CMA Nominees! Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Taylor Swift Top List

Sept. 9. 2009—, 2009 -- The nominees for the 43rd annual Country Music Awards were announced live on "Good Morning America" today and they include a roster of artists who are household names.

Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, George Strait, Reba McEntire and Martina McBride were among the nominees.

The CMAs are known as country music's biggest night. The awards will be handed out by reigning male and female vocalists of the year and current nominees Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood Wednesday, Nov. 11 at the Sommet Center in Nashville.

Watch the CMAs live Wednesday, Nov. 11 on ABC at 8 p.m. ET and get more coverage and nominees at CMAWorld.com

Musical Event of the Year

Brad Paisley (duet with Keith Urban)

Arista Nashville

Paisley was also nominated for Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for American Saturday Night, which was produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois; Single and Song for "Then" (DuBois and Ashley Gorley are also nominated as songwriters); and Music Video for "Start A Band" with Urban, which was directed by Jim Shea.

Urban's other nominations include Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Music Video for "Start A Band" with Paisley; and Album of the Year for Defying Gravity. Urban is eligible to win a second trophy in the Album category for producing Defying Gravity with Dann Huff.

Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire

Arista Nashville

Kenny Chesney (with Mac McAnally)

Blue Chair Records, LLC & BNA Records

Mac McAnally has won one CMA award in his career and is currently the reigning CMA Musician of the Year. His nomination with Kenny Chesney in the Musical Event of the Year category this year is his first artist nomination.

Lee Ann Womack (duet with George Strait)

MCA Records

This is the second time that Womack has been nominated in the Musical Event of the Year category for a performance with George Strait. In 2005, Strait and Womack won the Musical Event of the Year award for their performance of "Good News, Bad News." Lee Ann also won this category in 2002 for her duet with Willie Nelson on "Mendocino County Line." Strait also won this award (when it was called the Vocal Event of the Year) in 2000 with Alan Jackson for their performance of "Murder on Music Row."

Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis

19 Recordings/Arista

Underwood, who also has won the New Talent of the Year award and Single of the Year (2007 for "Before He Cheats"), receives her first nomination in the Musical Event of the Year category this year.

Randy Travis has won five CMA awards in his career. His last CMA award win was in 1988 for Male Vocalist of the Year (which he also won in 1987). Travis wrote "I Told You So," which was a massive hit for him in 1988, when it was nominated for CMA Single of the Year and Song of the Year.

The Raconteurs featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe

Third Man Records, Warner Bros. Records

Ricky Skaggs won eight CMA awards, including Entertainer of the Year in 1985 and both the Horizon and Male Vocalist of the Year awards in 1982. This is Ashley Monroe's first CMA nomination.

CMA Nominees: New Artist of the Year

This is Houser's first CMA nomination. He has received acclaim for his debut album "Anything Goes" and is currently touring with fellow nominee Jamey Johnson as part of "CMT On Tour." The Mississippi native's current single "Boots On" has been climbing the charts.

Johnson has won one CMA award in his career, Song of the Year (2007), as the co-writer of "Give it Away" (a George Strait hit) with Bill Anderson and Buddy Cannon. This is his first artist nomination.

This is Owen's second nomination. He was nominated in 2008 in Musical Event of the Year for "Life in a Northern Town," his performance with Sugarland and Little Big Town.

The New Artist of the Year and Best Male Vocalist nominations are Rucker's first two CMA nods. He performed on the CMA Awards in 2008.

This is the band's first nomination. Their Album "The Foundation" debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and No. 3 on the Top Country Albums chart. The first single "Chicken Fried" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country chart.

CMA Nominees: Female Vocalist of the Year

Lambert has received six prior CMA nominations, including Female Vocalist (2007 and 2008). She has not yet won a CMA award.

With four wins as Female Vocalist of the Year (1984-1987), McBride is tied with Reba McEntire for the most number of wins in this category. But if Carrie Underwood wins in 2009, it will become a three-way tie.

