45th Annual CMA Award Winners

Entertainer of the Year Jason Aldean Brad Paisley Blake Shelton Taylor Swift Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year Sara Evans Miranda Lambert Martina McBride Carrie Underwood Taylor Swift

Male Vocalist of the Year Jason Aldean Kenny Chesney Brad Paisley Blake Shelton Keith Urban

New Artist of the Year The Band Perry Luke Bryan Eric Church Thompson Square Chris Young

Music Video of the Year “Honey Bee” Blake Shelton, Directed by Trey Fanjoy “If I Die Young” The Band Perry, Directed by David McClister “Mean” Taylor Swift, Directed by Declan Whitebloom “Old Alabama” Brad Paisley featuring Alabama, Directed by Jim Shea “You and Tequila” Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter, Directed by Shaun Silva

Musical Event of the Year “As She’s Walking Away” Zac Brown Band featuring Alan Jackson, Southern Ground Artists/Atlantic Records “Coal Miner’s Daughter” Loretta Lynn, Sheryl Crow, and Miranda Lambert, Columbia Records Nashville “Don’t You Wanna Stay” Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson, Broken Bow Records “Old Alabama” Brad Paisley featuring Alabama, Arista Nashville “You and Tequila” Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter, BNA Records

Vocal Group of the Year The Band Perry Lady Antebellum Little Big Town Rascal Flatts Zac Brown Band

Album of the Year (Award to Artist and Producer(s)) All About Tonight, Blake Shelton, Produced by Scott Hendricks, Warner Bros. Nashville My Kinda Party, Jason Aldean, Produced by Michael Knox, Broken Bow Records Speak Now, Taylor Swift, Produced by Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift, Big Machine Records This Is Country Music, Brad Paisley, Produced by Frank Rogers, Arista Nashville You Get What You Give, Zac Brown Band, Produced by Keith Stegall and Zac Brown, Southern Ground Artists/Atlantic Records

Vocal Duo of the Year Civil Wars Montgomery Gentry Steel Magnolia Sugarland Thompson Square

Song of the Year “Colder Weather,” Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, Levi Lowrey, and Coy Bowles “Dirt Road Anthem,” Brantley Gilbert and Colt Ford “If I Die Young,” Kimberly Perry “Mean,” Taylor Swift “You and Tequila,” Matraca Berg and Deana Carter

Single of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Producer(s)) “A Little Bit Stronger” Sara Evans, Produced by Tony Brown, RCA Nashville “Colder Weather” Zac Brown Band, Produced by Keith Stegall and Zac Brown, Southern Ground Artists/Atlantic Records “Don’t You Wanna Stay” Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson, Produced by Michael Knox, Broken Bow Records “Honey Bee” Blake Shelton, Produced by Scott Hendricks, Warner Bros. Nashville “If I Die Young” The Band Perry, Produced by Paul Worley, Republic Nashville

Musician of the Year Sam Bush – Mandolin Jerry Douglas – Dobro Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar Dann Huff – Guitar Mac McAnally – Guitar

CMA First Round Nominations Announced

Congratulations to those nominated!  I see a lot of folks on there that I've had the opportunity to perform with or meet over the past couple years.  Hopefully... well, "hopefully."  We'll just leave it at that for now.  Here they are:

Topping the list of final nominees with five nominations each for “The 45th Annual CMA Awards” including Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, and Taylor Swift. Right on their heels are The Band Perry and Zac Brown Band, who each received four nominations as a group while individual members Kimberly Perry (of The Band Perry), Coy Bowles and Zac Brown (of Zac Brown Band) each earned a solo nod as a songwriter.

Aldean received first-time nominations in five categories in 2011 including Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for My Kinda Party, produced by Michael Knox; and Single and Musical Event of the Year for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson, also produced by Knox. Aldean has two prior nominations including the Horizon Award in 2007 and in 2008 when the category changed names to CMA New Artist of the Year.

The 45th Annual CMA Awards Live on ABC November 9, 2011 8|7c

Entertainer of the Year Jason Aldean Brad Paisley Blake Shelton Taylor Swift Keith Urban

Male Vocalist of the Year Jason Aldean Kenny Chesney Brad Paisley Blake Shelton Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year Sara Evans Miranda Lambert Martina McBride Carrie Underwood Taylor Swift

New Artist of the Year The Band Perry Luke Bryan Eric Church Thompson Square Chris Young

Vocal Group of the Year The Band Perry Lady Antebellum Little Big Town Rascal Flatts Zac Brown Band

Album of the Year Blake Shelton, All About Tonight Jason Aldean, My Kinda Party Taylor Swift, Speak Now Brad Paisley, This is Country Music Zac Brown Band, You Get What You Give

Single of the Year Sara Evans, “A Little Bit Stronger” Zac Brown Band, “Colder Weather” Jason Aldean ft. Kelly Clarkson, “Don’t You Wanna Stay” Blake Shelton, “Honey Bee” The Band Perry, “If I Die Young”

Song of the Year “Colder Weather,” Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, Levi Lowrey, and Coy Bowles “Dirt Road Anthem,” Brantley Gilbert and Colt Ford “If I Die Young,” Kimberly Perry “Mean,” Taylor Swift “You and Tequila,” Matraca Berg and Deana Carter

Musical Event of the Year “As She’s Walking Away” Zac Brown Band featuring Alan Jackson Southern Ground Artists/Atlantic Records

“Coal Miner’s Daughter” Loretta Lynn, Sheryl Crow, and Miranda Lambert Columbia Records Nashville

“Don’t You Wanna Stay” Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson Broken Bow Records

“Old Alabama” Brad Paisley featuring Alabama Arista Nashville

“You and Tequila” Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter BNA Records

Vocal Duo of the Year Civil Wars Montgomery Gentry Steel Magnolia Sugarland Thompson Square

Music Video of the Year “Honey Bee” Blake Shelton Directed by Trey Fanjoy

“If I Die Young” The Band Perry Directed by David McClister

“Mean” Taylor Swift Directed by Declan Whitebloom

“Old Alabama” Brad Paisley featuring Alabama Directed by Jim Shea

“You and Tequila” Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter Directed by Shaun Silva

Musician of the Year Sam Bush Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff Mac McAnally