McGraw, Hill Lead Nominees

The biggest surprise at the nominations for the Academy of Country Music Awards may have been who didn't make the list: Garth Brooks.

Brooks, who won four awards at last year's show, may have been overlooked because he spent much of 1999 promoting a pop music album he recorded under the alias Chris Gaines.

Instead, husband-and-wife country stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill kept it all in the family Wednesday, each grabbing five Academy of Country Music nominations.

They will compete against each other for the top entertainer of the year award, as well as in the album of the year and song of the year races. The 35th annual awards will be presented May 3 in a CBS telecast from the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.

Also scoring five nominations were the Dixie Chicks, who last week won their second consecutive country album of the year Grammy. They will vie for entertainer of the year, top vocal (duo or group), album of the year, single of the year and video of the year.

Following is the complete list of nominees:

• Entertainer of the Year -- Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Sawyer Brown and Shania Twain.

• Top Male Vocalist -- Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Collin Raye and George Strait.

• Top New Male Vocalist -- Gary Allan, Chad Brock and Brad Paisley.

• Top Female Vocalist -- Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Jo Dee Messina, Shania Twain and Chely Wright.

• Top New Female Vocalist -- Jessica Andrews, Julie Reeves and Chalee Tennison.

• Top Vocal Duo or Group -- Asleep at the Wheel, Brooks & Dunn, Dixie Chicks, Lonestar and Sawyer Brown.

• Top New Vocal Duo or Group -- Montgomery Gentry, Shedaisy and Yankee Grey.

• Top Vocal Event of the Year -- A Country Boy Can Survive (Y2K Version) with artists Chad Brock, Hank Williams, Jr., and George Jones; After the Gold Rush with The Trio (Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt); God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on Youwith artists Alabama and 'N Sync; My Kind of Woman with artists Vince Gill and Patty Loveless; When I Said I Do with artists Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black.

• Album of the Year -- A Place in the Sun by Tim McGraw; Breathe by Faith Hill; Cold Hard Truth by George Jones; Fly by Dixie Chicks and Ride With Bob by Asleep at the Wheel.

• Single Record of the Year -- Amazed by Lonestar; He Didn't Have to Be by Brad Paisley; Please Remember Me by Tim McGraw; Ready to Run by Dixie Chicks; and Write This Down by George Strait.

• Song of the Year -- Amazed by Lonestar; He Didn't Have to Be by Brad Paisley; Breathe by Faith Hill; Choices by George Jones; Please Remember Me by Tim McGraw.

• Country Video of the Year -- Beathe by Faith Hill; He Didn't Have to Be by Brad Paisley; How Do You Like Me Now by Toby Keith; Ready to Run by Dixie Chicks; Single White Female by Chely Wright.