Now on to the predictions:
ARTISTS
Artist of the Year
Lady Antebellum
Miranda Lambert
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Zac Brown Band
This is a pretty standard list of nominees for artist of the year. Each artist has their merits but given that this is a fan-voted award it’s going to come between Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood and I have a big feeling that Underwood’s more rabid audience will pick her.
Will win: Carrie Underwood
Should Win: Lady Antebellum
Artist of the Year: Male
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Keith Urban
This is one of, if not the first, major category nomination for Jason Aldean, whose independent label status makes his chances for other award shows not as good. Given his rabid fan base, I have a feeling he’s going to have a great shot at getting this award. If he doesn’t win, I suspect that it will go down to Brad Paisley or Keith Urban.
Will win: Jason Aldean
Should Win: Jason Aldean
Artist of the Year: Female
Jewel
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
This category is another interesting case of “how did she” get invited to the category but like the CMA and ACM awards category, the fifth slot for female artists is harder to fill than male artists as only Reba, Miranda, Taylor and Carrie have had Top 10 hits this year. So Jewel being here instead of Martina makes sense to me. As for who is going to win this, I would LOVE for Miranda to take home this award but I think it’s going to go to Carrie or Taylor, just like the Artist of the Year category.
Will Win: Carrie Underwood
Should Win: Miranda Lambert
Artist of the Year: Duo or Group
Lady Antebellum
Rascal Flatts
Sugarland
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band
This is another interesting category with each duo/group deserving of the nomination. Each band has a rabid fan base but with their appeal to younger audiences, I can see this award going to The Band Perry or Lady Antebellum. Then again, Rascal Flatts have won People’s Choice Awards that are fan-voted and that means they could win here.
Will Win: Lady Antebellum
Should Win: Lady Antebellum
Artist of the Year: Breakthrough Artist
Easton Corbin
Danny Gokey
Jaron and The Long Road To Love
Jerrod Niemann
The Band Perry
This is an interesting list of nominees. Honestly, I like each artist here to varying degrees. Danny Gokey may not have a Top 10 hit but he has sold over 200,000 copies of his debut My Best Days album and with a huge group of loyal fans, he’s a real contender here along with Jaron and The Band Perry. Jerrod Niemann and Easton Corbin may be the ‘most successful’ of these artists here but I don’t know if they have enough of those super loyal fans yet to get this award.
Will Win: Danny Gokey
Should Win: The Band Perry
ALBUMS
Album of the Year
“Doin’ My Thing,” Luke Bryan
“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
“Revolution,” Miranda Lambert
“Haywire,” Josh Turner
“Play On,” Carrie Underwood
I like this list of nominees. It’s a list of albums that are all worthy of being here. Again, the ACA has an interesting list with ‘typical’ artists like Undewood, Lady A and Lambert joined by Bryan and Turner. That being said, this award will not go to either of the latter two artists.
Will Win: “Play On” Carrie Underwood
Should Win: “Revolution” Miranda Lambert
SINGLES
Single of the Year
“Do I,” Luke Bryan
“A Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin
“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
“Gimme That Girl,” Joe Nichols
“Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Josh Turner
This category only has two songs that cross-over from the CMA Awards from last month in Easton Corbin and Lady A’s singles. They remain the favorites here but I wouldn’t be surprised if Luke Bryan or Josh Turner took home this one.
Will Win: “Need You Now” Lady Antebellum
Should Win: “Need You Now” Lady Antebellum
Single of the Year: Male
“Do I,” Luke Bryan
“Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin
“That’s How Country Boys Roll,” Billy Currington
“Gimme That Girl,” Joe Nichols
“Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Josh Turner
The only difference between this category and the Single of the Year category is Lady A being replaced by Billy Currington, who will not win here.
Will Win: “Do I” Luke Bryan
Should Win: “Little More Country Than That” Easton Corbin
Single of the Year: Female
“White Liar,” Miranda Lambert
“Wrong Baby Wrong,” Martina McBride
“Consider Me Gone,” Reba McEntire
“Didn’t Know How Much I Loved You,” Kellie Pickler
“Cowboy Casanova,” Carrie Underwood
This is Carrie Underwood’s category to lose but she has some strong contention from Pickler and Lambert and maybe Reba. Martina stands no chance, despite it being a really good song.
