Country music fans will have the exclusive and final say when it comes to determining the winners in the newly announced American Country Music Awards.
The inaugural ACA event will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on Monday, Dec. 6, 2010, on the Fox-TV network beginning at 8 p.m. (ET).
Hit-Country Artists Among New Award Show's First Nominees
Already a full roster of country stars are confirmed to attend the first-ever ACA show, which has been billed as the first and only country music awards show where fans determine all the winners by voting for their favorite nominees in music, touring and video categories.
The leading ACA contenders are country trio Lady Antebellum and newcomer Easton Corbin, with seven nominations each. Just behind them, country star Carrie Underwood follows with six nods, while both Miranda Lambert and Josh Turner each garnered five nominations.
Country Fans Determine All of ACA's Winners, Organizers Report
“Unlike any other country music award show, the American Country Awards will give fans the power to choose all of the winners, which means the awards will reflect what America is listening to and watching right now,” said Bob Bain, executive producer, in a November e-mail correspondence.
“The ACAs will recognize traditional categories like Artist of the Year and Album of the Year, but will also introduce a new honor for tours, resulting in one amazing night for country music.”
Additionally, the ACAs will feature performances and appearances by the year’s chart-topping country artists, along with top-country artists serving as award presenters.
At this writing,fans still may vote online once each day through Dec. 4 in the Artist of the Year category, which features nominees Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Zac Brown Band, respectively.
Country Artist of the Year Nominees
Those nominated for the 2010 Male Artist of the Year prize are Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban.Meanwhile, in the Female Artist of the Year category the contenders are Jewel, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire,Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood
Among those vying for the Artist of the Year: Duo or Group trophy are Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, newcomers The Band Perry and Zac Brown Band. As for the Artist of the Year: Breakthrough Artist category, nominees include Easton Corbin, Jerrod Niemann, Danny Gokey and The Band Perry, as well as Jaron and The Long Road To Love
Finalists for Country Music Album and Singles of the Year Awards
In the Album of the Year contest, the finalists are Doin’ My Thing by Luke Bryan, Need You Now by Lady Antebellum, Revolution by Miranda Lambert, Haywire by Josh Turner and Play On by newlywed Carrie Underwood.
The ACA's nominees for Single of the Year are Do I, Luke Bryan; A Little More Country Than That, Easton Corbin; Need You Now, Lady Antebellum; Gimme That Girl, Joe Nichols; and Why Don’t We Just Dance, Josh Turner.
Single of the Year: Male finalists this year are Do I, Luke Bryan; Little More Country Than That, Easton Corbin; That’s How Country Boys Roll, Billy Currington; Gimme That Girl, Joe Nichols; and Why Don’t We Just Dance, Josh Turner. In turn, those with Single of the Year: Female nods include White Liar, Miranda Lambert; Wrong Baby Wrong, Martina McBride; Consider Me Gone, Reba McEntire; Didn’t Know How Much I Loved You, Kellie Pickler; and Cowboy Casanova, Carrie Underwood
Those competing for the ACA's Single of the Year: Duo or Group honor are Need You Now, Lady Antebellum; Little White Church, Little Big Town; Unstoppable, Rascal Flatts; Keep On Lovin’ You, Steel Magnolia; and Toes, Zac Brown Band. However, the new voices in country music have a category of their own, too; namely, the Single of the Year: Breakthrough Artist contest, which features Little More Country Than That, Easton Corbin; Pray for You, Jaron and The Long Road To Love; Lover, Lover, Jerrod Niemann; Keep on Lovin’ You, Steel Magnolia; and Beer on the Table, Josh Thompson.
American Country Awards to Honor Country's Tours
Making a bow at the debut ACA event is the Touring Headline Package of the Year category, which finds a strong stable of competition among its 10 finalists, including country superstars who teamed up on the road in 2010. This category's finalists are the newly retired Brooks & Dunn, Toby Keith, Martina McBride and Trace Adkins, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, George Strait and Reba McEntire, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood.
Country Music Stars Collect Video of the Year Nominations
In the Music Video of the Year competition, male artists dominated the nominees, including A Little More Country Than That, Easton Corbin; Need You Now, Lady Antebellum; Hillbilly Bone, Blake Shelton with Trace Adkins; Why Don’t We Just Dance, Josh Turner; and The Man I Want To Be, Chris Young
Some of the same faces, not surprisingly, appear in the ACA's Music Video: Male contest, which features A Little More Country Than That, Easton Corbin; Southern Voice, Tim McGraw; Hillbilly Bone, Blake Shelton with Trace Adkins; Why Don’t We Just Dance, Josh Turner; and The Man I Want To Be, Chris Young. In the Music Video: Female category, the finalists are Consider Me Gone, Reba McEntire; Didn’t Know How Much I Loved You, Kellie Pickler; Cowboy Casanova, Carrie Underwood; White Liar, Miranda Lambert; and Work Hard, Play Harder, Gretchen Wilson.
Country Newcomers and Country Groups Land ACA Nods
As for the Music Video: Duo or Group contenders, they include Need You Now, Lady Antebellum; Little White Church, Little Big Town; Unstoppable, Rascal Flatts; Keep on Lovin’ You, Steel Magnolia; and Highway 20 Ride, Zac Brown Band.
Last but not least, the Music Video: Breakthrough Artist nominees are Giddy On Up, Laura Bell Bundy; A Little More Country Than That, Easton Corbin; Lover, Lover, Jerrod Niemann; Keep on Lovin’ You, Steel Magnolia; and If I Die Young, The Band Perry.
For more information on the first-ever ACA contest, or to vote in its Artist of the Year category, please access www.theacas.com.
Lisa L. Rollins - Texas native Lisa L. Rollins, Ph.D., is an award-winning feature writer, interviewer and journalism educator.
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