The Academy Of Country Music Awards are essentially the American Music Awards to the Country Music Association Awards’ Grammys: Both came along a little later, and both seem to lack the prestige of their mainstream competitor. Still, even putting aside their very similar acronyms, the ACMs aren’t terribly distinctive from the CMAs. Both gave their prestige awards (Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, Female Vocalist and Song of the Year) to the same people last year. While we wonder if there’s a point to the ACMs that doesn’t involve allowing Nashville types an excuse to hang out in Vegas for a weekend, feel free to peruse this year’s nominees. Brad Paisley, who took home two ACM Awards last year, led this year’s field, picking up six nods. And in something of a surprise, former Trick Pony frontwoman Heidi Newfield nabbed five nominations.
Heidi Newfield, “Johnny and June”:
It’s hard for me to see the appeal in this particular song besides referencing country legends. I’ll probably cheer for “Gunpowder & Lead,” even though the album it’s from—Miranda Lambert’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend—came out in May 2007, and won the ACM’s Album Of The Year award last year.
For some reason, the Album of the Year nominations are not announced until March—possibly just to make sure Garth Brooks doesn’t sneak an album in over the next month or so—but the rest of the nominees are below:
Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Keith Urban
Carrie Underwood
Top Male Vocalist
Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Keith Urban
Top Female Vocalist
Miranda Lambert
Heidi Newfield
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Lee Ann Womack
Top Vocal Group
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
Randy Rogers Band
the Lost Trailers
Top Vocal Duo
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Joey & Rory
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland
Top New Male Vocalist
Jamey Johnson
James Otto
Jake Owen
Top New Female Vocalist
Sarah Buxton
Julianne Hough
Ashton Shepherd
Top New Vocal Duo or Group
Eli Young Band
The Lost Trailers
Zac Brown Band
Single Record of the Year (producers in parentheses)
“Gunpowder & Lead,” Miranda Lambert (Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke)
“In Color,” Jamey Johnson (The Ken Hardley Playboys)
“Johnny and June,” Heidi Newfield (Tony Brown)
“Waitin’ on a Woman,” Brad Paisley (Frank Rogers)
“You’re Gonna Miss This,” Trace Adkins (Frank Rogers)
Song of the Year (songwriters in parentheses)
“I Saw God Today,” George Strait (Rodney Clawson, Monty Criswell, Wade Kirby)
“In Color,” Jamey Johnson (Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller, James Otto)
“Johnny and June,” Heidi Newfield (Deanna Bryant, Heidi Newfield, Stephony Smith)
“Waitin’ on a Woman,” Brad Paisley (Don Sampson, Wynn Varble)
“You’re Gonna Miss This,” Trace Adkins (Ashley Gorley, Lee Thomas Miller)
Video of the Year
“Johnny and June,” Heidi Newfield
“Just a Dream,” Carrie Underwood
“Love Story,” Taylor Swift
“Troubadour,” George Strait
“Waitin’ on a Woman,” Brad Paisley
Vocal Event of the Year
“Another Try,” Josh Turner Featuring Trisha Yearwood
“Cowgirls Don’t Cry,” Brooks & Dunn Featuring Reba McEntire
“Down the Road,” Kenny Chesney With Mac McAnally
“Life in a Northern Town,” Sugarland Featuring Little Big Town and Jake Owen
“Start a Band,” Brad Paisley and Keith Urban
You remember how “country” music used to be known as “country & western” music? According to always-right Wikipedia, the ACM was originally called the “Country & Western Music Academy” and was formed to promote recognition of “Western music” artists who felt they were being snubbed by the Nashville-based CMA. Nevertheless, a quick perusal of the lists of winners of each academy’s awards over the years shows little significant difference of winners in the major categories. So, you’re right — they really always have been duplicative.
That Heidi Newfield song is terrible. Just terrible. That being said, I’d love to hear an R&B cover like “Bobby & Whitney”.
I’d be happy to see Jamey Johnson win whatever he’s nominated for - “In Color” might be one of the weaker tracks on that album (despite the Bill Anderson co-writing credit), but the rest of it towers over most of what’s on country radio and is so good that it’d be a shame if it didn’t take home some hardware.