McEntire won a total of six CMA awards in her career, including Entertainer of the Year (1986). The last time she won a CMA award was in 1994 in what was then called the Vocal Event of the Year category for her performance with Linda Davis (mother of Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott) on "Does He Love You?" Her last nomination was in 2008 for the Musical Event of the Year category for her performance with Kenny Chesney on "Every Other Weekend." With 48 career nominations, Reba is the most nominated female artist in CMA Awards history.

Swift has won a total of one CMA award in her career -- the Horizon Award (now known as the New Talent of the Year Award) in 2006. This is her first Entertainer of the Year nomination.

Underwood will co-host the CMA Awards with Brad Paisley for the second consecutive year. Underwood, the reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, has won five CMA awards in her career, including three wins as Female Vocalist of the Year (2006-2008).

Male Vocalist of the Year

Kenny Chesney has won seven CMA awards in his career, including four Entertainer of the Year awards (2004, 2006-2008), which ties him with Garth Brooks as the artists with the most wins in this category. Kenny won the Musical Event of the Year category in 2007 for the song "Find Out Who Your Friends Are," which he performed with Tracy Lawrence and Tim McGraw.

Paisley will co-host the CMA Awards with Carrie Underwood for the second consecutive year. Paisley, the reigning Male Vocalist of the Year, has won 11 CMA awards including Male Vocalist (2007, 2008); Album (2006 for Time Well Wasted); and Horizon (now known as the New Talent of the Year award) in 2000. Brad has won the Music Video of the Year award four times: 2002 ("I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)"); 2004 ("Whiskey Lullaby" with Allison Krauss); 2007 ("Online"); and 2008 ("Waitin' on a Woman" featuring Andy Griffith).

The New Artist of the Year and Best Male Vocalist nominations are Rucker's first two CMA nods. He performed on the CMA Awards in 2008.

George Strait won a total of 22 CMA awards in his career -- the most by any artist has won in CMA Awards history. With 79 career nominations, Strait is tied with Alan Jackson for being the artists with the most nominations in CMA Awards history. Strait has won two Entertainer of the Year awards (1989, 1990). He has also won five Male Vocalist of the Year awards (1985, 1986, 1996-1998), which ties him with Vince Gill as being the artists with the most wins in that category. In 2008, Strait won Album of the Year (for Troubadour) and Single of the Year (for "I Saw God Today").

Urban has won five CMA awards in his career, including Entertainer of the Year (2005), three wins as Male Vocalist of the Year (2004-2006), and the Horizon award (now known as the New Talent of the Year award, in 2001).

CMA Nominees: Entertainer of the Year

Kenny Chesney has won seven CMA awards in his career, including four Entertainer of the Year awards (2004, 2006-2008), which ties him with Garth Brooks as the artists with the most wins in this category. Kenny won the Musical Event of the Year category in 2007 for the song "Find Out Who Your Friends Are," which he performed with Tracy Lawrence and Tim McGraw.

Paisley will co-host the CMA Awards with Carrie Underwood for the second consecutive year. Paisley, the reigning Male Vocalist of the Year, has won 11 CMA awards in his career, including Male Vocalist (2007, 2008); Album (2006 for Time Well Wasted); and Horizon (now known as the New Talent of the Year award) in 2000. Brad has won the Music Video of the Year award four times: 2002 ("I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)"); 2004 ("Whiskey Lullaby" with Allison Krauss); 2007 ("Online"); and 2008 ("Waitin' on a Woman" featuring Andy Griffith).

Strait won a total of 22 CMA awards in his career -- the most won by any artist in CMA Awards history. With 79 career nominations, Strait is tied with Alan Jackson for being the artists with the most nominations in CMA Awards history. Strait has won two Entertainer of the Year awards (1989, 1990). He has also won five Male Vocalist of the Year awards (1985, 1986, 1996-1998), which ties him with Vince Gill as being the artists with the most wins in that category. In 2008, Strait won Album of the Year (for Troubadour) and Single of the Year (for "I Saw God Today").

Swift has won one CMA award in her career -- the Horizon award (now known as the New Talent of the Year award) in 2006. This is her first Entertainer of the Year nomination.

Urban has won five CMA awards in his career, including Entertainer of the Year (2005), three wins as Male Vocalist of the Year (2004-2006), and the Horizon award (now known as the New Talent of the Year award, in 2001).