Nominations announced for '46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards'

Nominations for the "46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards," a star-studded event produced for television by dick clark productions, were announced live this morning by country superstars Miranda Lambert and Ronnie Dunn at the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum in Nashville, and broadcast live on "The Early Show." The winners will be announced live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3 (8 p.m., live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. As previously announced, Blake Shelton will join forces with country music star Reba to host this year's show.

For the third year, fans will select the winner of the Academy's most prestigious honor, Entertainer of the Year; the two newcomer categories for the annual Academy of Country Music Awards — Top New Solo Vocalist and Top New Vocal Group or Duo — will also be opened up to fan voting. The winner in each of the two newcomer categories will then move on to compete for Top New Artist, which is also a fan-voted category. Online voting for all fan voted categories will be available at www.voteACM.com. The winners of Entertainer of the Year and Top New Artist will be announced live during the "46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards."

Lambert led with seven nominations, including Top Female Vocalist and her first ever nomination for Entertainer of the Year. In addition, she was nominated for Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "The House That Built Me," and received two nominations for Video of the Year for "Only Prettier" and "The House That Built Me." She is nominated for Vocal Event of the Year with Sheryl Crow and Loretta Lynn for "Coal Miner's Daughter." Lambert is the reigning ACM Top Female Vocalist.

Kenny Chesney is nominated for five awards, including Album of the Year for "Hemingway's Whiskey" and Single Record of the Year for "The Boys of Fall," both of which earned him nominations as an artist and producer.  He is also nominated for Video of the Year for "The Boys of Fall."

Zac Brown Band is nominated for five awards, including Top Vocal Group and Album of the Year. Zac Brown Band is also nominated for Song of the Year, Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year for "As She's Walking Away" featuring Alan Jackson.

Zac Brown of Zac Brown Band also received four additional individual nominations as the producer for Album of the Year contender "You Get What You Give," Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year for "As She's Walking Away" and additionally as a composer for Song of the Year for "As She's Walking Away."

The Band Perry is nominated for four awards, including Top Vocal Group and Top New Vocal Duo or Group. They are also nominated for Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "If I Die Young." Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry also received an additional individual nomination as a composer for Song of the Year contender "If I Die Young."

Taylor Swift is nominated for four awards, including her second nod for Entertainer of the Year. If Swift wins Entertainer of the Year, this will be her first Entertainer of the Year win. Swift is nominated as an artist and producer for Album of the Year for "Speak Now" and she also received a nomination for Top Female Vocalist.

Lady Antebellum is nominated for three awards, including Top Vocal Group. They are also nominated for Album of the Year as artists and producers for "Need You Now." They are the reigning Top Vocal Group.

Lee Brice is nominated for three awards for Song of the Year and as both an artist and producer for Single Record of the year for "Love Like Crazy." This is Brice's first year to be nominated.

Easton Corbin is nominated for three awards for Top New Solo Vocalist and for Song of the Year and Single Record of the Year for "A Little More Country than That." This is Corbin's first year to be nominated.

Alan Jackson is nominated for three awards for Song of the Year, Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year for "As She's Walking Away," with the Zac Brown Band.

Keith Urban is nominated for three awards, including Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist. Urban is also nominated for Vocal Event of the Year for "Blue Sky" with Emily West.

Members of the Academy of Country Music select the nominees and winners of the "Academy of Country Music Awards," including selection of the final top six nominees of the Entertainer of the Year category and the top three nominees in newcomer categories, Top New Solo Vocalist and Top New Vocal Group or Duo. Presenters and performers who will appear at the ceremony will be announced at a later date.