SEPTEMBER 3RD 2010
MIRANDA LAMBERT HAS 9 CMA AWARD NOMINATIONS
They're called the Country Music Association Awards. But this year, they might as well be called the Miranda Lambert show. She has continued to make her mark on this year's CMA event, by being nominated for a total nine awards. That's the most for a female country music artist. She picked up another four yesterday morning, to go with the five she got the day before. In a phone interview with the Associated Press, Lambert says "I don't think it gets better than this." She says she will "be sad when 2011 comes" because this year has been one blessing after another. While Lambert is the biggest shining star from the nominations process, she isn't the only one. Close friends Lady Antebellum has five nods and her finance, Blake Shelton has four, tying him with Zac Brown Band...
Miranda Lambert says the rise in women in country music is long overdue. She says it's "definitely something that's been needing to happen for a long time." She says the trend toward women has been "turning slowly", but these days, women are "being really strong right now." To prove her point, all Lambert has to do is look in the mirror. She has picked up nine nods for this year's CMA Awards, just one shy of Alan Jackson's record set in 2002. The only other artist to get nine or more nominations in one year is Merle Haggard.
LADY ANTEBELLUM AND ZAC BROWN GIVE MIRANDA A RUN FOR HER MONEY...
Lest you think the CMA Awards will be the Miranda Lambert show, not so fast. There are several other country acts who are in the running for honors. Lady Antebellum have four nominations, one behind Lambert, who leads all acts with five. And Zac Brown has three nominations. And there are three performers who have a pair of nods each. Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins fall into that category, along with newcomer Easton Corbin. Brown's "Toes" is up for song of the year, as is Corbin's "A Little More Country Than That."
BLAKE SHELTON LOSES HIS DISH BUT PICKS UP SOME NOMINATIONS
Usually losing your satellite signal is bad news for you. But it turned out to be good news for Ricky Shelton. A storm wiped out his dish reception yesterday, just as the nominations for the Country Music Association Awards were being read off. But Shelton was able to get up to speed, thanks to Miranda Lambert, who was reading the announcements off on ABC yesterday morning. Lambert says she called Shelton after she got done doing the nods, and Shelton wasn't aware he was up for so many awards. The actual number: four, male vocalist of the year as well as single, music event and video of the year. Those last three are for his work with Trace Adkins on "Hillbilly Bone", which means Adkins also has three nominations.
BRAD PAISLEY CLOSES IN ON CMA HISTORY
Brad Paisley is moving on up. He is now number three on the all time list of Country Music Association Award nominations. The three he has for this year bring him up to 52 for his career. The only country acts who have more are George Strait with 81 and Alan Jackson with 79. Paisley has won male vocalist three straight times. And he has been nominated for a CMA Award each year since 2000.
JOSH TURNER IS HAPPY TO MAKE THE CUT
Josh Turner says it's one thing to be featured on the CMA Music Festival, and play before 50,000 fans. But it's another thing to perform for millions of TV viewers. So he's excited about making the cut for tonight's ABC highlight reel of the CMA festival. Turner says he and other performers were aware that the cameras were rolling at the festival with the best acts getting the chance for more exposure during the TV show. He says he tried to do his best and "just hope that you'll be competitive for the actual TV special." He says everyone knows producers "only have so much room", so it's a challenge.
RANDY ROGERS BAND CHECK, CHECK AND CHECK...
At the start of each year, the Randy Rogers Band comes up with goals for the next year. On last year's list, they included things like dropping the group's biggest record, get on an arena tour and get some national attention. Rogers is hoping the group's latest album will start them off checking off those items one by one. Rogers observes: "They say it takes 10 years to be an overnight success", and notes that next month will mark the group's 10th year of touring.
JUSTIN MOORE EXPOSED ON ABC (U.S)
Justin Moore hasn't been around the country music scene all that long. But he will be getting some major exposure tonight. He will be among the acts featured on "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock." And with millions of fans watching him on ABC, Moore is aware that some of those eyes will be judging him. As he joked: "Hopefully, people don't watch it and go, 'He sucks." Moore will perform "Backwoods" on the show. He's aware that it's an honor to be on the show as a new performer. He says it's "really exciting" and "another one of those steps" in a career that you hope to get, but some people never do.
LADY ANTEBELLUM AND ZAC BROWN GIVE MIRANDA A RUN FOR HER MONEY...
Lest you think the CMA Awards will be the Miranda Lambert show, not so fast. There are several other country acts who are in the running for honors. Lady Antebellum have four nominations, one behind Lambert, who leads all acts with five. And Zac Brown has three nominations. And there are three performers who have a pair of nods each. Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins fall into that category, along with newcomer Easton Corbin. Brown's "Toes" is up for song of the year, as is Corbin's "A Little More Country Than That."