ACM Award Nominations Announced

Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton announced the nominations today on CBS’s “The Early Show.”

The title track from Lady Antebellum’s 2010 sophomore album, Need You Now, earned the trio five nominations including single record, song and video of the year as well as producer for single record of the year and composer for song of the year. Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood are also vying for top vocal group and album of the year for their self-titled 2008 debut album.

Swift is giving Lady Antebellum some competition for song of the year and composer for song of the year for her tune “You Belong With Me.” The track also earned the singer a nod for video of the year. Swift is duking it out with Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, McEntire and Lee Ann Womack for top female vocalist. She also earned her first nomination for entertainer of the year and is up against Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Underwood, Keith Urban and Zac Brown Band.

Last year Underwood took home entertainer of the year as well as her third straight top female vocalist award. She earned six nods this year including song of the year for “Cowboy Casanova,” composer for song of the year, album of the year for 2009’s Play On and vocal event of the year for her “I Told You So” collaboration with Randy Travis. If the “American Idol” winner once again picks up the entertainer of the year, she’ll become the first woman to win two awards in that category.

Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley each earned four nominations.

Along with entertainer of the year, Chesney is up for top male vocalist and as an artist and producer for vocal event of the year for his “I’m Alive” team-up with Dave Matthews.
Brad Paisley is also up for top male vocalist – along with Darius Rucker, Strait and Urban – as well as album of the year for 2009’s American Saturday Night and video of the year for “Welcome to the Future.”

After picking up 2009’s award for top new vocal group, this year Zac Brown Band earned three more nods in addition to entertainer of the year. The group has also been recognized for top vocal group, album for 2008’s The Foundation and single record for “Toes.” Frontman Zac Brown is also up for producer for both album of the year for The Foundation and single record of the year for “Toes.”

Country fans get the chance to throw in their two cents by voting for top new solo vocalist, top new vocal group and top new vocal duo. Voting began at VoteACM.com on Feb. 26 and closes March 12. The winner in each of the categories will be announced March 23 and then fight it out for top new artist. Fans then vote for top new artist and entertainer of they year beginning April 1 at VoteACM.com. Voting closes for top new artist April 18 at 5 p.m. PST and wraps for entertainer of the year during the third hour of the ACM Awards broadcast.

The 45th edition of the Academy of Country Music Awards takes place April 18 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. The show will be broadcast live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/delayed PT.
 
Click here for the Academy of Country Music’s Web site.