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Sunday, 4 November, 2007 12:24 PM
CMA Awards Airs Wednesday, Nov.
7, 8 - 11 p.m. on ABC-TV
PHOTO
BY JOHN RUSSELL / CMA
Brad
Paisley will perform on "The 41st Annual CMA Awards" on
Nov. 7, 2007, broadcast live on ABC Television from the Sommet Center
in Nashville, Tenn. Paisley is pictured performing on "The
40th Annual CMA Awards."
| By
Wendy Pearl |
| ©
2007 CMA Close Up News Service |
The final list of nominees
for "The 41st Annual CMA Awards" covers the broadest spectrum
of the format from traditionalists, Country Music hit makers and
crossover innovators, with several fresh faces added to the mix.
"Country Music is
thriving on the talent and creativity of an outstanding group of
artists and they are well represented with our nominees," said
CMA Chief Operating Officer Tammy Genovese. "These talented
performers, musicians, songwriters, producers and directors demonstrate
the artistic depth and creativity of our format. It is an exciting
time for Country Music and the CMA Awards will definitely reflect
that on Nov. 7."
"Since our inaugural
broadcast of the Awards last year with the historic 40th anniversary,
we've enjoyed a special and growing relationship with the Country
Music Association as true partners to bring the very best of the
country's music to ABC," said Vicki Dummer, Senior VP, Alternative
Series, Specials and Late-Night, ABC Entertainment. "We're
proud and honored to be the network that is home to the CMA Awards
and we congratulate all of the outstanding nominees for their achievements."
"The 41st Annual
CMA Awards" will broadcast live from the Sommet Center in Nashville
on Wednesday, Nov. 7 (8-11PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.
Brad Paisley and Country
Music Hall of Fame member George Strait lead the list of nominees
with five nominations each. Paisley was nominated for Entertainer,
Male Vocalist, Album for 5th Gear (produced by Frank Rogers and
Chris DuBois), Single for "Ticks" and Music Video of the
Year for "Online," which was directed by actor-turned-video
director Jason Alexander.
Strait received nominations
for Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album for It Just Comes Natural
(co-produced by Tony Brown), Musical Event with Jimmy Buffett and
Alan Jackson on the live version of "Hey Good Lookin'"
and Single of the Year for "Wrapped." Strait could win
two additional trophies as producer for Single and Album of the
Year. Other nominees benefiting from Strait's windfall are songwriters
Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon and Jamey Johnson, who were nominated
for Song of the Year for "Give It Away." Strait now has
70 career CMA Awards nominations, trailing only Jackson, who has
75 with this year's nomination for Musical Event of the Year.
Reigning CMA Entertainer
of the Year Kenny Chesney received four nominations this year for
Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Musical Event with Tracy Lawrence and
Tim McGraw on Lawrence's "Find Out Who Your Friends Are"
and Music Video of the Year for "You Save Me" directed
by Shaun Silva.
Alison Krauss received
four nominations including Female Vocalist, Vocal Group of the Year
for Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, and
two for Musical Event of the Year with John Waite (his first CMA
Awards nomination) on "Missing You" and with Vince Gill
on "The Reason Why." Douglas was also nominated for Musician
of the Year. Krauss last won the Female Vocalist of the Year category
in 1995. She has been nominated in the category five times including
each year from 2002-2005.
Martina McBride also
had four nominations, including Female Vocalist, Single, Song and
Music Video of the Year for "Anyway," which she co-wrote
with Brad Warren and Brett Warren. The music video was directed
by Robert Deaton and George J. Flanigen IV. McBride could pick up
an additional trophy as producer for Single of the Year for the
inspiring ballad.
John Rich scored three
nominations, including Vocal Duo and Single of the Year for "Lost
In This Moment" with partner Big Kenny Alphin as Big &
Rich (which they also produced), and as a songwriter with Keith
Anderson and Rodney Clawson for "Lost In This Moment."
After winning CMA Female
Vocalist of the Year and the Horizon Award in 2006, Carrie Underwood
is back in 2007 with three nominations for Female Vocalist, Single
for "Before He Cheats" and Music Video of the Year for
the same song directed by Roman White. Songwriters for "Before
He Cheats," Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins, were nominated for
Song of the Year.
