Five of the CMA Awards nominees were announced in New York City, on ABC's "Good Morning America" show by Brad Paisley and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland. The remaining nominees were announced in Nashville, by Jason Aldean and Little Big Town, on a special edition of CMT's "CMT Insider" show, live from the Gaylord Entertainment Center, where the awards show will be held on November 6, 2006. Hosting the show for a third year will be Country duo Brooks & Dunn.
Brad Paisley and Brooks & Dunn each tied with the most nominations, at six. Brad was nominated for Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for Time Well Wasted; and Single, Musical Event and Music Video of the Year for "When I Get Where I'm Going" (featuring Dolly Parton). Brooks & Dunn were nominated for Entertainer, which they won in 1996; Vocal Duo, which they have won a record 13 times; Album for Hillbilly Deluxe; Single and Music Video for "Believe;" and Musical Event of the Year for "Building Bridges," with guest vocals by Sheryl Crow and Vince Gill. But Ronnie Dunn slipped ahead in the overall tally with an added nomination as songwriter on the duo's hit "Believe," which Dunn co-wrote with Craig Wiseman, marking Dunn's first individual nomination.
Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, and newcomer Carrie Underwood each had four nominations. Chesney was nominated for Entertainer, which he won in 2004; Male Vocalist; Album for The Road And The Radio; and Single of the Year for "Summertime." Chesney could win two additional Awards for co-producing his nominated Album and Single of the Year with Buddy Cannon.
Urban was nominated for Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Single for "Better Life," produced by Urban and Dann Huff; and Song of the Year for "Tonight I Wanna Cry," which Urban co-wrote with Monty Powell. Urban won his first CMA Award in 2001 with the Horizon Award. In 2004, he won Male Vocalist and last year Urban won Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year.
One of the breakout artists of the past year, Underwood definitely didn't miss the attention of CMA's voting members. She her first CMA Awards nominations including Female Vocalist; the Horizon Award; and Single and Music Video of the Year for "Jesus Take The Wheel," which was also nominated for Song of the Year for songwriters, Hillary Lindsey, Brett James, and Gordie Sampson.
After winning three consecutive Vocal Group of the Year Awards (2003, 2004, 2005), Rascal Flatts received their first nomination for Entertainer of the Year. The Entertainer of the Year Award has only been won four times by a group including Dixie Chicks (2000) and Alabama (1982, 1983, 1984). Rascal Flatts also received nominations for Vocal Group and Album of the Year for Me And My Gang. Rascal Flatts co-produced the album with Huff.
Several artists received two nominations each this year including Big & Rich, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Sugarland and Gretchen Wilson.
The three inductees this year for the Country Music Hall of Fame are: Harold Bradley, Sonny James and George Strait. They will be inducted during the broadcast on November 6, 2006.
For the first time in Nashville, tickets will go on sale for the CMA Awards. Tickets for the 2006 CMA Awards go on sale to the public Friday, Sept. 15, at 10:00 AM/CT, and can be purchased by logging on to Ticketmaster.com; calling (615) 255-9600; or in-person at the Gaylord Entertainment Center box office, 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, in Nashville). The ticket price is $150 for Bronze level seating; $200 for Silver level seating (excluding applicable service/handling fees).