Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, and the pairing of Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson are the first group of performers confirmed for The 44th Annual CMA Awards."The 44th Annual CMA Awards," hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, airs live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 10 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.
Bentley is nominated in three categories this year, including Male Vocalist, Album for Up On The Ridge, and Musical Event of the Year for "Bad Angel," featuring Lambert and Jamey Johnson. Bentley won the Horizon Award in 2005. He also received the 2008 CMA International Artist Achievement Award.
Chesney, who is nominated for Musical Event of the Year for his performance of "I'm Alive" with Dave Matthews, has won a total of seven CMA Awards. With four trophies to his credit (2004, 2006-2008), he is tied with Garth Brooks (1991, 1992, 1997, 1998) for the most wins in the Entertainer of the Year category. After taking most of 2010 off the road, he returns with his new album, Hemingway's Whiskey, in-stores now.
Jackson is nominated for Musical Event of the Year for his duet with Lee Ann Womack on "Till the End." He has won 16 CMA Awards, including three trophies for Entertainer of the Year (1995, 2002, 2003). He will release 34 Number Ones, a career-spanning, double-disc collection featuring all of his No. 1 hits on Nov. 23.
Lady Antebellum, the reigning Vocal Group of the Year, is nominated in five categories this year, including Entertainer; Album for Need You Now; Vocal Group; Single for "Need You Now"; and Music Video of the Year for "Need You Now," which was directed by David McClister. Group members Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, and Hillary Scott each received individual nominations for Song of the Year for "Need You Now," which they penned with songwriter Josh Kear. The group could receive two additional trophies as producers, should they win Single and Album of the Year, which they co-produced with Paul Worley. Lady Antebellum has a career total of three CMA Awards.
Lambert, the top nominee for 2010 with nine nominations, also achieved the most nominations of any female artist in CMA Awards history. She received nominations for Entertainer; Female Vocalist; Album for Revolution produced by Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke; two for Single, "The House That Built Me" and "White Liar;" Song for "White Liar," which she wrote with Natalie Hemby; Musical Event, for "Bad Angel" with Bentley and Johnson; and two for Music Video of the Year for "The House That Built Me," directed by Trey Fanjoy, and "White Liar," directed by Chris Hicky.
Shelton is nominated in four categories, including Male Vocalist; and Single (produced by Scott Hendricks); Musical Event; and Music Video for "Hillbilly Bone," which featured Trace Adkins and was directed by Roman White. Shelton's latest SIX PAK, All About Tonight, is in-stores now.
Zac Brown Band is nominated for Entertainer; Vocal Group; Musical Event for "Can't You See" featuring Kid Rock; and New Artist of the Year. The last time an act was nominated for New Artist and Entertainer of the Year in the same year was Ricky Skaggs in 1982. Bandmates Zac Brown and John Driskell Hopkins each picked up an additional individual nomination for Song of the Year for "Toes," which they wrote with Wyatt Durrette and Shawn Mullins. The group's new album, You Get What You Give, is in stores now.
