Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley lead field of CMA nominations

Miranda Lambert (above) snagged nine CMA award nominations on Wednesday. | Photo by Wade Payne/Invision/AP/file)

BY CHRIS TALBOT | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Miranda Lambert released the most ambitious album of her career earlier this year and Country Music Association voters responded by giving her a record-tying load of nominations.

Lambert has nine nominations for the 48th CMA Awards, tying her own mark for the most nods to a female nominee, and nearly doubling her nearest competitor when the list was announced Wednesday in New York. Dierks Bentley is next with five nominations and Eric Church and Keith Urban have four apiece.

The 30-year-old Lambert is up for top honor entertainer of the year along with husband Blake Shelton, and has nominations for major categories album of the year for “Platinum,” song and single of the year for “Automatic” and is vying for her fifth straight female vocalist of the year trophy.

Urban, George Strait and Luke Bryan round out the entertainer of the year category where Lambert and Bryan are seeking their first win in that coveted category. Bryan and Urban also are up for album of the year. Bryan’s “Crash My Party” and Urban’s “Fuse” join Bentley’s “Riser” and Church’s “The Outsiders” in the category.

New artist of the year nominees are Brandy Clark, Brett Eldredge, Kip Moore, Thomas Rhett and Cole Swindell.

Bryan and Shelton are tied with Kacey Musgraves and Carrie Underwood with three nominations apiece. The nominations were announced on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and at a news conference by Darius Rucker and Little Big Town. Underwood and Brad Paisley will host the Nov. 5 show live from Nashville, Tennessee.

Lambert padded out her list of nominations with two apiece in the vocal event (“Somethin’ Bad” with Underwood and “We Were Us” with Urban) and music video (“Automatic” and “Somethin’ Bad”) categories. “Automatic,” the first single from “Platinum,” was nominated for both song and single of the year as well.

Shelton and Lambert will be attempting to extend their record streak of wins by a married couple in the male and female vocalist categories. Each has won four straight. Lambert will be competing against Underwood, Musgraves, Taylor Swift and Martina McBride. Shelton faces Bentley, Bryan, Church and Urban.

Voters have an interesting choice to make in the entertainer of the year category. Lambert and Bryan are arguably the genre’s top stars and voters could justifiably reward either with a trophy that goes hand in hand with superstar status. Strait is seeking his second consecutive win in the category after announcing he would retire from the road. He played his final concert earlier this year, setting attendance records at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium. And “American Idol” judge Urban and “The Voice” coach Shelton remain two of country’s most visible stars.

The 48th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 5 (ABC, 8 p.m. ET). Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will host the show for the seventh year. — AP

Here’s the full slate of CMA nominees:

Entertainer of the year:

Luke Bryan

Miranda Lambert

Blake Shelton

George Strait

Keith Urban

Album of the year: “Crash My Party,” Luke Bryan, produced by Jeff Stevens, Capitol Records Nashville

“Fuse,” Keith Urban, produced by Benny Blanco, Nathan Chapman, Ross Copperman, Zach Crowell, Mike Elizondo, Dann Huff, Jay Joyce, Stargate, Keith Urban, and Butch Walker, Capitol Records Nashville

“Platinum,” Miranda Lambert, produced by Frank Liddell, Chuck Ainlay, and Glenn Worf, RCA Nashville

“Riser,” Dierks Bentley, produced by Ross Copperman, Jaren Johnston, and Arturo Buenahora, Jr., Capitol Records Nashville

“The Outsiders,” Eric Church, produced by Jay Joyce and Arturo Buenahora, Jr., EMI Records Nashville

Female vocalist of the year:

Miranda Lambert

Martina McBride

Kacey MusgravesT

aylor Swift

Carrie Underwood

Male vocalist of the year:

Dierks Bentley

Luke Bryan

Eric Church

Blake Shelton

Keith Urban

Vocal group of the year:

Eli Young Band

Lady Antebellum

Little Big Town

The Band Perry

Zac Brown Band

Vocal duo of the year:

Dan + Shay

Florida Georgia Line

Love & Theft

The Swon Brothers

Thompson Square

New artist of the year:

Brandy Clark

Brett Eldredge

Kip Moore

Thomas Rhett

Cole Swindell

Single of the year:

“Automatic,” Miranda Lambert

“Drunk on a Plane,” Dierks Bentley

“Give Me Back My Hometown,” Eric Church

“Meanwhile Back at Mama’s,” Tim McGraw feat. Faith Hill“

Mine Would Be You,” Blake Shelton

Song of the year:

“Automatic,” Miranda Lambert

“Follow Your Arrow,” Kacey Musgraves

“Give Me Back My Hometown,” Eric Church

“I Don’t Dance,” Lee Brice

“I Hold On,” Dierks Bentley

Video of the year:

“Automatic,” Miranda Lambert

“Bartender,” Lady Antebellum

“Drunk on a Plane,” Dierks Bentley

“Follow Your Arrow,” Kacey Musgraves

“Somethin’ Bad,” Miranda Lambert with Carrie Underwood

Musical event of the year:

“Bakersfield,” Vince Gill and Paul Franklin

“Meanwhile Back at Mama’s,” Tim McGraw feat. Faith Hill

“Somethin’ Bad,” Miranda Lambert with Carrie Underwood

“We Were Us,” Keith Urban feat. Miranda Lambert

“You Can’t Make Old Friends,” Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton

Musician of the year:

Sam Bush, mandolin

Jerry Douglas, Dobro

Paul Franklin, steel guitar

Dann Huff, guitar

Mac McAnally, guitar