May 17, 2008, 1:31 GMT
Los Angeles - It's looking like business as usual at the Academy of Country Music Awards set for Sunday night where Kenny Chesney the winner of the entertainer of the year award for the past three years looks set to continue his streak of success.
Chesney is up for 11 awards including entertainer of the year, top male vocalist and the top prizes for album, single, song and video of the year.
Trophies in 13 categories will be handed out at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Rodney Atkins is up for six prizes; Brad Paisley, Big & Rich and Sugarland are contending for four, and Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift are the top female nominees with three nods each.
For the first time in ACM history, fans will be allowed to vote for entertainer of the year where Chesney and Paisley vie with Rascal Flatts, George Strait and Keith Urban. All except Flatts are joined by Atkins to compete for the top male performer prize, while Lambert, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Swift and Carrie Underwood compete to be the best female performer.
Many are tipping Swift, who's only 18, to be the big winner of the night. The newcomer just lost out to Amy Winehouse as best new artist at The Grammys. But the ACM awards have traditionally embraced new country acts like Carrie Underwood last year and Rascal Flatts in 2003.
Country music superstars set to perform at the event are Trace Adkins, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Kellie Pickler and LeAnn Rimes.
Top Categories:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR Kenny Chesney Brad Paisley Rascal Flatts George Strait Keith Urban
MALE VOCALIST Rodney Atkins Kenny Chesney Brad Paisley George Strait Keith Urban
FEMALE VOCALIST Miranda Lambert Martina McBride LeAnn Rimes Taylor Swift Carrie Underwood
VOCAL GROUP Diamond Rio Eagles Emerson Drive Little Big Town Rascal Flatts
VOCAL DUO Big & Rich Brooks & Dunn Halfway To Hazard Montgomery Gentry Sugarland
ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] 5th Gear - Brad Paisley Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - Miranda Lambert Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates - Kenny Chesney If You're Going Through Hell - Rodney Atkins Taylor Swift - Taylor Swift
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR Don't Blink - Kenny Chesney Famous In A Small Town - Miranda Lambert Lost In This Moment - Big & Rich Stay - Sugarland Watching Airplanes - Gary Allan
SONG OF THE YEAR Don't Blink - Kenny Chesney Lost In This Moment - Big & Rich Moments - Emerson Drive Watching You - Rodney Atkins Stay - Sugarland
VIDEO OF THE YEAR Don't Blink - Kenny Chesney Lost In This Moment - Big & Rich Online - Brad Paisley Stay - Sugarland Watching You - Rodney Atkins
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