
Taylor Swift wins Entertainer of the Year at “The 43rd Annual CMA Awards,” on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on the ABC Television Network. Photographer: John Russell / CMA
She dominated the Country Music Association Awards and the American Music Awards. Now Taylor Swift has placed highly in the 52nd annual Grammy nominations, landing eight different slots on the multi-genre list, released by the Recording Academy Wednesday night after a one-hour special highlighted the top categories.
Only Beyonce Knowles’ 10 nominations superceded Taylor, who picked up three of her nominations in the Big Four categories. “You Belong With Me” was tabbed for Record and Song of the Year, while Fearless placed in the finals for Album of the Year.
The Zac Brown Band appeared in the other Big Four category, competing against Keri Hilson, MGMT, Silversun Pickups and the Ting Tings for Best New Artist.
Though she came to prominence as a country artist, Taylor expanded her reach with a couple of pop nominations. “You Belong With Me” is in the running for Best Pop Female, and “Breathe” — her pairing with Colbie Caillat — is among the finalists for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration. Willie Nelson is also present in that field with Norah Jones for “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”
Keith Urban was the second-most-nominated country act, collecting four nominations. Willie, the Zac Brown Band, George Strait and Lee Ann Womack earned three apiece. Double nominees included Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum and Jamey Johnson.
It’s possible that those numbers may change. While most of the 109 Grammy fields have five or more nominees, the Best Country Instrumental section features only four titles. Brad Paisley’s “Playing With Fire” is nominated for Best Rock Instrumental, but no track from his Play album is in the Country Instrumental field. Brad’s nominations were increased the day after the CMA nominations in September when his collaboration with Keith Urban, “Start A Band,” was mistakenly left off the initial version of the final ballot. The Academy had not responded to an inquiry about the Country Instrumental field at the time this story was posted.
The Grammy Awards will be presented from Los Angeles on CBS Jan. 31.
Following are the nominees in the country-centric Grammy fields:
• Best Female Country Vocal Performance : “Dead Flowers,” Miranda Lambert; “I Just Call You Mine,” Martina McBride; “White Horse,” Taylor Swift; “Just A Dream,” Carrie Underwood; “Solitary Thinkin’,” Lee Ann Womack
• Best Male Country Vocal Performance: “All I Ask For Anymore,” Trace Adkins; “People Are Crazy,” Billy Currington; “High Cost Of Living,” Jamey Johnson; “Living For The Night,” George Strait; “Sweet Thing,” Keith Urban
• Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals : “Cowgirls Don’t Cry,” Brooks & Dunn; “Chicken Fried,” Zac Brown Band; “I Run To You,” Lady Antebellum; “Here Comes Goodbye,” Rascal Flatts; “It Happens,” Sugarland
• Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: “Beautiful World,” Dierks Bentley & Patty Griffin; “Down The Road,” Kenny Chesney & Mac McAnally; “Start A Band,” Brad Paisley & Keith Urban; “I Told You So,” Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis; “Everything But Quits,” Lee Ann Womack & George Strait
• Best Country Instrumental Performance: “Under The (Five) Wire,” Alison Brown; “The Crystal Merchant,” The Greencards; “Mansinneedof,” Sarah Jarosz; “Producer’s Medley,” Steve Wariner
• Best Country Song: “All I Ask For Anymore,” Casey Beathard & Tim James, songwriters (Trace Adkins); “High Cost Of Living,” Jamey Johnson & James Slater, songwriters (Jamey Johnson); “I Run To You,” Tom Douglas, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum); “People Are Crazy,” Bobby Braddock & Troy Jones, songwriters (Billy Currington); “White Horse,” Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
• Best Country Album: The Foundation, Zac Brown Band; Twang, George Strait; Fearless, Taylor Swift; Defying Gravity, Keith Urban; Call Me Crazy, Lee Ann Womack
• Best Americana Album: Together Through Life, Bob Dylan; Electric Dirt, Levon Helm; Willie And The Wheel, Willie Nelson & Asleep At The Wheel; Wilco (The Album), Wilco; Little Honey, Lucinda Williams
• Best Bluegrass Album: Could We Get Any Closer?, Jim Lauderdale; The Crow / New Songs For The Five-String Banjo, Steve Martin; Buckaroo Blue Grass, Michael Martin Murphey; Almost Live, Bryan Sutton And Friends; Destination Life, Rhonda Vincent


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