Country Vets, New Faces Among ACM Nominees

Posted in News on March 13, 2006

BMI superstars Brooks & Dunn continue to solidify their position as one of the top country acts of all time with another five Academy of Country Music Award nominations, announced March 8. The pair is up for Entertainer, Top Vocal Duo, Single Record, Song and Video of the Year for "Believe."

Brooks & Dunn	Sugarland	Little Big Town

In addition to the veteran duo, new faces dominated many of the categories this year, from Sugarland's Top New Vocal Duo or Group, Album, Single Record and Song of the Year nominations, to Rascal Flatt's first-ever Entertainer of the Year nod, adding to the trio's total of four ACM nominations (including Top Vocal Group, Album and Song).

Miranda Lambert	Julie Roberts	Carrie Underwood

Newcomers Miranda Lambert, Julie Roberts and Carrie Underwood are all contenders for Top New Female Vocalist, while Underwood gained an impressive Top Female Vocalist nomination as well. Comeback kids Little Big Town continue to plunge through their life-changing year with nominations for Top Vocal Group and Top New Duo or Vocal Group.

Rascal Flatts	Gary Allan	Mark Wright

BMI writers vying for the Song of the Year trophy include Sugarland's Kristian Bush for "Baby Girl," Ronnie Dunn for "Believe," Doug Johnson for the Rascal Flatts' hit "Skin (Sarabeth)" and George Teren for "When I Get Where I'm Going" by Dolly Parton.

Keith Urban	Toby Keith	Tim McGraw

Songwriter/producer/artist Gary Allan received praise for his moving release, Tough All Over, nominated for Album of the Year; he also scored a Single Record of the Year nomination for "Best I Ever Had." Mark Wright, the album's co-producer, hopes to share the spotlight with Allan.

Faith Hill	Big and Rich	Byron Gallimore

Fan favorites Keith Urban and Toby Keith earned two nods each and will face off in the Entertainer of the Year category, while Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's collaboration "Like We Never Loved at All" landed the couple a Vocal Event of the Year nomination.

Other BMI nominees included Big and Rich, who garnered three mentions, and producer Byron Gallimore, who secured yet another nomination for Producer of the Year.

The 41st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 23 at 8:00pm ET/PT on CBS.

BMI's 41st Annual ACM Nominees:

Entertainer of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Toby Keith
Rascal Flatts
Keith Urban

Top Male Vocalist
Keith Urban

Top Female Vocalist
Sara Evans
Martina McBride
Carrie Underwood

Top Vocal Group
Alabama
Little Big Town
Lonestar
Rascal Flatts
Sugarland

Top Vocal Duo
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
The Warren Brothers

Top New Male Vocalist
Jason Aldean
Craig Morgan

Top New Female Vocalist
Miranda Lambert
Julie Roberts
Carrie Underwood

Top New Duo or Vocal Group
Big & Rich
Little Big Town
Sugarland

Album of the Year
Feels Like Today
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts, producer

There's More Where That Came From
Byron Gallimore, producer

Tough All Over
Gary Allan
Mark Wright and Gary Allan, producers

Twice the Speed of Life
Sugarland

Single Record of the Year
"Baby Girl"
Sugarland

"Believe"
Brooks & Dunn
Tony Brown, Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks, producers

"Best I Ever Had"
Gary Allan
Mark Wright and Gary Allan, producers

"Jesus Take the Wheel"
Carrie Underwood

Song of the Year
"Baby Girl"
Sugarland
Kristian Bush, writer
Dirkpit Music

"Believe"
Brooks & Dunn
Ronnie Dunn, writer
Sony/ATV Tree Publishing Co. and Showbilly Music

"Jesus Take the Wheel"
Carrie Underwood

"Skin (Sarabeth)"
Rascal Flatts
Doug Johnson, writer
Mike Curb Music/Sweet Radical Music

"When I Get Where I'm Going"
Dolly Parton
George Teren, writer
House of Full Circle Music Publishing

Video of the Year
"As Good As I Once Was"
Toby Keith

"Believe"
Brooks & Dunn

"I May Hate Myself in the Morning"
Trey Fanjoy, director

"Kersosene"
Miranda Lambert
Trey Fanjoy, director

"When I Get Where I'm Going"
Dolly Parton

Vocal Event of the Year
"I Play Chicken with the Train"
Big & Rich
Big Kenny, producer

"Like We Never Loved at All"
Faith Hill with Tim McGraw
Faith Hill, producer

"When I Get Where I'm Going"
Dolly Parton

Producer of the Year
Byron Gallimore

Audio Engineer of the Year
Justin Niebank

Musicians of the Year
Bass
Mike Brignardello
David Hungate
Larry Paxton

Fiddle
Glen Duncan
Larry Franklin
Rob Hajacos
Aubrey Haynie
Jonathan Yudkin

Guitar
J.T. Corenflos
Kenny Greenberg

Piano/Keyboards
Gordon Mote
Reese Wynans

Specialty Instrument
Eric Darken
Jim Hoke
Jim Horn
Rob Ickes

Steel Guitar
Paul Franklin
Sonny Garrish
John Hughey
Mike Johnson

SOURCENews TAGS Country Alabama Jason Aldean Gary Allan Artists Big & Rich Mike Brignardello Brooks & Dunn Kristian Bush J.T. Corenflos Eric Darken Glen Duncan Ronnie Dunn Sara Evans Larry Franklin Paul Franklin Byron Gallimore Sonny Garrish Montgomery Gentry Kenny Greenberg Rob Hajacos Aubrey Haynie Faith Hill Jim Hoke Jim Horn John Hughey David Hungate Rob Ickes Doug Johnson Mike Johnson Toby Keith Miranda Lambert Little Big Town Lonestar Martina McBride Tim McGraw Gordon Mote Justin Niebank Dolly Parton Larry Paxton Rascal Flatts Julie Roberts Sugarland George Teren Carrie Underwood Keith Urban Mark Wright Reese Wynans Jonathan Yudkin