Changes, new artists mark nominations for CMA awards

Several changes including a new night and hosts were announced Monday for the 38th annual Country Music Association Awards show that airs live Tuesday, Nov. 9 from the Grand Ole Opry House. The 2004 ceremony will be shown one week later than usual, and the event has bee moved from its traditional Wednesday night slot to Tuesday evening. "We've worked very closely with the network (CBS) and they felt that it would be better to shift the show a week due to the election and also the fact that more television sets are in use on Tuesdays than Wednesdays," Ed Benson, Executive Director of the CMA said during a press conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Benson also announced that the duo of Brooks & Dunn would be this year's hosts, marking the first change in 12 years. "Vince (longtime host Vince Gill) wanted to take a hiatus from hosting, and it was very difficult to get any other artists in this town to follow him," Benson said. "We're very pleased that Brooks & Dunn will be the new hosts. They have the same type of easy wit and artist identification that Vince has, and they are also going to be using their connections to get some great special guests to appear on the broadcast."

The first special guest that has been confirmed is Shania Twain, and Benson said other guests would be announced shortly.

Multi-award recipient Alan Jackson topped the list of nominees that were announced during live ceremonies on both CBS and Country Music Television (CMT's) Country Insider program. It marked the first time that the announcements were carried live on both broadcast and cable, with CBS anchor Hannah Storm and Kris Kristofferson sharing the podium in New York and CMT host Katie Cook and artists Gretchen Wilson and the duo of Big and Rich making additional nominee announcements from Nashville. Toby Keith followed closely on Jackson's heels with six nominations, while Kenny Chesney, Alison Krauss and Wilson each had five nominations. "I worked seven years to get this point and there were several times when I wondered if things would every happen for me," Wilson said.

Wilson's current CD Here For The Party was nominated in the album, single, song and video categories, and she is also one of five candidates for the Horizon award. Jackson, reigning CMA Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year, was nominated in that category again, as well as earning nods for Male Vocalist, single and song of the year, musical event and two music video award nominations. Keith is also an Entertainer of the Year nominee, and is also among Male Vocalist, Album, Single, Music Video and Musical Event of the Year contenders. He could actually earn sight awards, since he's co-producer of his nominated Shock 'N Y'All disc and single "I Love This Bar."

Kristofferson was visibly stunned when Storm surprised him with the news that he had been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. "It means you're getting old," Kristofferson laughed when asked by Storm how he felt about the honor. "The Hall of Fame is the highest award you can receive, and I've spent my life working for more recognition for country music," Kristofferson added. Kristofferson has had his songs recorded by more than 450 artists during a career that began in earnest when he moved to Nashville in 1965. Besides winning several CMA awards, he's also appeared in more than 50 films, and told Storm that he had "six films in the can" currently. Jim Foglesong, a longtime music business executive, current Director of the Music Business program at Trevecca Nazarene University, and also a music business instructor at Vanderbilt University, will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the "Non-Performer" category. And here's a complete list of award nominees:

Entertainer of the Year

Brooks & Dunn

Kenny Chesney

Alan Jackson

Toby Keith

Tim McGraw

Female Vocalist of the Year

Terri Clark

Sara Evans

Alison Krauss

Martina McBride

Reba McEntire

Male Vocalist of the Year

Kenny Chesney

Alan Jackson

Toby Keith

George Strait

Keith Urban

Horizon Award

Dierks Bentley

Big & Rich

Julie Roberts

Josh Turner

Gretchen Wilson

Vocal Group of the Year

Alabama

Diamond Rio

Lonestar

Rascal Flatts

Trick Pony

Vocal Duo of the Year

Big & Rich

Blue County

Brooks & Dunn

Montgomery Gentry

The Warren Brothers

Single Of the Year (artist & producer)

Toby Keith - "I Love This Bar

Tim McGraw - "Live Like You Were Dying"

Gretchen Wilson - "Redneck Woman"

Alan Jackson - "Remember When"

Brad Paisley - "Whiskey Lullaby"

Musician Of The Year

Matt Chamberlain - Drums

Kenny Greenberg - Electric Guitar

Dann Huff - Guitar

Larry Paxton - Bass Guitar

Brent Rowan - Guitar

Album Of The Year

Gretchen Wilson - Here For The Party

Brad Paisley - Mud On The Tires

Brooks & Dunn - Red Dirt Road

Toby Keith - Shock 'N' Y'All

Kenny Chesney - When The Sun Goes Down

Music Video Of The Year

Toby Keith - "I Love This Bar"

Alan Jackson/Jimmy Buffett - "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere"

Gretchen Wilson - "Redneck Woman"

Alan Jackson - "Remember When"

Brad Paisley/Alison Krauss - "Whiskey Lullaby"

Horizon Award

Dierks Bentley

Big & Rich

Julie Roberts

Josh Turner

Gretchen Wilson

Vocal Group Of The Year

Alabama

Diamond Rio

Lonestar

Rascal Flatts

Trick Pony

Vocal Duo Of The Year

Big & Rich

Blue County

Brooks & Dunn

Montgomery Gentry

The Warren Brothers

Single Of The Year

Toby Keith - "I Love This Bar"

Tim McGraw - "Live Like You Were Dying"

Gretchen Wilson - "Redneck Woman"

Alan Jackson - "Remember When"

Brad Paisley/Alison Krauss - "Whiskey Lullaby"

Musical Event Of The Year

Norah Jones/Dolly Parton - "Creepin' In"

Jimmy Buffett/Clint Black/Kenny Chesney/Alan Jackson/Toby Keith/George Strait - "Hey Good Lookin'"

James Taylor/Alison Krauss - "How's The World Treating You"

Kenny Chesney/Uncle Kracker - "When The Sun Goes Down"

Brad Paisley/Alison Krauss - "Whiskey Lullaby"

Song Of The Year (Songwriter/primary publisher)

Tim Nichols/Craig Wiseman - "Live Like You Were Dying"

Josh Turner - "Long Black Train"

Gretchen Wilson/John Rich - "Redneck Woman"

Alan Jackson - "Remember When"

Bill Anderson/Jon Randall - "Whiskey Lullaby"