Yesterday (September 6), the Country Music Association unveiled the nominees for its 45th annual CMA awards, and topping the list of final nominees are four artists with five nominations each: Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, and Taylor Swift – the only female frontrunner this year.
Right on their heels are The Band Perry and Zac Brown Band, which each received four nominations as a group.
“’Country Music’s Biggest Night’ is shaping up to be a tight race…” said Steve Moore, CEO of the Country Music Association in Nashville. “With no clear frontrunner there will be a heightened level of excitement and anticipation for the CMA Awards in November.”
Country stars Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will host the live awards show from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday, November 9 at 8 pm ET.
Winners will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting members of the Country Music Association. The nominees and winners are determined by the association’s 6,400 industry professional members.