With five nominations each, Brad Paisley and George Strait will be the top contenders at the 41st annual CMA Awards show. Kenny Chesney, Alison Krauss and Martina McBride received four nominations each while John Rich, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban racked up three each for the Nov. 7 awards show.
The nominees were announced in New York and Nashville
Sara Evans and Sugarland revealed the final nominees in five of the 12 categories Thursday morning (Aug. 30) in New York during an appearance on Good Morning America. Taylor Swift and Montgomery Gentry were at Nashville's Sommet Center to announce the other finalists during a live press conference that aired as a special edition of CMT Insider.
Paisley and Strait are both nominated for entertainer of the year, male vocalist and album of the year. In addition to his album nomination for 5th Gear, Paisley's "Ticks" is nominated for single of the year and "Online" is up for video of the year. The video also provided a CMA nomination for Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander, Paisley's friend who directed and appears in the production. Strait's album nomination is for It Just Comes Natural, and he's also nominated for single of the year (for "Wrapped) and musical event of the year for his collaboration with Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson on a live version of Hank Williams' "Hey Good Lookin'."
The 2007 CMA Awards show takes place at the Sommet Center and will be telecast live on ABC.
Thanks: CMT