Riding on the strength of her breakthrough album, country singer Sara Evans soared above the flock with five Country Music Association Award nominations. Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn and the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack album follow with four nods each.
Evans took nominations for song, single, video and album of the year for Born to Fly and its title track. She also picked up the female-vocalist nod. (As co-producer of her album and single, Evans was eligible for seven awards.)
O Brother is up for album and single (for the Soggy Bottom Boys' "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow") of the year in addition to a pair of vocal-event nominations. Alan Jackson garnered nominations for entertainer, video, album and male vocalist of the year.
Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley each earned three nominations. Newcomers Nickel Creek and Jamie O'Neal each drew two nominations, including nods for the Horizon Award.
The CMA Awards will be broadcast live November 7 from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on CBS. (MTVi's parent company, Viacom, also owns CBS.)
The complete CMA Awards nominations are:
Entertainer of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Dixie Chicks
Alan Jackson
Tim McGraw
George Strait
Single of the Year
Brooks & Dunn - "Ain't Nothing 'Bout You"
Sara Evans - "Born to Fly"
Soggy Bottom Boys - "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow"
Lonestar - "I'm Already There"
Diamond Rio - "One More Day"
Album of the Year
Sara Evans - Born to Fly
Various Artists - O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Tim McGraw - Set This Circus Down
Brooks & Dunn - Steers & Stripes
Alan Jackson - When Somebody Loves You
Song of the Year
(awarded to writers)
Sara Evans, Marcus Hummon, Darryl Scott - "Born to Fly"
Chuck Cannon, Toby Keith - "How Do You Like Me Now?!"
Richie McDonald, Gary Baker, Frank Myers - "I'm Already There"
Larry Cordle, Larry Shell - "Murder on Music Row"
Steve Dale Jones, Bobby Tomberlin - "One More Day"
Female Vocalist of the Year:
Sara Evans
Faith Hill
Martina McBride
Lee Ann Womack
Trisha Yearwood
Male Vocalist of the Year
Alan Jackson
Toby Keith
Tim McGraw
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Horizon Award
Jessica Andrews
Nickel Creek
Jamie O'Neal
Keith Urban
Phil Vassar
Vocal Group of the Year
Alabama
Diamond Rio
Dixie Chicks
Lonestar
Nickel Creek
Vocal Duo of the Year
Bellamy Brothers
Brooks & Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
Kinleys
Warren Brothers
Vocal Event of the Year
Dwight Yoakam with Buck Owens - "Alright, I'm Wrong"
Emmylou Harris/Alison Krauss/Gillian Welch - "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby"
Brad Paisley and Chely Wright - "Hard to Be a Husband, Hard to Be a Wife"
Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch - "I'll Fly Away"
Brad Paisley with George Jones, Bill Anderson and Buck Owens - "Too Country"
Video of the Year
(awarded to artist and director)
Lee Ann Womack, Gregg Horne - "Ashes by Now"
Sara Evans, Peter Zavadil - "Born to Fly"
Trisha Yearwood, Chris Rogers - "I Would've Loved You Anyway"
Jamie O'Neal, Lawrence Carroll - "There Is No Arizona"
Alan Jackson, Morgan Lawley ñ "www.memory"
Musician of the Year
Stuart Duncan
Paul Franklin
John Hobbs
Dann Huff
Brent Mason