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
