George Strait tops country music award nominees

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Mar 6 (Reuters) Texan George Strait, once called a ''honky tonk Sinatra,'' led the list of the 42nd Academy of Country Music Awards nominees announced at Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame.

With eight nominations, the lanky rancher-singer, who came within a few days of quitting his singing career just after it started in the early 1980s, was ahead of the duo Brooks&Dunn, who came in second with seven nods. The Rascal Flatts group was nominated for six awards, followed by Carrie Underwood with five.

The announcements were made yesterday by Kenny Chesney, who got two nominations, and the group Sugarland, which received one.

Strait, 44, has racked up a phenomenal record of 53 number one hit songs, second only to the late Conway Twitty's 55, showcasing a traditional country style in the face of other artists' crossovers into pop and rock.

Strait, who still operates his ranch not far from his birthplace in Poteet, is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and has stayed at the top of country charts every year since 1981.

Nominations announced at yesterday's event included the coveted ''Entertainer of the Year'' award which listed Strait as a contender as well as Brooks&Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts.

Nominations in other categories are: Top Male Vocalist: Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, George Strait and Keith Urban.

Top Female Vocalist: Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood.

Top Vocal Group: Diamond Rio, Emerson Drive, Little Big Town, Lonestar and Rascal Flatts.

Top Vocal Duo: Big&Rich, Brooks&Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, Sugarland and The Wreckers.

Top New Male Vocalist: Rodney Atkins, Craig Morgan and Chris Young.

Top New Female Vocalist: Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler, and Taylor Swift.

Top New Duo or Vocal Group: Heartland, Little Big Town, and The Wreckers.

Album of the Year: Hillbilly Deluxe (Brooks&Dunn), It Just Comes Natural (George Strait), Me and My Gang (Rascal Flatts), Some Hearts (Carrie Underwood), and These Days (Vince Gill).

Single Record of the Year: Before He Cheats (Carrie Underwood), Give It Away (George Strait), I Loved Her First (Heartland), What Hurts the Most (Rascal Flatts), Would You Go With Me (Josh Turner).

Song of the Year: Amarillo Sky (Jason Aldean), Before He Cheats (Carrie Underwood), Give It Away (George Strait), If You're Going Through Hell (Rodney Atkins), and Would You Go With Me (Josh Turner).

Video of the Year: Award to producer -- 8th of November, Amarillo Sky, Before He Cheats, Hillbilly Deluxe, Seashores of Old Mexico.

Vocal Event: Building Bridges (Brooks&Dunn, Vince Gill&Sheryl Crow), I Don't Want To (Ashley Monroe&Ronnie Dunn), Me and God (Josh Turner and co-singers), Politically Uncorrect (Gretchen Wilson), and That's How They Do It in Dixie (Hank Williams, Jr, with Gretchen Wilson and others).

The awards will be telecast over CBS from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 15.

Reuters SRS VP0436