NASHVILLE, TN. (SONY BMG Music) - This week's nominations for the 39th Annual CMA Awards were a clear testament to the continuing success of the RCA Label Group-Nashville and its roster of artists, as the label group tallied 32% of nominations in the key artist categories, led by emerging superstar Brad Paisley, who tied as the year's most-nominated artist, with six nods, including Entertainer of the Year.
Paisley's impressive showing comes on the heels of the release of his fourth Arista Nashville album, Time Well Wasted, which spent two weeks atop Billboard's Top Country Albums chart and debuted at No 2 on the pop chart, selling more than 315,000 units in its first three weeks of release. In addition to Entertainer, Paisley also earned nods for Male Vocalist, Single, Song, and Music Video (for 'Alcohol'), Musical Event (with Sara Evans), and his recording of 'Whiskey Lullaby' earned songwriters Bill Anderson and Jon Randall contention in the Song of the Year category (actually making Paisley responsible for seven nominations).
28-million-selling mega-duo Brooks & Dunn return to host this year's show once again, this time from New York City, and they do so in high style, garnering a nomination for Vocal Duo of the Year (a category they share with BNA talents, the Warren Brothers) amid news this week that B&D's August 30 album release, Hillbilly Deluxe, debuts at No 1 country and No 3 pop, even as its lead single, 'Play Something Country,' hits No 1 on the country airplay charts.
Superstars Kenny Chesney and Alan Jackson each brought home two nominations, competing with Paisley in the Male Vocalist and Entertainer categories. And with their latest disc, Coming Home, in stores September 13, multi-Platinum hitmakers Lonestar score a nod in the Vocal Group category, sharing honors with Diamond Rio, the CMA's all-time Vocal Group leader, this year earning its 15th consecutive category nomination.
Two of country's most compelling female vocalists, Martina McBride and Sara Evans, both call RCA Nashville home, and both bring home a pair of nominations. Each shares category nods for Female Vocalist as well as Musical Event – Evans for her duet with Brad Paisley ('New Again'), and McBride for her collaboration on 'Trip Around the Sun' with fellow RLG nominee Jimmy Buffett (from his RCA Nashville/Mailboat No 1 pop and country collection, License to Chill).
McBride, a four-time CMA Female Vocalist winner, is about to launch Timeless, her October 18 release and the follow-up to her Platinum-certified disc, Martina.
Evans was country radio's most-played female artist of 2004, and as her latest single, 'A Real Fine Place to Start,' is perched on the brink of No 1, fans can look for her new album, Real Fine Place, available October 4.
With new releases August through November from Platinum-plus RLG hitmakers Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Lonestar, Evans, McBride, and Chesney, look for the CMA Awards to further heighten the profile of these releases, celebrating the best of today's country music, while also honoring RCA Nashville's legendary group, Alabama, with induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Originating from New York's Madison Square Garden, The 39th Annual CMA Awards will air live on November 15 from 8-11 PM ET on CBS Television.
A complete list of RLG nominees is as follows:
Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Alan Jackson
Brad Paisley
Female Vocalist of the Year
Sara Evans
Martina McBride
Male Vocalist of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Alan Jackson
Brad Paisley
Vocal Group of the Year
Diamond Rio
Lonestar
Vocal Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
The Warren Brothers
Single of the Year
'Alcohol' – Brad Paisley
Music Video of the Year
(Award goes to artist and director)
'Alcohol' – Brad Paisley
Musical Event of the Year
Jimmy Buffett with Martina McBride – 'Trip Around the Sun'
Brad Paisley & Sara Evans – 'New Again'
Song of the Year
(Award goes to songwriter and primary publisher)
'Alcohol' – written and recorded by Brad Paisley
'Whiskey Lullaby' – recorded by Brad Paisley
