Kacey Musgraves And Taylor Swift Top The List Of Nominees For "The 47th Annual CMA Awards" With Six Nominations Each; Blake Shelton Picks Up Five Nominations And Miranda Lambert Receives Three Solo Nominations Plus Two More With Pistol Annies

NASHVILLE, Sept. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift top the list of final nominees for "The 47^th Annual CMA Awards" with six nominations each. The reigning CMA Female Vocalist Miranda Lambert and Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year Blake Shelton each received five nominations (Lambert received three individual nominations and an additional two with Pistol Annies). Florida Georgia Line and Keith Urban each received four nominations for "Country Music's Biggest Night™."

"The 47^th Annual CMA Awards" will be hosted for the sixth time by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 6 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.

For the eighth time, the announcement of the final nominees in five of the 12 CMA Awards categories was made live on ABC News' "Good Morning America" with Sheryl Crow and Florida Georgia Line delivering the news from the heart of New York City's Times Square. They then went to the Best Buy Theater to announce the finalists in the remaining seven categories during a press conference that was made available across the world via live stream at CMAawards.com.  

"It was terrific to be able to announce our nominees for Country Music's top honors on the world's biggest stage and be able to share it with the industry and fans," said Ed Hardy, President of the CMA Board of Directors.  

Musgraves, who is a first-time nominee in 2013, has six nominations spanning several categories including those where she will be competing against herself for voters' attention. She is nominated for Female Vocalist and New Artist of the Year; and picked up two more nominations for Album of the Year for Same Trailer Different Park and Single of the Year for "Merry Go 'Round," which she produced with Luke Laird and Shane McAnally. In the Song of the Year category (which is presented to songwriters) she is nominated twice, once for "Merry Go 'Round" with songwriters Josh Osborne and McAnally and for Lambert's hit "Mama's Broken Heart" with songwriters Brandy Clark and McAnally.

Swift is no stranger to CMA voters and received another six nominations this year including Entertainer of the Year; Female Vocalist of the Year; Album of the Year for Red, which was produced by Jeff Bhasker, Scott Borchetta, Nathan Chapman, Dann Huff, Jacknife Lee, Max Martin, Shellback, Butch Walker, Dan Wilson and Swift; and three nominations for "Highway Don't Care" with Tim McGraw and Urban for Single, Musical Event, and Music Video of the Year. Swift now has 21 CMA Awards nominations and seven wins including her first in 2007 for the Horizon Award (now New Artist of the Year) and two for Entertainer of the Year (2009, 2011), which ties her with Barbara Mandrell for wins in that category by a female artist.

Shelton was close behind with five nominations, including Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album of the Year for Based on a True Story (produced by Scott Hendricks); and Music Video (directed by Trey Fanjoy) and Musical Event of the Year for "Boys 'Round Here" featuring Pistol Annies (Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley), who make their debut as nominees this year. 

In addition to Pistol Annies' nominations, Lambert received three of her own including Female Vocalist; and Music Video (directed by Fanjoy) and Single of the Year (produced by Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf, and Chuck Ainlay) for "Mama's Broken Heart."

Newcomers to the CMA Awards nominees list, Florida Georgia Line picked up four nominations and brought Nelly along for the ride. Their nominations included Vocal Duo; New Artist of the Year; Single of the Year for "Cruise," which was produced by Joey Moi; and Musical Event of the Year with the rapper for the remix of "Cruise," which has sold more than 5.5 million digital downloads.

Urban also received four nominations in 2013 including Male Vocalist of the Year, which he has won three times (2004-2006); and three more (Single, Musical Event, and Music Video of the Year) with McGraw and Swift for "Highway Don't Care."

Three was the lucky number for several artists picking up three nominations including Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, McGraw, and Underwood.

Aldean picked up nominations for Entertainer, Male Vocalist, and Musical Event of the Year for "The Only Way I Know" with Bryan and Eric Church.

