Discussion: CMA Awards (Think Positive Thoughts!)

Yes, the CMA Awards are a source of great criticism, from the artists, industry professionals, and especially the fans.

We will save that conversation for now. Examining the list this morning, I had more than my share of grumbles and groans, but the nomination slate holds a few pleasant surprises.

My personal favorite nomination is the Single of the Year acknowledgment of “Gunpowder and Lead”, the first Top Ten single in the critically-acclaimed career of Miranda Lambert. Although the song is not my personal favorite, her supreme talent warrants recognition in the top categories, and this rip-roaring rocker deserved its spot. It’s sung with reckless abandon, and has terrific attention to detail. Thank goodness CMA voters weren’t gun-shy and nominated the volatile single.

Tonight’s question, for the sake of glass-half-full optimism: Which CMA Awards nomination makes your heart most content?

37 Comments

  1. Blake, this is so mean!:) You’re asking us to be positive?

    Okay, my bright spot is the attention given to Miranda Lambert, as you’ve noted and I’ve prematurely noted on Dan’s announcement. Not to bend your rules a bit, but my other source of happiness with this year’s nominations is RF’s lack of one for ETY. When I guy can’t sing on key live, I don’t want him to try to entertain me. At least, Kenny is on key when he sings live. I’m truly sorry for the back handed positiveness, but that’s all I’ve got right now, Folks.

  2. I’m most happy with the Lambert nominations and the Sugarland nominations.

    If I were filling out a ballot, Sugarland would get my vote for five of the six races (Entertainer, Duo, Single, Song, Video) and Lambert for Female Vocalist.

    I actually don’t have any other positive opinions, so I’ll leave it at that.

  3. Obviously, I’m in complete agreement about Lambert’s nominations being the highlight of this year’s CMA ballot. And I agree with LeeAnn that, beyond Lambert, it’s hard to find many reasons to stay positive without going the “I’m glad (insert name here) didn’t get nominated” route.

    The other real positive: The ridiculous, impossible-to-justify absence of women from the Entertainer of the Year line-up has come to an end.

    And, though I think it’s a stretch to classify it as a “country” single, the nomination for “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)” was a pleasant surprise.

  4. I can’t really be very positive with many of the noms, esp after my high hopes but:

    happy with:

    Sugarland-EOTY
    Carrie Underwood-Album
    Miranda and Sugarland-Single
    Sugarland-Song
    Reba & Sugarland & Krauss- Musical event
    and the rest will be later -.-
    This is like Chinese tourture! O.O

  5. also, i didnt mention male, fem., and duo/groups things because they seem the same to me.. but i have a few problems with some of em. you’ll find out later…

  6. I have only three sources of happiness, although one is an expected source.

    1) Carnival Ride’s nomination for Album of the Year. I didn’t think it would be nominated, and I doubt it’ll win, but the recognition is nice.

    2) Miranda Lambert receiving credit for a BRILLIANT song (“Gunpowder and Lead”).

    3 – The expected one) Carrie Underwood being nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year. I really hope she wins; I feel like she was ro…

    Never mind, only positive thoughts. :)

  7. Good job though, Zac.

    Oh yes, Jonathan, I agree with you on Krauss/Plant–That it’s a stretch to call it country, but it’s fun to see them nominated, nonetheless. Thanks for helping me to find another positive in all of this.

  8. + Sugarland’s multiple noms especially EOTY.
    + Krauss & Plant getting some of the CMA love.
    + Trace’s recognition is also much deserved… great song.

  9. I was ecstatic to see Sugarland among the EOTY nominees. Also, glad to see all the love for ‘Stay’ in Single, Song, and Video categories.

    I am also pleased with Brad Paisley’s nomination in the Video category for ‘Waitin’ On A Woman’ – I am not a huge fan of the song, but I am crazy about the video.

    Lastly, I think the Musical Event trophy could go to any of the 5 contenders and I couldn’t be disappointed. All 5 tracks are stellar.

    That’s all the positive I can muster right now …

  10. I’m not crazy about Brad’s song either, but I’m crazy about Andy Griffith. So, there’s another bright spot. At least I’ll have a couple of things to root for if Kevin does a live blog of the show this year.

  11. Sugarland being nominated! Actually, I didn’t think the entertainer of the year category was all that bad. My only big complain was that Carrie Underwood wasn’t nominated. Other than that, I thought they we’re all deserving. Miranda being nominated was also a highlight.

  12. If my friend base were to see me preaching positivity, I believe they would think I’d gone mad.

    Jonathan basically wrote how I felt. I would vote for Lambert for Female and possibly Single. The Krauss/Plant isn’t country, but what is country nowadays? Who would think that, in 2008, the lead singer of Led Zeppelin would be in position to win a CMA award? I honestly would like to see Josh and Trisha, two of our purest, most talented singers to win that category.

