Country Music Association Announces 2008 Winners
Country Stars and Movie Stars Converge for 42nd Annual CMA Awards
Considered the most prestigious awards show in country music, the 2008 Country Music Association Awards—with co-hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, the 2007 reigning CMA vocalists of the year in their respective categories—was a country fan must-see spectacular and a top TV-ratings event.
First held in 1967 with co-hosts Sonny James and Bobbie Gentry, the inaugural ceremony was not televised and dubbed the “CMA Awards Banquet and Show.” This year's show, after being held in New York City and even Canada in prior years, was back in Music City and broadcast live from Nashville's Sommet Center on television's ABC network.
Country Music's Biggest Night: 2008 CMA Awards
Leading contenders in this year's contest, which is known as "Country Music's Biggest Night," included Kenny Chesney, with a total of seven nominations; Sugarland's frontwoman, Jennifer Nettles, with six nods; perennial favorite George Strait, who nabbed five nominations; and Alan Jackson and Brad Paisley, both of whom garnered a quartet of nominations each.
According to the CMA Web site, CMA award winners are chosen in voting by industry professional members of the Country Music Association; thus, CMA winners are honored by their peers in the music industry. The staff of CMA does not participate in the voting process. The 2008 CMA Award recipients for 2008 are as follows:
- CMA Album of the Year: Lee Ann Womack and Josh Turner presented Texan George Strait—who won his first CMA Award for Male Vocalist of the Year in 1985—took 2008 Album of the Year honors with his Troubadour CD.The cowboy-hatted singer’s latest album beat out Carnival Ride by Carrie Underwood, Cowboy Town from Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson’s Good Time release and Kenny Chesney’s Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates.
- CMA Music Video of the Year: The music video for Waitin' On A Woman by Brad Paisley took Music Video of the Year Honors this year, defeating video contenders You're Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins, Don't Blink by Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson’s Good Time and Stay by duo Sugarland.
- CMA New Artist of the Year: Newcomers Lady Antebellum—vocalists Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and multi-instrumentalist Dave Haywood—won the act's first-ever CMA Award for New Artist of the Year. The trio had heavy competition in the category from 2008 nominees Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, James Otto and Kellie Pickler, respectively.
- CMA Single of the Year: Don't Blink by Kenny Chesney, Gunpowder & Lead by Miranda Lambert, Stay by duo Sugarland and You're Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins lost to George Strait’s I Saw God Today single.
- CMA Song of the Year: Stay, penned by Sugarland’s Jennier Nettles, captured this year’s Song of the Year trophy, which goes to the songwriter and song publisher. The track won out against the contest’s other nominated country hits titled Good Time, I Saw God Today, Letter To Me and You're Gonna Miss This.
- CMA Male Vocalist of the Year: Oscar winner and Nashville native Reese Witherspoon, who played June Carter Cash in the hit film Walk the Line, presented CMA co-host Brad Paisley with this year's top CMA prize for male vocalist. Paisley beat out fellow nominees Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson (who was nominated for a record-breaking 10 CMA Awards in 2002), George Strait and Keith Urban in this category.
- CMA Vocal Duo of the Year: Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush of Sugarland beat out Big & Rich, perennial favorites Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry and the now-disbanded duo The Wreckers to secure their second consecutive CMA vocal duo honor.
- CMA Female Vocalist of the Year: Winner of more CMA Awards than anyone else to date, Vince Gill presented this year's CMA prize for top female vocalist to Carrie Underwood, making it her third consecutive year to receive this honor. The 2008 CMA co-host competed against Alison Krauss, second-time nominee Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride and Taylor Swift in this year's category.
- CMA Vocal Group of the Year: Running favorites Rascal Flatts continued its winning streak this year, triumphing over Emerson Drive, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town and the Eagles.
- CMA Musical Event of the Year: The Gone, Gone, Gone vocal collaboration of Robert Plant, former Led Zeppelin frontman, and bluegrass-traditionalist Alison Krauss nabbed this year’s top honors. Other contenders in this category were Another Try by Josh Turner and featuring Trisha Yearwood; Reba McEntire and Kenny Chesney’s Every Other Weekend; George Strait and Kenny Chesney’s Shiftwork duet; and Life in A Northern Town by Sugarland, with Little Big Town and Jake Owen.
- CMA Entertainer of the Year: Canadian-born country star Shania Twain presented Kenny Chesney with this year's entertainer prize, making it his third consecutive year to take this particular CMA trophy, which he's now won a total of four times. Chesney beat fellow nominee's Sugarland, George Strait, Keith Urban and Brad Paisley
- CMA Musician of the Year: Veteran guitarist Mac McAnally (who also is a respected songwriter/recording artist in his own right) won Musician of the Year for 2008, beating out top players Jerry Douglas, dobro; Paul Franklin, steel guitar;Dann Huff, guitar; and Brent Mason, guitar.
- Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees: Several artists were inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame's Class of 2008 during private ceremonies in April and June 2008 ceremonies. During the CMA Awards, this year's inductees were announced; namely, the late Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman, Emmylous Harris, the Statler Brothers and Tom T. Hall.
Sources
42nd Annual Country Music Association Awards, television broadcast, Dec. 12, 2008, on the ABC network.
About/History, CMA Awards. Accessed Nov. 12, 2008, at www.cmaawards.com.
42nd Annual CMA Awards logo
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Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, 2008 CMA hosts
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Lady Antebellum, CMA New Artist for 2008
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CMA trophy
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