Bryan received his first Entertainer of the Year nomination in 2013. He is also nominated for Male Vocalist and Musical Event of the Year for "The Only Way I Know" with Aldean and Church.

Reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year, Little Big Town received three nominations including their eighth Vocal Group of the Year nod; Album of the Year for Tornado, which was produced by Jay Joyce; and Music Video of the Year for "Tornado," which was directed by Shane Drake. Songwriters Natalie Hemby, Laird, and Barry Dean picked up a Song of the Year nomination for the foursome's hit "Pontoon."

McGraw's nominations centered on his poignant "Highway Don't Care" with Swift and Urban. The song was nominated for Music Video of the Year (directed by Drake); Single of the Year, which was produced by Byron Gallimore and McGraw; and Musical Event of the Year. McGraw claimed the Musical Event of the Year trophy with Kenny Chesney in 2012 for "Feel Like a Rock Star."

CMA Awards host Underwood received three nominations in 2013 for Female Vocalist of the Year; Album of the Year for Blown Away (produced by Mark Bright); and Music Video of the Year for "Blown Away," which was directed by Randee St. Nicholas.

Three artists received two nominations each: Church, Kelly Clarkson, and Lady Antebellum.

The reigning CMA Album of the Year winner, Church received nominations for Male Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year with Aldean and Bryan for "The Only Way I Know." Church received his first CMA Awards nomination in 2011 for New Artist of the Year.

Clarkson has become a recurring fixture on the list of nominees. In 2013, she is nominated for Female Vocalist and Musical Event of the Year with Vince Gill for "Don't Rush." She won the category in 2011 for "Don't You Wanna Stay" with Aldean and made her debut in the Female Vocalist of the Year category in 2012. Clarkson has a previous nomination for Musical Event of the Year with Reba for "Because of You" in 2007.

Lady Antebellum received nominations for Vocal Group of the Year (a trophy they have won three times) and Music Video of the Year for "Downtown," which was directed by Peter Zavadil.

George Strait enters the field of nominees again in 2013 in the coveted Entertainer of the Year category. Strait is now the most nominated artist in CMA Awards history with 82, breaking a previous tie with Alan Jackson. Strait was last nominated for Entertainer of the Year in 2009. He now has a total of 18 nominations for the top Award and has won Entertainer of the Year two times (1989, 1990).

Accolades keep rolling for "Wagon Wheel" and Darius Rucker. Rucker and producer Frank Rogers picked up a nomination for Single of the Year and songwriters Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor received a nomination for Song of the Year.

The list of nominees for Vocal Group of the Year in 2013 mirrors the list from 2012 with repeat appearances by Eli Young Band, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, The Band Perry, and Zac Brown Band.

The Vocal Duo of the Year category has some returning favorites, too, including 11-time CMA Awards nominee Big & Rich; newbies to the category Florida Georgia Line; Love and Theft; Sugarland, who have claimed the trophy five times (2007-2011); The Civil Wars, which brings their Awards nominations tally to four; and Thompson Square, who won the trophy in 2012.

Four acts debut in the New Artist of the Year category in 2013 including Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Kip Moore, and Musgraves. Lee Brice is nominated for a second time in the category. Artists can only be included in this category two times. Brice's song "I Drive Your Truck" was a nominee for songwriters Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, and Jimmy Yeary with a Song of the Year nod.

The Musician of the Year category mirrors 2012 with Sam Bush (mandolin), who was nominated in the category for the first time in 2011; along with Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Huff (guitar); Brent Mason (guitar); and the current title holder Mac McAnally (guitar).

Winners of "The 47^th Annual CMA Awards" will be determined in a 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. The third and final ballot will be emailed to CMA members Thursday, Oct. 10. Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends Monday, Oct. 28 (5:00 PM/CT).

The CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by more than 7,000 industry professional members of CMA, which was formed in 1958 as the first trade organization to promote an individual genre of music. The first "CMA Awards Banquet and Show" was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast for the first time – making it the longest-running, annual music awards program on network television. The CMA Awards moved to ABC in 2006, where it will remain through 2021.

