Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Thompson Square, Carrie Underwood competing for CMA Awards tonight
Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Thompson Square and Carrie Underwood will represent Oklahoma as nominees at tonight’s Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, Tenn.
Checotah native Underwood and Brad Paisley will co-host the 46th Annual CMA Awards, airing live from 7 to 10 tonight on ABC.
As previously reported, Shelton, Lambert and Vince Gill also are included on the show’s performance lineup, while Reba McEntire will appear as a presenter, the night before her new sitcom “Malibu Country” premieres on ABC.
As previously reported, winners in two of the 12 CMA Awards categories were announced live on “Good Morning America” from New York’s Times Square this morning, with Norman resident Toby Keith and director Michael Salomon winning the music video of the year category for their viral video smash “Red Solo Cup.” Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw won the Musical Event of the Year category with their duet “Feel Like A Rock Star.”
Along with co-hosting the three-hour event, both Underwood and Paisley will compete for prizes and perform on the CMA Awards. Underwood received her seventh nomination for female vocalist of the year, a trophy she claimed in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Tishomingo residents Shelton and Lambert will compete for four awards each, and the couple is nominated together for song of the year for Lambert’s heartbreaking hit “Over You.” The song of the year prize is awarded to songwriters. The pair, who wed in 2011, penned the emotional ballad about the death of Shelton’s older brother Richie in a car accident.
Plus, Shelton has a shot at the CMA Awards’ top prize, entertainer of the year, along with Paisley, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney and current titleholder Taylor Swift.
The Ada native also is nominated for male vocalist of the year, an award he won the past two years, and single of the year for his chart-topping ballad “God Gave Me You,” produced by fellow Oklahoma native Scott Hendricks. Plus, contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Dave Barnes received a song of the year nomination for penning “God Gave Me You.”
Along with singing solo on the show, Shelton will join Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Lady Antebellum in performing a special tribute to Willie Nelson.
In addition to her song of the year nomination, Lambert was nominated for music video of the year for “Over You,” directed by Trey Fanjoy. The Texas native also will vie for female vocalist of the year, an award she earned the past two years, and album of the year for “Four the Record,” produced by Frank Liddell, Chuck Ainlay and Glenn Worf. Her previous album, “Revolution,” won the category in 2010.
Thompson Square, another husband-and-wife team with Oklahoma ties, received two CMA Awards nominations. Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson and wife Shawna are nominated for the second straight year in both the vocal duo and new artist categories.
Read the full list of CMA Awards nominations after the break.
Here is the full list of nominees, with Oklahomans marked with an *:
2012 CMA Awards nominations
Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
*Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift
Single of the Year
(Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))
“Dirt Road Anthem”
Jason Aldean
Produced by Michael Knox
Broken Bow Records
*“God Gave Me You”
Blake Shelton
Produced by Scott Hendricks
Warner Bros. Records
“Home”
Dierks Bentley
Produced by Brett Beavers and Luke Wooten
Capitol Records Nashville
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