    Sugarland richly deserved their nominations, and I expect for them to have a strong night, although I believe Entertainer to be out of their reach.

  13. I’m with everyone else, really – the Sugarland and Lambert nods are my big hurrahs. But for the first time in years, I’m also genuinely excited about the Vocal Event category. I really like all of the nominees except “Shiftwork” – although I suspect that song’s chances of winning are tragically strong.

  14. I’m a lemming too w/r/t Sugarland and Lambert. I’m happy for James Otto and Lady A’s nominations. I like “Life In A Northern Town” so I am happy it’s nominated and think it has a big shot at beating Krauss/Plant Chesney’s votes will cancel out the two other awards. My friends that know me know I am more of a ‘glass half-full’ kind of guy.

  15. Brad, Miranda, The Eagles, and Josh and Trisha…

    I’m happy about their nominations…some consolation for some of my favorites who were omitted.

    -Steve

  16. Glass half-full and glass half-empty kinds of people are how we have “fair and balanced” discussions unlike the Fox News style hostile takeover of threads that often happen when ‘rabid’ fans of Carrie and Shania show up to defend something that doesn’t need to be defended…

  17. I find a lot of positives in the nominations!

    First off, I maybe the only Carrie fan that thinks the Entertainer category is awesome! I think all five have represented country so well this past year! I’m super happy for Sugarland!

    That leads me to Sugarland’s nominations. Way to go Jennifer and Kristian!! All of their nominations are well deserved and I see them going home with at least 4 those awards (although Entertainer will go to Kenny, Keith or Brad).

    I’m glad to see Mr. George Strait is still getting quite a bit of CMA love! He deserves all of his nominations this year.

    Way to go Lady Antebellum! Two well-deserved (and rather unsurprising) nominations! I love them and I’m hoping they can upset Rodney in the New Artist Category.

    Also the underrated artists getting some love! Miranda with two nominations, and Josh and Trisha on their nomination (I’m pulling for them to win).
    And lastly, Miss Carrie Underwood! I think I was the only person that predicted her to get a Album nod…and of course Female was a lock.

    I think the nominations were great and they show the true talent country music has to offer!

  18. Where’s my Head? I’m happy about the Josh/Trisha nomination too. Like John Maglite at Country California, I really love that song. For me, it’s probably one of my favorite songs of the past year, which I’m sure isn’t a popular assertion. Even less popular, I’m sure, is that I don’t mind “Shift Work.”

  19. very happy to see miranda’s gnl great song little on the rocker side but still good song it’s almos t out of the ordinary for the cma which is a nice surprise

  20. ok not happy about Keith Urban’s nominations..with exception of a few songs, i think he’s very overrated, and ditto kenny chesney.

    Happiest about Carrie Underwood

  21. ‘rabid’ fans of Carrie

    Who you callin’ rabid? Knock this battery off my shoulder! Go ahead. I dare ya’! :-o

    Happy flutters:
    Sugarland
    Urban
    Lady A
    Miranda
    Trish & Josh
    Little Big Town

    FVOTY should go to Carrie so there’s a positive! he-he!

  22. I guess Reba selling over 1 million copies of her album Reba Duets, does not mean anything to the country executives. How she is not nominated, I will never know. She deserved to be nominated for Top Female. Why is Alison Krauss nominated and further more, Taylor Swift sings like a sick sparrow. But I guess it is all politics. Boo to the CMA committee!

  23. I don’t think Flippo even really reached a conclusion. He sounds like he couldn’t be less interested to be talking about the CMA nominations, really – kind of the same thing you were saying yesterday, Leeann. He sounds like he’s given up on them and doesn’t want to say that for whatever reason, so he just tacked on a nice, inoffensive ending and went on his way. That’s just my reading of the piece, though – I could just be projecting myself onto him. :)

  24. You could be right, Dan. The ending did seem somewhat random and rushed. I just didn’t think his “positive” spin at the end was genuine or correct (correct for me, anyway.).

  25. Thank you J.R. about my comment making a good point. I mean Reba, Carrie and Taylor were the only females that sold over a million copies of their albums, I just don’t get it. I know Reba has been around for a long time and has gotten tons of awards, but the fans still love her, she is going as strong as ever. I don’t think the CMA committee gives her enough credit. I mean afterall she has sold more albums in her career than any other female artist is country music awards history. My vote however goes to Carrie, she deserves it the most. Love Martina and Miranda Allsion Krauss even though I don’t understand why she is nominated does sing beautifully. But we all know that Taylor truly can not sing! She is there because she happens to be the new thing right now and is young and goodlooking, but no talent! Good luck to Carrie, Martina, Miranda and even Allison.

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