Male Vocalist and Song of the Year for "I Saw God Today." He is also nominated for Video of the Year for "Troubadour." If Strait wins Entertainer of the Year, it will be his second win in that category, previously winning the award in 1989. Strait has also been named the Academy of Country Music's Artist of the Decade and will be honored in a television special to air later in the year on CBS.

Carrie Underwood is nominated for three awards, including Entertainer of Year. If Underwood wins Entertainer of the Year, she will be only the 7th female to take the award; previous winners include Loretta Lynn in 1975, Reba McEntire in 1994 and most recently the Dixie Chicks in 2000. Underwood is also nominated for Top Female Vocalist, and her video "Just a Dream" is nominated for Video of the Year. If she wins Top Female Vocalist, it will be the third consecutive year she has won the category.

Keith Urban received three nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, Top Male Vocalist and Vocal Event of the Year for his duet with Brad Paisley for "Start a Band." Urban is a five-time ACM award winner, including Top Male Vocalist in 2004 and 2005, Album of the Year in 2004 and Top New Male Artist in 2000. If he wins Entertainer of the Year, he will be eligible for the Triple Crown Award, the Academy's recognition of those who have taken Top New Artist, Top Artist and Entertainer of the Year awards.

Trace Adkins, Brooks & Dunn, Little Big Town, James Otto, Jake Owen, Taylor Swift and Sugarland are each nominated for two awards. Adkins is nominated for Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "You're Gonna Miss This." Brooks & Dunn are nominated for Top Vocal Duo and Vocal Event of the Year. If they win Top Vocal Duo, it will be their 16th straight win in the category. - Little Big Town received two nominations for Top Vocal Group and Vocal Event of the Year. James Otto -- a first-time nominee -- is nominated for Top New Male Vocalist and as a producer for Song of the Year for "In Color." Jake Owen is nominated for Top New Male Vocalist and Vocal Event of the Year, and was previously nominated for Top New Male Vocalist in 2007. Swift is nominated in two categories including Top Female Vocalist, and her video "Love Story" is nominated for Video of the Year. She won Top New Female Vocalist last year. Sugarland is nominated for Top Vocal Duo and Vocal Event of the Year. Last year they won Single Record of the Year for "Stay."

For the first time ever, the three newcomer categories for the awards -- Top New Female Vocalist, Top New Male Vocalist and Top New Vocal Duo or Group will be opened up to interactive fan voting on GACTV.com, beginning Friday, Feb. 13. The winners will then move on to compete in a new category, Top New Artist.

The winners will be announced live on CBS during the Academy of Country Music Awards show on from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 5.

[momofdaisy]

Good luck Brad. You deserve it, but where are the nominations for Alan Jackson? Enough of Kenny Chesney!