Nods To Country Music's Biggest Stars

The spotlight swings today from Hollywood and the Academy Awards to Nashville, Tenn., with the announcement of this year's nominations for the Academy of Country Music Awards.

Brad Paisley led the pack with six nominations, including top male vocalist. Brooks & Dunn and Sugarland each received five nods.

Rascall Flatts and Carrie Underwood each had four nominations, and joined The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm, first to help announce the nominations, then to talk about a year of amazing success.

For Underwood, last year's American Idol, hearing her name alongside her country music role models is like a dream come true.

"It is just an incredible feeling because those are people I've looked up to for so many years," she told Storm. "For me to have four on my first album, it was just incredible and I'm the luckiest person in the world."

The trio Rascal Flatts also had a big day and said, although they are not new to the awards circuit, it is still a thrill.

"Because we're out there just beating the street and on tour and working so hard, you forget that award shows are even coming up because it's just about giving back to the fans," said Gary LeVox. "To see all your hard work pay off and have the academy nominate you and your peers think enough of you … to have your name put in a category is just awesome."

Band member Jay DeMarcus says their special collaboration is what makes it all work.

"I think one of the biggest testaments is the fact we've loved each other through all of it, and we put each other first," he told Storm. "In a group situation where you have so many different personalities, it's very important to put the other person first. At the end of the day, that's one of our greatest successes is we've been able to do that."

Nominees for the 41st Academy of Country Music Awards

Entertainer of the Year