Will Win: “Cowboy Cassanova” Carrie Underwood
Should Win: “White Liar” Miranda Lambert
Single of the Year: Duo or Group
“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
“Little White Church,” Little Big Town
“Unstoppable,” Rascal Flatts
“Keep On Lovin’ You,” Steel Magnolia
“Toes,” Zac Brown Band
This category is interesting but given that Lady Antebellum’s up for overall ‘single of the year,’ I hav ea feeling that this is their category to lose despite strong competition from the Zac Brown Band and Rascal Flatts.
Will Win: “Need You Now” Lady Antebellum
Should Win: “Need You Now” Lady Antebellum
Single of the Year: Breakthrough Artist
“Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin
“Pray for You,” Jaron and The Long Road To Love
“Lover, Lover,” Jerrod Niemann
“Keep on Lovin’ You,” Steel Magnolia
“Beer on the Table,” Josh Thompson
What’s funny about this category is that Danny Gokey is replaced by Josh Thompson while Steel Magnolia replaces The Band Perry from the general Breakthrough Artist category. Neither of them will win here. This one will go to Jaron, Jerrod or Easton.
Will Win: “Little More Country Than That” Easton Corbin
Should Win: “Lover, Lover” Jerrod Niemann
TOURING
Touring Headline Package of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Toby Keith
Martina McBride & Trace Adkins
Tim McGraw
Brad Paisley
Rascal Flatts
George Strait & Reba McEntire
Sugarland
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
It seems as if every headline package tour is nominated here. I think Toby Keith has a real shot at winning this category if he could get his fans out to vote in the numbers that Swift, Underwood and Sugarland fans voted. His live show is what he does best (the same can be said for Reba and Brooks and Dunn) so this is a really interesting category.
Will Win: Carrie Underwood
Should Win: Toby Keith
VIDEOS
Music Video of the Year
“A Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin
“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
“Hillbilly Bone,” Blake Shelton with Trace Adkins
“Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Josh Turner
“The Man I Want To Be,” Chris Young
Chris Young has perhaps the most active online fan base so for no other reason than that, he’s a big contender here with Lady Antebellum.
Will Win: Chris Young
Should Win: Lady Antebellum
Music Video: Male
“A Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin
“Southern Voice,” Tim McGraw
“Hillbilly Bone,” Blake Shelton with Trace Adkins
“Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Josh Turner
“The Man I Want To Be,” Chris Young
See above for analysis on this category as only Tim McGraw replaces Lady Antebellum in the category.
Will Win: Chris Young
Should Win: Josh Turner
Music Video: Female
“White Liar,” Miranda Lambert
“Consider Me Gone,” Reba McEntire
“Didn’t Know How Much I Loved You,” Kellie Pickler
“Cowboy Casanova,” Carrie Underwood
“Work Hard, Play Harder,” Gretchen Wilson
This category finds Gretchen Wilson joining the nominees for the first time but she will not win here with strong contenders from the other four nominees. Still, given the loyal, rabid fan base of Underwood, she will win here (again).
Will Win: Carrie Underwood
Should Win: Reba
Music Video: Duo or Group
“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
“Little White Church,” Little Big Town
“Unstoppable,” Rascal Flatts
“Keep on Lovin’ You,” Steel Magnolia
“Highway 20 Ride,” Zac Brown Band
This is between RF, ZBB and Lady A.
Will win: Lady Antebellum
Should Win: Zac Brown Band
Music Video: Breakthrough Artist
“Giddy On Up,” Laura Bell Bundy
“A Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin
“Lover, Lover,” Jerrod Niemann
“Keep on Lovin’ You,” Steel Magnolia
“If I Die Young,” The Band Perry
I love Laura Bell Bundy and I think she has a great chance on winning this award for her fun video. Still, this is really anyone’s game here but if I were a betting man, I’d bet on Easton or Laura Bell to pick up the final prize of the night.
Will Win: Laura Bell Bundy
Should Win: Laura Bell Bundy
Feel free to leave your own predictions and be sure to check back here at 8 PM Eastern as we do our first ever live blog for this show.
0 Comments