Rodney Atkins Leads BMI 2008 ACM Award Nominations
Big & Rich, Sugarland, Miranda Lambert & Taylor Swift Also Boast Multiple Nods
BMI affiliates staked claim to the majority of the 2008 Academy of Country Music award nominations announced Tuesday, March 4 in Nashville. Reigning Top Female Vocalist Carrie Underwood helped announce the nominees live during CBS' The Early Show broadcast, which also featured live performances by BMI's Rodney Atkins and Miranda Lambert.
Rodney Atkins
Big Kenny
Sugarland
Rodney Atkins nailed the capstone on his red-letter year by receiving six nominations, including Top Male Vocalist, Album and Song of the Year. One of the feel-good stories of 2007, Atkins saw his ACM-nominated project If You're Going Through Hell achieve platinum status. After toiling in Nashville for 10 years in relatively ambiguity, the universally loved honky tonker's hard-earned recognition and fan-driven success slapped smiles on faces all over Music Row.
Taylor Swift
Miranda Lambert
Duos Big & Rich and Sugarland each scored four nods. Charismatic and eclectic, Big & Rich earned recognition in the prestigious Top Vocal Duo category and Single, Song and Video of the Year for the poignant ballad "Lost in this Moment." Big Kenny landed an additional two nominations for his producing credits. Sugarland underscored their staying power with a Top Vocal Duo nod as well; the pair's stirringly original tune "Stay" became one of the industry's buzz songs, earning nominations for Single Record, Song and Video of the Year. Member Kristian Bush also earned recognition for his production of the tune.
Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift snagged three nods each. Critical darling Lambert's nominations for Top Female Vocalist, Album and Single Record of the Year reflect both the growth of her audience and creativity. Country's favorite wunderkind Taylor Swift's nominations reflect the strength of her year: nods in both Top Female Vocalist and Top New Female Vocalist reiterate the breakout strength of her year.
BMI affiliates swept both the Top Vocal Duo and Top New Male Vocalist categories. Duo nominees include Brooks & Dunn, Halfway to Hazard and Montgomery Gentry; Luke Bryan, Jack Ingram and Jake Owen will vie for the Top New Male Vocalist prize.
Additional BMI nominees include Keith Urban for Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist; Rascal Flatts, also for Entertainer of the Year plus Top Vocal Group; Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood for Top Female Vocalist; Diamond Rio, the Eagles and Little Big Town for Top Vocal Group; Sarah Buxton for Top New Female Vocalist; Lady Antebellum and The Wreckers for Top New Duo Vocal Group; Gary Allan and his latest no. 1 single "Watching Airplanes" for Single Record of the Year; producers Tony Brown, Mark Wright, Nathan Chapman, Scott Borchetta, John Hobbs, Justin Niebank and Byron Gallimore; songwriters Rodney Clawson and Keith Anderson for co-penning Big & Rich's "Lost in this Moment"; as well as Tim McGraw, Vince Gill and Sheryl Crow in the Vocal Event of the Year category.
2008 BMI ACM Award Nominees
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Rascal Flatts
Keith Urban
TOP MALE VOCALIST
Rodney Atkins
Keith Urban
TOP FEMALE VOCALIST
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
TOP VOCAL GROUP
Diamond Rio
Eagles
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
TOP VOCAL DUO
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Halfway To Hazard
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland
TOP NEW MALE VOCALIST
Luke Bryan
Jack Ingram
Jake Owen
TOP NEW FEMALE VOCALIST
Sarah Buxton
Taylor Swift
TOP NEW DUO OR VOCAL GROUP
Lady Antebellum
The Wreckers
ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Miranda Lambert (Columbia)
If You're Going Through Hell
Rodney Atkins (Curb)
Co-produced by Rodney Atkins
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift (Big Machine)
Produced by Scott Borchetta, Nathan Chapman
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
Famous In A Small Town"
Miranda Lambert
Columbia
Lost In This Moment"
Big & Rich
Co-produced by Big Kenny
Warner Bros/WRN
"Stay"
Sugarland
Co-produced by Kristian Bush, Byron Gallimore
Mercury
"Watching Airplanes"
Gary Allan
Co-produced by Gary Allan, Mark Wright
MCA Nashville
SONG OF THE YEAR [Award to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
"Don't Blink"
Co-written by Casey Beathard
Publishers: Lavender Zoo Music (BMI), Sony/ATV Acuff
Rose (BMI)
"Lost In This Moment"
Big & Rich
Co-written by Keith Anderson, Rodney Clawson
Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI), Writer's Extreme Music (BMI)
"Watching You"
Rodney Atkins
Co-written by Rodney Atkins, Steve Dean
Publishers: Bethar Music (BMI), Mike Curb Music (BMI)
"Stay"
Sugarland
VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Award to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
"Lost In This Moment"
Big & Rich
Co-produced by Big Kenny
"Stay"
Sugarland
Producer: Kristian Bush, Byron Gallimore
"Watching You"
Rodney Atkins
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
"Because Of You"
Produced by Tony Brown
MCA Nashville
"Find Out Who Your Friends Are"
Featuring Tim McGraw
"What You Give Away"
Vince Gill With Sheryl Crow
Produced by Vince Gill, John Hobbs, Justin Niebank
MCA Nashville
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