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Brooks & Dunn and Brad Paisley were both nominated for six Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday, but Ronnie Dunn emerged as the leader with seven nominations, including one for the group's inspirational song "Believe."
Both Paisley and Brooks & Dunn were nominated for entertainer of the year, single of the year and album of the year, among other nominations. For Paisley, who was also nominated for six Academy of Country Music Awards earlier this year, the CMA nominations underscore his hot streak.
"It has felt like a really good year, and getting these nominations, it feels really good because it feels like (I've) sort of grown into these clothes a little more, and that to me is one of the greatest feelings I've ever had," Paisley said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.
Other multiple nominees included Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood, who had four each.
Rascal Flatts and Dolly Parton, who sang with Paisley on his tear-jerker hit "When I Get Where I'm Going," were both nominated for three awards.
The nominations were announced in two locations; the first five categories were announced by Paisley and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland, another CMA nominee, live on ABC's "Good Morning America" in New York. The rest of the nominees were announced a bit later by Jason Aldean and Little Big Town in Nashville, Tenn.
Both "Believe" and "When I Get Where I'm Going" are tunes that reference the afterlife and a person's waning moments on Earth; both were nominated for single of the year as well.
"I think it's something that really relates to people who have ever lost someone," Paisley said of his song. "It really captures that universal emotion that you're trying to catch, that you really want people to share with people when you are singing it."
Other nominees for single of the year include Underwood's "Jesus Take the Wheel," "Summertime" by Chesney and "Better Life" by Urban.
The nominees for the songwriter's award for song of the year are "8th of November," by Big & Rich; "Believe" by Craig Wiseman and Ronnie Dunn; "Jesus Take the Wheel," written by Hillary Lindsey, Brett James and Gordie Sampson; "Tonight I Wanna Cry," written by Urban and Monty Powell; and "When I Get Where I'm Going," by Rivers Rutherford and George Teren.
Nominees for album of the year are Brooks & Dunn for "Hillbilly Deluxe," Rascal Flatts for "Me and My Gang," Alan Jackson for "Precious Memories," Paisley for "Time Well Wasted" and Chesney for "The Road and the Radio."
The male-centric field of nominees for entertainer of the year include Rascal Flatts, Brooks & Dunn, Chesney, Paisley and last year's winner, Urban.
Nominees for female vocalist of the year are Underwood, Gretchen Wilson, Faith Hill, Sara Evans and Martina McBride.
For male vocalist of the year, the nominees are Dierks Bently, Jackson, Paisley, Urban and Chesney.
Besides Sugarland, nominees for vocal group include Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Little Big Town, Lonestar, Rascal Flatts and Sugarland.
Miranda Lambert, nominated for the Horizon Award last year, was once again nominated for that award, which celebrates the breakthrough of an emerging artist.
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