Reigning CMA Male Vocalist
of the Year Keith Urban had three nominations for Entertainer, Male
Vocalist and Album of the Year for Love, Pain & the whole crazy
thing, which he co-produced with Dann Huff, who is a Musician of
the Year nominee. Songwriters Dave Berg, Deanna Bryant and Sarah
Buxton received a nomination for Song of the Year for Urban's "Stupid
Boy." Urban has won the Male Vocalist Award every year he has
been nominated (2004-2006). He won Entertainer of the Year in 2005.
Rounding out the nominees
for Entertainer of the Year is Rascal Flatts. The group was first
nominated in the category in 2006. The category has only been won
by two groups in CMA Awards history: Alabama (1982, 1983, 1984)
and Dixie Chicks (2000). Rascal Flatts has swept the Vocal Group
of the Year category the past four years and is nominated in that
category again in 2007.
Completing the list of
nominees in the Vocal Group of the Year category are Dixie Chicks,
Emerson Drive and Little Big Town. Dixie Chicks have won the category
four times (1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002) and were last nominated in
2003. This marks Emerson Drive's first CMA Awards nomination. They
also received a nomination for Music Video of the Year for "Moments,"
directed by Steven Goldmann. Little Big Town was nominated for the
first time in the Vocal Group category in 2006. They also received
their second Horizon Award nomination this year.
Expectation surrounds
the Female Vocalist of the Year category. Rounding out the list
with McBride, Krauss and Underwood are Miranda Lambert and Reba
McEntire. This marks Lambert's first nomination in this category.
She received her first CMA Awards nomination in 2005 for the Horizon
Award and in 2006 was nominated for Horizon and Music Video of the
Year.
McBride and McEntire
are tied with the most wins in the Female Vocalist category in history
- surpassing Loretta Lynn's and Tammy Wynette's previous records.
McBride won in 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2004. McEntire won in 1984,
1985, 1986 and 1987. McEntire was last nominated in the category
in 2004. With her two nominations, McEntire solidifies her position
as the female artist with the most nominations (45) in the 41-year
history of the CMA Awards. She is also nominated in the Musical
Event of the Year category with Kelly Clarkson for "Because
of You," marking the "American Idol" winner's first
CMA Awards nomination.
This is the first year
that Josh Turner's name is on the list of nominees for Male Vocalist
of the Year. Turner was nominated for the Horizon Award in 2004
and 2006.
An artist may be nominated
only twice for the Horizon Award and this year several new hopefuls
join two-time nominee Little Big Town on the list, including Jason
Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift.
Dierks Bentley won his
first CMA Award in 2005 with the Horizon trophy and in 2007 he received
his first nomination for Album of the Year for Long Trip Alone,
produced by Brett Beavers. A CMA Awards voter favorite, Vince Gill,
is also nominated for Album of the Year for These Days. Gill could
pick up an additional trophy as producer with John Hobbs and Justin
Niebank.
Sugarland makes its debut
in the Vocal Duo of the Year category this year with fellow nominees
Big & Rich, Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry and The Wreckers.
Artists performing on
the CMA Awards include Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Big & Rich,
Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Eagles, Alison Krauss, Miranda
Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire in a duet with LeAnn Rimes,
Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift,
Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban. Rascal Flatts will
open the festivities and also perform with Jamie Foxx later in the
broadcast.
Presenters on the CMA
Awards include Luke Bryan, Jason Michael Carroll, Bucky Covington,
Sheryl Crow, Jewel with Ty Murray, Kid Rock, Montgomery Gentry,
Blake Shelton, Gretchen Wilson and Dwight Yoakam.
Additional artists performing
and presenters at the CMA Awards will be announced at a later date.
For the first time in
the history of the CMA Awards, multiple artists will share hosting
duties during the three-hour gala including Sara Evans and LeAnn
Rimes. Other segment hosts will be announced soon.
