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CMA Music Awards...... For the third year, the announcement of the final nominees in five of the 12 CMA Awards categories was made on ABC News' "Good Morning America." Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift delivered the news from the "Good Morning America" studios in the heart of New York City's Times Square. The remaining categories were announced by Lady Antebellum and James Otto live from the CMA Awards Nominees Press Conference at the Sommet Center in Nashville.

At the conclusion of the announcements, Kenny Chesney led the list of nominees with seven nominations. Chesney, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, was nominated in that category again, as well as Male Vocalist; Album for Just Who I Am:Poets & Pirates ; Single for "Don't Blink;" two Musical Event nominations, one with Reba McEntire for "Every Other Weekend" and one with George Strait for "Shiftwork"; and Music Video of the Year for "Don't Blink," which was directed by Shaun Silva . Chesney could receive two additional trophies for producing his Album and Single with Buddy Cannon .

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland collected six nominations – five for Sugarland and a solo nod for writing "Stay," which was nominated for Song of the Year. The duo's five nominations include Entertainer, their first nomination in this coveted category; Single for "Stay;" Vocal Duo, which they won for the first time in 2007; Musical Event for "Life in a Northern Town" with Little Big Town and Jake Owen ; and Music Video of the Year for "Stay," also directed by Silva. Nettles and Kristian Bush may also receive a second trophy for producing "Stay" with Byron Gallimore .

Strait also received five nominations including Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for Troubadour; Single for "I Saw God Today;" and Musical Event of the Year with Chesney on "Shiftwork." Strait could also receive two additional trophies for producing his Single and Album with Tony Brown . Other nominees benefiting from Strait's windfall are songwriters Rodney Clawson , Monty Criswell and Wade Kirby who were nominated for Song of the Year for "I Saw God Today."

Strait now has 75 career CMA Awards nominations, trailing only Alan Jackson , who has 79 with this year's nominations for Male Vocalist; Album for Good Time, which was produced by Keith Stegall ; Song for "Good Time," written by Jackson; and Music Video of the Year for "Good Time," directed by Trey Fanjoy .

Brad Paisley also received four nominations this year including Entertainer; Male Vocalist, which he won in 2007; Song for "Letter To Me," written by Paisley; and Music Video of the Year for "Waitin' On A Woman," directed by Jim Shea and Peter Tilden .

Keith Urban rounds out the list of Entertainer of the Year nominees. Urban is also nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year. He won the category in 2005.

After winning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year in 2006 and 2007, Carrie Underwood is back in 2008 with two nominations for Female Vocalist, and Album of the Year for Carnival Ride , produced by Mark Bright . Alison Krauss is also nominated for Female Vocalist, as well as Musical Event for her performance with first-time CMA Awards nominee Robert Plant on "Gone, Gone, Gone." Miranda Lambert is nominated for Female Vocalist for the second year and is also nominated for Single of the Year for "Gunpowder & Lead," produced by Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke .

Completing the Female Vocalist of the Year category are reigning Horizon Award winner Taylor Swift , making her debut in the category, and Martina McBride . McBride has won the category four times (1999, 2002-2004). She is currently tied with Reba McEntire (1984-1987) for the most Female Vocalist wins in CMA Awards history – even surpassing Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette 's previous records. With McEntire's nomination for Musical Event of the Year with Chesney she retains her position as the female artist with the highest number of nominations in the 42-year history of the CMA Awards with 46.

It's been more than 30 years since their last CMA Awards nomination for Vocal Group of the Year (1976, 1977), but the Eagles are back in the category in 2008. A new addition to the category this year is Lady Antebellum , who are also nominated for New Artist of the Year. Rascal Flatts has swept the Vocal Group of the Year category the past five years and is nominated in that category again in 2008. Rounding out the groups are Emerson Drive , their second year in the category, and Little Big Town , who are also nominated for Musical Event of the Year with Sugarland and Jake Owen .

An artist may only be nominated for the New Artist of the Year Award (formerly Horizon Award) two times and this year there are a mix of new hopefuls with Lady Antebellum and James Otto , joining two-time nominees Jason Aldean , Rodney Atkins , and Kellie Pickler .

Brooks & Dunn hold the title of most career CMA Awards wins with 19. They may increase that total by two this year with nominations for Vocal Duo, which they have won a record-setting 14 times, and Album of the Year for Cowboy Town , produced by Tony Brown , Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks . Trace Adkins also received two nominations this year for the poignant "You're Gonna Miss This," which was nominated for Single and Music Video of the Year. The No. 1 hit was also nominated for Song of the Year for songwriters Lee Thomas Miller and Ashley Gorley .

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