Tickets for "The 47^th Annual CMA Awards" go on sale to the public Saturday, Sept. 14 (10:00 AM/CT). Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com or Ticketmaster outlets; by calling (800) 745-3000; or at the Bridgestone Arena Box Office, located at 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, Nashville). Ticket prices for the CMA Awards start at $110 for Upper Level seating. Ticket prices include tax, but exclude applicable service fees. Purchase tickets early for the best available seats. The CMA Awards have sold out in advance the past four years.

"The 47^th Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Paul Miller is the Director, and 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.

The Final Nominees for "The 47^th Annual CMA Awards" (by ballot category order):
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Blake Shelton
George Strait
Taylor Swift

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))
"Cruise"
Florida Georgia Line
Produced by Joey Moi
Republic Nashville

"Highway Don't Care"
Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban
Produced by Byron Gallimore and Tim McGraw
Big Machine Records

"Mama's Broken Heart"
Miranda Lambert
Produced by Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf, and Chuck Ainlay
RCA Nashville

"Merry Go 'Round"
Kacey Musgraves
Produced by Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, and Kacey Musgraves
Mercury Records

"Wagon Wheel"
Darius Rucker
Produced by Frank Rogers
Capitol Records Nashville

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))
Based on a True Story
Blake Shelton
Produced by Scott Hendricks
Warner Bros. Records

Blown Away
Carrie Underwood
Produced by Mark Bright
19 Recordings/Arista Nashville

Red
Taylor Swift
Produced by Jeff Bhasker, Scott Borchetta, Nathan Chapman, Dann Huff, Jacknife Lee, Max Martin, Shellback, Taylor Swift, Butch Walker, and Dan Wilson
Big Machine Records

Same Trailer Different Park
Kacey Musgraves
Produced by Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, and Kacey Musgraves
Mercury Records

Tornado
Little Big Town
Produced by Jay Joyce
Capitol Records Nashville

SONG OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Songwriter(s))
"I Drive Your Truck"
Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, and Jimmy Yeary

"Mama's Broken Heart"
Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally, and Kacey Musgraves

"Merry Go 'Round"
Kacey Musgraves, Josh Osborne, and Shane McAnally

"Pontoon"
Natalie Hemby, Luke Laird, and Barry Dean

"Wagon Wheel"
Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Kelly Clarkson
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Jason Aldean
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
Big & Rich
Florida Georgia Line
Love and Theft
Sugarland
The Civil Wars
Thompson Square

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to each artist)
"Boys 'Round Here"
Blake Shelton (featuring Pistol Annies)
Warner Bros. Records

"Cruise"
Florida Georgia Line (with Nelly)
Republic Nashville

"Don't Rush"
Kelly Clarkson (featuring Vince Gill)
19 Recordings/RCA Nashville

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR (Cont.)
(Award goes to each artist)
"Highway Don't Care"
Tim McGraw (with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban)
Big Machine Records

"The Only Way I Know"
Jason Aldean with Luke Bryan and Eric Church
Broken Bow Records

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Sam Bush (Mandolin)
Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar)
Dann Huff (Guitar)
Brent Mason (Guitar)
Mac McAnally (Guitar)

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"Blown Away"
Carrie Underwood
Directed by Randee St. Nicholas

"Boys 'Round Here"
Blake Shelton featuring Pistol Annies
Directed by Trey Fanjoy

"Downtown"
Lady Antebellum
Directed by Peter Zavadil

"Highway Don't Care"
Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban
Directed by Shane Drake

"Mama's Broken Heart"
Miranda Lambert
Directed by Trey Fanjoy

"Tornado"
Little Big Town
Directed by Shane Drake

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Lee Brice
Brett Eldredge
Florida Georgia Line
Kip Moore
Kacey Musgraves

Chevrolet™ is the Official Ride of Country Music. American Airlines is the Official Airline of the CMA Awards. 

SOURCE Country Music Association