The 2006 CMA Awards,
held in Nashville during November Sweeps (Nov. 6), ranked in the
Top 5 with the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, Grammy Awards
and Emmy's during the 2006-2007 season for awards shows among total
viewers. With "The 40th Annual CMA Awards," ABC won Monday
evening in both total viewers (16.0 million) and adults 18-49 (5.4/13).
According to Nielsen, research estimates that more than 30 million
viewers watched all or part of the ceremony.
The CMA Awards nominees
and winners are determined by the 6,000 industry professional members
of CMA, founded in 1958 as the first trade organization formed to
promote an individual genre of music. The first "CMA Awards
Banquet and Show" was held in 1967. The following year, the
CMA Awards were broadcast on NBC-TV for the first time, making it
the longest running, annual music awards program on network television.
The show aired on NBC-TV through 1971 and on CBS-TV from 1972 through
2005.
Winners of "The
41st Annual CMA Awards" will be determined in a third/final
round of voting by eligible voting members of the Country Music
Association. CMA Awards balloting is officiated by the international
accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
Tickets for the 2007
CMA Awards are on sale now and can be purchased by logging on to
www.ticketmaster.com;
calling (615) 255-9600; or in person at the Sommet Center box office,
501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, in Nashville).
Ticket prices begin at $164 (excluding applicable service/handling
fees), with prices increasing depending on seating level.
"The 41st Annual
CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music Association.
Walter C. Miller is the Executive Producer and Robert Deaton is
the Producer. Paul Miller is the Director. David Wild is the writer.
The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720
Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel
surround sound.
Premiere Radio Networks
is the official radio packager of the CMA Awards, including a stereo-radio
simulcast of the gala event. American Airlines is the official airline
of the 2007 CMA Awards. Chevy: The Official Ride of Country Music.
Mary Kay is the Official Beauty Sponsor. Additional promotional
partners include AOL, LLC.; Borders Books & Music; Carl Black
Chevrolet; Coca-Cola; Dr Pepper; Gibson Guitar; Greased Lightning
Cleaning Products; Hard Rock Cafe Nashville; Mr. Coffee; and The
Yankee Candle Company.
REACTIONS FROM
SOME OF THE CMA AWARDS FINAL NOMINEES
"It cannot get any
better than this. We have worked extremely hard this past year.
Thank you CMA members for recognizing that hard work. It means more
to us than you know." - BIG KENNY of BIG & RICH, Vocal
Duo and Single of the Year
"Kenny and I were
blown away when 'Lost In This Moment' reached No. 1 on the Country
radio charts for multiple weeks, but now hearing we are nominated
for Song and Single of the Year, in addition to Vocal Duo, we are
truly 'Lost In This Moment.' Thank you." - JOHN RICH of BIG
& RICH, Vocal Duo, Single and Song of the Year
"It's not just another
year for us. Touring with Alan and Chesney has been some of the
biggest business we've ever done, and 'Proud of the House We Built'
is introducing maybe the best album we've ever made. It's great
to still have a job and good to know people still notice."
- KIX BROOKS of BROOKS & DUNN, Vocal Duo of the Year
"Kix and I are happy
just to be there. Win or lose, we're glad to have jobs." -
RONNIE DUNN of BROOKS & DUNN, Vocal Duo of the Year
"I was already having
a great day when I got the phone call from my manager that 'Stupid
Boy' was nominated. Dave [Berg], Deanna [Bryant, co-writers] and
I were excited to have Keith record the song, and now this - it's
over the top. I couldn't be happier." - SARAH BUXTON, Song
of the Year
"It's kinda crazy,
what's happening. But it's really about the fans. I think you make
music that hits them where and how they live, you get out there
and you give them a reason to come, to have fun, to let it all go
when they're at your show . they're gonna respond. There's been
plenty of times I can't believe how far I've taken it onstage -
and when I look back, it's because of what they're giving us when
we're up there." - KENNY CHESNEY, Entertainer, Male Vocalist,
Musical Event and Music Video of the Year
"We got the wake-up
call of the year this morning. We were on our bus, headed to our
gig in Ohio, when we got a call telling us about our CMA nominations.
