Church leads ACMs with seven nominations

Wednesday, February 13, 2013 – Eric Church led the pack with seven nominations today for the 48th annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

Church was nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year and his second consecutive nod for Album of the Year and Video of the Year. He is twice nominated for Song of the Year for Springsteen, as both artist and composer. Church also earned nominations for Single of the Year for the same song and for Vocal Event of the Year for The Only Way I Know with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan.

Hunter Hayes received six nominations, including New Male Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year for Wanted. He is also twice nominated in the Song of the Year category as the artist and composer, as well as in the Single Record of the Year category as the artist and producer for the song.

Miranda Lambert earned five nominations, including her second nomination for Entertainer of the Year and seventh consecutive nod for Female Vocalist of the Year. In addition, Lambert was nominated for Single Record of the Year and twice nominated for Song of the Year, as artist and composer, for Over You. Lambert is the reigning ACM Female Vocalist of the Year.

Reigning Entertainer of the Year, Taylor Swift received five nominations, including her fourth consecutive nod for Entertainer of the Year. If Swift wins Entertainer of the Year, this will be her third consecutive win in that category. Swift is nominated for the sixth time for Female Vocalist of the Year and for the fourth time for Video of the Year for We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. She also received a double nomination for Album of the Year for Red as the artist and producer.

Luke Bryan and Kacey Musgraves and Little Big Town receive four nominations while Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line and Blake Shelton received three apiece.

Nominees were:

Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Miranda Lambert
Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift

Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Toby Keith
Blake Shelton

Female Vocalist of the Year
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Kacey Musgraves
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Vocal Duo of the Year
Big & Rich
Florida Georgia Line
Love and Theft
Sugarland
Thompson Square

Vocal Group of the Year
The Band Perry
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Zac Brown Band

New Male Vocalist of the Year
Lee Brice
Brantley Gilbert
Hunter Hayes

New Female Vocalist of the Year
Jana Kramer
Kacey Musgraves
Sunny Sweeney

New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year
Florida Georgia Line
Love and Theft
Thompson Square

New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl's Department Stores (Winners of New Male, New Female & New Vocal Duo of Group of the Year)
Florida Georgia Line
Brantley Gilbert
Jana Kramer

Album of the Year (Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company)
Blown Away - Carrie Underwood (19/Arista Nashville) Produced by: Mark Bright
Chief - Eric Church (EMI-Nashville) Produced by: Jay Joyce
Red - Taylor Swift (Big Machine Records) Produced by: Jeff Bhasker, Nathan Chapman, Dann Huff, Jacknife Lee, Max Martin, Shellback, Taylor Swift, Butch Walker, Dan Wilson
Tailgates & Tanlines - Luke Bryan (Capitol Nashville) Produced by: Mark Bright, Jeff Stevens
Tornado - Little Big Town (Capitol Nashville) Produced by: Jay Joyce

Song of the Year (Award to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s))
A Woman Like You - Lee Brice Composers: Phil Barton, Johnny Bulford, Jon Stone Publishers: 3JB Music (BMI), Adios Pantalones (SESAC), Hears That Skyline Music (SESAC), Sixteen Stars Music (BMI), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)
Even If It Breaks Your Heart - Eli Young Band Composers: Will Hoge, Eric Paslay Publishers: Cal IV Songs (ASCAP), Will Hoge Music (BMI)
Over You - Miranda Lambert Composers: Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton Publishers: Pink Dog Publishing (BMI), Sony ATV/Tree Publishing (BMI)
Springsteen - Eric Church Composers: Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, Ryan Tyndell Publishers: Bug Music (BMI), Ole Purple Cape Music (BMI), Sinnerlina (BMI), Sony ATV/Tree Publishing (BMI)
Wanted - Hunter Hayes Composers: Hunter Hayes, Troy Verges Publishers: Happy Little Man Publishing (BMI), Songs From The Engine Room (BMI), Songs Of Universal Inc. (BMI)

Single Record of the Year (Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company)
Even If It Breaks Your Heart - Eli Young Band (Republic Nashville) Produced by: Mike Wrucke
Over You - Miranda Lambert (RCA) Produced by: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf
Pontoon - Little Big Town (Capitol Nashville) Produced by: Jay Joyce
Springsteen - Eric Church (EMI-Nashville) Produced by: Jay Joyce
Wanted - Hunter Hayes (Atlantic/WMN) Produced by: Hunter Hayes, Dann Huff

Songwriter of the Year
Rodney Clawson
Dallas Davidson
Josh Kear
Luke Laird
Shane McAnally

Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer and Florida Georgia Line are the nominees for this year's ACM New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl's Department Stores. In the first round of fan voting at GACtv.com, fans named Gilbert, Kramer and Florida Georgia Line for ACM New Male Vocalist of the Year, ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year and ACM New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year, respectively. The winners of those categories go on to compete for overall ACM New Artist of the Year.

