Guys’ hats fill country awards ring
James Brown may be dead, but his spirit lives on in the man’s man’s man’s world of the Academy of Country Music’s 42nd award nominations.
Men dominate the key categories that aren’t segregated by sex, and if it hadn’t been for a strong showing by “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood, they might have swept the entertainer, album, single, song and video of the year categories.
Veteran Texas traditionalist George Strait led the nominations, announced Monday in Nashville, with eight, including entertainer, album, single and male vocalist, although Ronnie Dunn of duo Brooks & Dunn also has eight: seven with his partner, Kix Brooks, and another on his own for vocal event of the year, for his duo with newcomer Ashley Monroe on “I Don’t Want To.”
Rascal Flatts is up for six awards, and Underwood got five nominations, among them top female vocalist, album, single and song of the year. Rascal Flatts and Brooks & Dunn are competing with Strait, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney for the ACM’s top award for entertainer of the year.
The California-based ACM will hand out the awards on May 15 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in a ceremony to be televised on CBS.
Randy Lewis
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