What a great way to wake up." - BRAD MATES of EMERSON DRIVE,
Vocal Group and Music Video of the Year
"This comes at the
heels of the news about my induction into the Country Music Hall
of Fame and I couldn't be prouder about this. It's been a pretty
good while since I've been nominated for anything so this is extra
special." - VINCE GILL, Album and Musical Event of the Year
"All I have to say
is I'm in a category with REBA. I'm sure all the other nominees
will agree that it is an honor to be nominated with a true music
icon." - MIRANDA LAMBERT, Female Vocalist of the Year
"I am humbled by
the overwhelming support of Country radio and so many of my friends
and colleagues in the music industry, a business that I dearly love.
. I assembled a very strong team around me and I feel very proud
of our accomplishment." - TRACY LAWRENCE, Musical Event of
the Year
"Wow! The CMAs are
such a huge part of Country Music. It's such an honor to be nominated
for these Awards and to be in categories with our friends and artists
we've been big fans of for years." - KIMBERLY ROADS of LITTLE
BIG TOWN, Horizon and Vocal Group of the Year
"You know, as much
competition as there is in Nashville right now, not only in the
Duo category but airplay and everything, it's a wonderful feeling
to be nominated year after year." - TROY GENTRY of MONTGOMERY
GENTRY, Vocal Duo of the Year
"My old man always
told me one thing. He said, 'Boy, always remember, if people are
talking about you, you're still alive.' So long as we're nominated,
we know we're still in the game." - EDDIE MONTGOMERY of MONTGOMERY
GENTRY, Vocal Duo of the Year
"I'm going to have
such an awesome week. I'm going to be so obnoxiously excited. I
apologize to everyone who were watching the announcements, when
I started screaming and jumping up and down. But I was not expecting
it. It's been a really, really good day." - TAYLOR SWIFT, Horizon
"Man, I'm just floored.
I'm speechless. What a way to start the day. I'm in mighty fine
company in the Male Vocalist category, and I'm so thankful to everyone
who voted for me." - JOSH TURNER, Male Vocalist of the Year
"So here I am on
yet another Awards announcement day, wondering if it's gonna be
a good day or a bad day. I wake up on the bus and look at my phone,
which hasn't rung yet and it's almost 10 o'clock. That's not good.
So I check messages anyway and I hear 'you have no new messages.'
I then check my e-mail on my new iPhone. I have two new messages:
One is junk mail with the subject 'Eliminate E.D. Now.' The other
is a spam which makes absolutely no sense: 'Quickness Goat Radishes
Envelope.' Not a good sign.
"So I go online
and look at the headline: 'Brad Paisley and George Strait lead CMA
Nominations.' Good day. Definitely.
"I'm humbled by
this fantastic news. Thanks again to all who voted so far, and my
fans, for making this such a good day. Can't wait for November."
- BRAD PAISLEY, Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Single, Album and Music
Video of the Year
"This is what dreams
are made of." - KELLIE PICKLER, Horizon
"I really only intended
for Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing to be the title of an
album, not a premonition of the year ahead. But with the extraordinary
love of my wife and the support of the industry, I've been able
to get back on the road to do what I love to do most, and to watch
these songs connect in a way that I've never seen before. But for
this particular year to culminate with these nominations has truly
blown me away. I'm so looking forward to actually being at the show
this year." - KEITH URBAN, Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Album
of the Year
"I've had some great
opportunities in my musical career. I have been able to not only
grow as an artist in the pop/rock format, but I've also been able
to grow in the Country genre. To be nominated for CMA Vocal Duo
of the Year is such an honor. It's exciting to know CMA members
recognize Jessica's and my contributions to Country Music."
- MICHELLE BRANCH of THE WRECKERS, Vocal Duo of the Year
"It is a dream come
true to be acknowledged by CMA and the Country Music industry. It
was exciting to be nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year in 2006,
and to be nominated again in 2007 amongst such talented artists
and musicians in this category is a thrill. Thanks to everyone for
this honor." - JESSICA HARP of THE WRECKERS, Vocal Duo of the
Year
Click
Here to see the nominees for the 41st Annual CMA Awards.
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