Video of the Year (Award to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)) *(Off Camera Award) (tie)
Creepin' - Eric Church Producer: Iris Baker Director: Peter Zavadil
Merry Go 'Round Producer: Perry Bean, Kacey Musgraves Director: Perry Bean
Tornado - Little Big Town Producer: Iris Baker Director: Shane Drake
Wanted - Hunter Hayes Producer: Stephanie Reeves, Eric Williams Director: Traci Goudie, Patrick Hubik
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift Producer: John Nguyen Director: Declan Whitebloom
The Wind - Zac Brown Band Producer: Ben Kalina Director: Mike Judge

Vocal Event of the Year (Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company)
Don't Rush - Kelly Clarkson Featuring Vince Gill (19/RCA/Columbia Nashville) Produced by: Dann Huff
Easy - Rascal Flatts Featuring Natasha Bedingfield (Big Machine Records) Produced by: Dann Huff, Brian Kennedy, Rascal Flatts
Feel Like A Rock Star - Kenny Chesney (Duet With Tim McGraw) (Blue Chair/BNA) Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney
Let It Rain - David Nail Featuring Sarah Buxton (MCA Nashville) Produced by: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell
The Only Way I Know - Aldean With Luke Bryan & Eric Church (Broken Bow) Produced by: Michael Knox

Musician/Bandleader/Instrumentalist (MBI) Awards

Producer of the Year
Brett Beavers
Buddy Cannon
Dann Huff
Jay Joyce
Michael Knox

Audio Engineer of the Year
Chuck Ainlay
Derek Bason
Mills Logan
Steve Marcantonio
F. Reid Shippen

Bass Player of the Year
Dennis Crouch
Kevin "Swine" Grantt
Larry Paxton
Jimmie Lee Sloas
Glenn Worf

Percussionist/Drummer of the Year
Eddie Bayers
Matt Chamberlain
Chad Cromwell
Chris McHugh
Greg Morrow

Fiddle Player of the Year
Glen Duncan
Larry Franklin
Aubrey Haynie
Hank Singer
Joe Spivey

Guitarist of the Year
Tom Bukovac
J.T. Corenflos
Jay Joyce
Rob McNelley
Brent Mason

Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year
John Jarvis
Charlie Judge
Gordon Mote
Steve Nathan
Michael Rojas

Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year
Eric Darken
Glen Duncan
Jim Hoke
Bryan Sutton
Ilya Toshinsky

Steel Guitar Player of the Year
Dan Dugmore
Mike Johnson
Greg Leisz
Russ Pahl
Scotty Sanders

Off Camera Awards - The following off-camera awards will be presented during the annual ACM Honors event held in Nashville this fall.

Industry Awards

Casino of the Year
Agua Caliente Casino - Rancho Mirage, CA
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Tulsa, OK
Northern Quest Casino - Airway Heights, WA
Red Rock Casino & Resort - Las Vegas
WinStar World Casino - Thackerville, OK

Nightclub of the Year
Buck Owens' Crystal Palace - Bakersfield, CA
Joe's Bar - Chicago
The Dusty Armadillo - Rootstown, OH
Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill - Denver
Wild Bills - Duluth, GA

Venue of the Year
Blossom Music Center - Cuyahoga Falls, OH
BOK Center - Tulsa, OK
Klipsch Music Center - Noblesville, IN
Meadowbrook - Gilford, NH
Ryman Auditorium - Nashville

Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
Billy Brill - Billy Alan Productions
Jerry Hufford - Buck Owens' Crystal Palace
Gary Osier - Gary Osier Presents
Pat Powelson - Jayson Promotions, Inc.
Fran Romeo - Romeo Entertainment Group

Promoter of the Year
Brad Garrett - Police Productions
Darin Lashinsky - NS2
Debra Rathwell - AEG Live
Glenn Smith - Glenn Smith Presents
Ed Warm - Joe's Bar

The event will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7 at 8 p.m. eastern/delayed Pacific on CBS. Shelton will join forces with Luke Bryan to host. This will be Shelton's third year and the debut of Bryan

For the sixth year, fans will help select the winner of the Academy's most prestigious honor, Entertainer of the Year, and for the fifth year, the New Artist of the Year category will also be opened up to fan voting.

The ACM's selects the nominees and winners of the awards and picks the final top five nominees of the Entertainer of the Year category. New Artist of the Year final nominees were selected by a combined vote of the fans and professional members. Presenters and performers who will appear at the ceremony will be announced at a later date.

Fan voting for New Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year begins on March 25, 2013 at 3 p.m. eastern at VoteACM.com. Fan voting for New Artist of the Year will close at 8 p.m. eastern on April 7 (before the live show starts) and fan voting for Entertainer of the Year will close during the third hour of the broadcast.