A Night In The Country
Speculation is half the fun as the country music industry prepares for its annual awards show.
Single of the Year? Definitely “Strawberry Wine,” Vince Gill says.
Entertainer of the Year? Garth Brooks can’t be denied after his massive concert in New York’s Central Park, reigning champs Brooks & Dunn say.
Will LeAnn Rimes win her first Country Music Association Award? She’d better, says Deana Carter, who is competing with the 15-year-old for three awards.
“It’s her year, man,” Carter said. “She’s just been kicking butt, doing great.”
Rimes is nominated in three categories: female vocalist of the year, album of the year for “Blue” and the Horizon Award for most career progress in the last year.
Whether she wins any or all of them will be announced Wednesday on CBS during a live telecast from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
Gill is the host of the show. Carter is up for five awards: female vocalist, single and video for “Strawberry Wine,” album for “Did I Shave My Legs for This?” and the Horizon Award.
Only George Strait has as many nominations, but two of his are in one category - single of the year.
“I was freaked out (by the nominations),” Carter said. “When the industry embraces you like that, especially with the caliber of artists that have been around and working their butts off forever, it’s like being voted homecoming queen.”
The nominees for entertainer of the year - the CMA’s top award - are the same as in 1996: Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Gill and Strait.
Duo Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn don’t expect to win two years in a row. “My vote is, of course, for myself,” Kix Brooks said, “but I don’t see how Garth can lose.”
Brooks has sold more than 62 million albums, second only to The Beatles in the United States. But the 1991 and 1992 entertainer of the year hasn’t won an award from the CMA since 1993.
“It takes something special - a big event or something - to catch people’s attention,” said Kix Brooks, who is no relation to Garth. “I don’t see how he could draw all those people to Central Park and not get it.”
Country music industry workers nominate and pick the CMA award winners. Gill noted the diversity of this year’s nominations, particularly in the male vocalist of the year category. The nominees include traditionalists Alan Jackson and George Strait, and pop-oriented singers Gill, Collin Raye and Bryan White.
Gill lost to Strait in 1996, after winning best male vocalist five straight years. He doesn’t expect to win it this year.
“I just think there’s sometimes a mind-set with awards - who’s won them and who hasn’t won them,” Gill said. “And everybody goes, ‘Five in a row, that’s enough. Please.’
“And you know, George had a tremendous year. So I lost to a legend.”
Vying for best female vocalist are Rimes, Carter, Patty Loveless, Pam Tillis and Trisha Yearwood. Vocal group of the year nominees are Alabama, Diamond Rio, The Mavericks, Ricochet and Sawyer Brown.
“Strawberry Wine” is nominated for single and song of the year.
Gill likes “Strawberry Wine” so much he had his daughter sing it at some of his shows this summer. The song is about a girl’s first love affair.
“I was mesmerized by it the first time I heard it,” Gill said. “My daughter is 15 and I know what the lyrics are about and all that.
“But at the same time, I want her to grow up. I want her to become a woman. I want her to fall in love and I want her to do all those things that you’re supposed to do in life. I don’t think it’s my job to keep her a kid her whole life.”
xxxx The Country Music Association Awards will air Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CBS (KREM-Channel 2 in Spokane).
This sidebar appeared with the story: Country Music Association nominees The Associated Press Entertainer Of The Year Brooks & Dunn Garth Brooks Vince Gill Alan Jackson George Strait Female Vocalist Of The Year Deana Carter Patty Loveless LeAnn Rimes Pam Tillis Trisha Yearwood Male Vocalist Of The Year Vince Gill Alan Jackson Collin Raye George Strait Bryan White Single Of The Year (for singer) “All the Good Ones Are Gone,” Pam Tillis “Carried Away,” George Strait “It’s Your Love,” Tim McGraw (with Faith Hill) “One Night at a Time,” George Strait “Strawberry Wine,” Deana Carter Album Of The Year “Blue,” by LeAnn Rimes “Carrying Your Love With Me,” by George Strait “Did I Shave My Legs for This?” by Deana Carter “Everybody Knows,” by Trisha Yearwood “Everything I Love,” by Alan Jackson Horizon Award (for career progress) Trace Adkins Deana Carter Terri Clark LeAnn Rimes Lee Ann Womack Vocal Group Of The Year Alabama Diamond Rio The Mavericks Ricochet Sawyer Brown Vocal Duo Of The Year Bellamy Brothers Brooks & Dunn Raybon Brothers Thrasher Shiver John & Audrey Wiggins Music Video Of The Year “455 Rocket,” by Kathy Mattea “All the Good Ones Are Gone,” by Pam Tillis “Every Light in the House,” by Trace Adkins “It’s Your Love,” by Tim McGraw (with Faith Hill) “Strawberry Wine,” by Deana Carter Song Of The Year (for songwriter) “All the Good Ones are Gone,” by Dean Dillon, Bob McDill “Blue,” by Bill Mack “Butterfly Kisses,” by Bob Carlisle, Randy Thomas “Strawberry Wine,” by Matraca Berg, Gary Harrison “Time Marches On,” by Bobby Braddock Vocal Event Of The Year The Charlie Daniels Band with John Berry & Hal Ketchum for “Long Haired Country Boy” Clint Black and Martina McBride for “Still Holding On” George Jones and Kathy Mattea for “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” Lee Roy Parnell and The Fairfield Four for “John the Revelator” Tim McGraw and Faith Hill for “It’s Your Love” Musician Of The Year Eddie Bayers Paul Franklin Brent Mason Matt Rollings Brent Rowan