Country awards won by old and new singers

By Crystal Caviness

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (UPI): Nominations for the 29th annual Country Music Association Awards, announced Tuesday, were distributed evenly between newcomers and veterans.

Alan Jackson, winner of six previous CMA Awards, topped the list with six nominations, including entertainer of the year and male vocalist of the year.

Bluegrass singer Alison Krauss, a country music novice, earned five nominations, including female vocalist of the year and single of the year for the song that was responsible for her crossover, When You Say Nothing At All. These are her first CMA nominations.

In addition to Jackson, other entertainer of the year nominees were the duo Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, and Vince Gill, who has won the honor the past two years.

Joining Krauss in the running for female vocalist were Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Loveless, Reba McEntire and Pam Tillis. Jackson's competitors in the male vocalist category were George Strait, Vince Gill and relative newcomers John Michael Montgomery and John Berry.

While the nominations in past years traditionally have favored established artists, this year's slate includes many freshmen. Shania Twain, the duo of John and Audrey Wiggins, the Tractors, the Mavericks and David Ball were among those enjoying their first nominations.

The CMA Awards ceremonies will air Oct. 4 on CBS from Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House.

The nominees were:

Entertainer of the year: Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire.

Male vocalist: John Berry, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, John Michael Montgomery, George Strait.

Female vocalist: Mary Chapin Carpenter, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Reba McEntire, Pam Tillis.

Album of the year: John Michael Montgomery, John Michael Montgomery; Lead On, George Strait; Now That I Found You, Alison Krauss; When Love Finds You, Vince Gill; Who I Am, Alan Jackson. Horizon Award: David Ball, John Berry, Faith Hill, Alison Krauss, Shania Twain.

Vocal group: BlackHawk, Diamond Rio, The Mavericks, Sawyer Brown, Shenandoah.

Vocal duo: Bellamy Brothers, Brooks & Dunn, Brother Phelps, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, John and Audrey Wiggins.

Single of the year: Any Man of Mine, Shania Twain; Baby Likes To Rock It, The Tractors; Gone Country, Alan Jackson; The Keeper of the Stars, Tracy Byrd; When You Say Nothing at All, Alison Krauss.

Musician of the year: Eddie Bayers, drums; Paul Franklin, steel guitar; Brent Mason, guitar; Mark O'Connor, fiddle; Matt Rollings, keyboard.

Vocal event: Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word, Chet Atkins and Suzy Bogguss; A Good Year For the Roses, George Jones and Alan Jackson; One, George Jones and Tammy Wynette; Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart, Shenandoah and Alison Krauss;Workin' Man Blues, Diamond Rio, Lee Roy Parnell and Steve Wariner.

Song of the year (songwriter's award): Don't Take the Girl, Craig Martin and Larry W. Johnson; Gone Country, Bob McDill; How Can I Help You Say Goodbye, Karen Taylor Good and Burton Banks Collins; Independence Day, Gretchen Peters; Thinkin' Problem, David Ball, Allen Shamblin and Stuart Ziff.

Music video: Any Man of Mine, Shania Twain; Baby Likes To Rock It, The Tractors; I Don't Even Know Your Name, Alan Jackson; The Red Strokes, Garth Brooks; When Love Finds You, Vince Gill.