Kenny Chesney photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

What to wear. What to do in Las Vegas. When to travel. What to say if you win.

Tuesday’s nominations for the 45th annual Academy of Country Music Awards presented a whole host of issues and questions for the likes of Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert and Darius Rucker.

Not that any of them are complaining. An ACM nod represents recognition from their peers and the possibility of getting valuable television exposure. Plus, there’s always the possibility of bringing home some hardware for the trophy case.

Here’s what some of this year’s finalists are saying:

• Dave Haywood, of Lady Antebellum, a field-leading seven nominations: “You always hear about the power of a great song, and there’s no doubt that ‘Need You Now’ has definitely been a career-changer for us. But seven nominations?! We are blown away.”

• Reba McEntire, Top Female Vocalist: “I was already thrilled to be hosting the ACMs again, but now to be nominated with all of these great girls in the Female Vocalist category, I am tickled to pieces. It’s been such an amazing year.”

• Lee Ann Womack, Top Female Vocalist: “I got up on the good side of the bed even before I got out of bed! You know, I just keep making my kind of country, finding the best songs I can and singing them with every bit of feeling I can draw on. To know that people recognize that … You can’t make records or sing with that as the end result, but it sure is nice to know that my peers respect this music I’ve been making and they see the value in what I do.”

• Blake Shelton, Vocal Event of the Year: “[Tuesday was] the best day of my life. I got to read the nominations with the ‘queen of country music,’ Reba. And then I find out ‘Hillbilly Bone’ is nominated! I’m glad that my first nomination in years is with one of my great friends, Trace Adkins. The only thing that could make this day better is if Betty White was there to give me the award should I win!”

• Miranda Lambert, six nominations: “Having Blake along with the amazing Reba say my name three times on the CBS ‘Early Show’ [Tuesday] was so cool. I just happened to be in New York with some of the ACM executives when they told me I had six nominations including Album of the Year again. It’s unbelievable, and I can’t thank the country music industry and ACM voters enough for believing in what I do.”

• Darius Rucker, Top Male Vocalist: “My management called and told me to turn on the TV to ‘The Early Show,’ and I couldn’t believe they read my name. I feel so blessed to have been embraced and considered a contender in this format. I’m in the same category as George Strait, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley and Kenny Chesney. Wow.”

• Kenny Chesney, three nominations: “I got into this to move people, to connect, and I’m very grateful for all the opportunities the music and the fans have given me. When you put all those things together and your peers recognize that work and that passion, well, that’s a big part of why these awards and these nominations matter.”

• Joshua Scott Jones, of Steel Magnolia, Top Vocal Duo, their second nomination: “We thought our manager meant the Top New Vocal Duo Award. Then she started naming off all the superstar nominees like Brooks & Dunn and Sugarland, and then we realized we had been nominated for the Top Vocal Duo Award as well! We couldn’t believe it. Then Meghan [Linsey] got another text message and started doing a little dance!”

• Randy Houser, Video of the Year: “’Boots On’ was a big song for me, and the video was a big part of it. That video could have stood on its own as a YouTube phenomenon and it would have been awesome; I just got lucky enough that Drake [Dixon] was singing my song. To receive this much national recognition for it is more than I ever dreamed of.”

The 45th annual ACM Awards will air on CBS from Las Vegas April 18.

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