CMT ANNOUNCES FIRST ROUND FINALISTS FOR THE "2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS"

Online Voting Begins Today on CMT.com and Ends Monday, May 3

Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum and Sugarland Lead with Four Nominations

NASHVILLE - April 5, 2010 - Voting begins today for the 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS, country music's only fan-voted award show, with the announcement of this year's first round finalists. Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum and Sugarland lead the pack in first round nominations with four each, followed by Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Zac Brown Band, who each garnered three.

Beginning today, Monday, April 5 at 11:00 a.m., ET, fans can vote on CMT.com for their favorite artists to determine the final nominees for CMT's ninth annual awards show. Country music's biggest stars will rock Nashville when the 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS premieres LIVE on Wednesday, June 9 on CMT and CMT.com.

The first round of voting for the 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS runs from Monday, April 5 through Monday, May 3, only at CMT.com, where fans will select from the top nominees in each category. On Tuesday, May 11, CMT will announce the four finalists in each of the categories, except VIDEO OF THE YEAR. Fans can then vote online at CMT.com through June 8 to determine the winners of the 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS. The final nominees for VIDEO OF THE YEAR will be announced at the beginning of the live show and fans can vote at CMT.com and via text message throughout the live broadcast (ET/CT only) to determine the night's big winner.

The nominees in each of the 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS categories include:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director. Final nominees announced during live telecast, with final voting held online at CMT.com during the show.
· Jason Aldean - "The Truth"
· Kenny Chesney - "Out Last Night"
· Toby Keith - "American Ride"
· Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now"
· Miranda Lambert - "White Liar"
· Brad Paisley - "Welcome to the Future"
· Taylor Swift - "You Belong With Me"
· Carrie Underwood - "Cowboy Casanova"
· Keith Urban - "-Til Summer Comes Around"
· Zac Brown Band - "Toes"

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist
· Jason Aldean - "The Truth"
· Kenny Chesney - "Out Last Night"
· Billy Currington - "People Are Crazy"
· Toby Keith - "American Ride"
· Tim McGraw - "Southern Voice"
· Brad Paisley - "Welcome to the Future"
· Darius Rucker - "Alright"
· Keith Urban - "-Til Summer Comes Around"

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist
· Laura Bell Bundy - "Giddy On Up"
· Miranda Lambert - "White Liar"
· Martina McBride - "I Just Call You Mine"
· Reba McEntire - "Consider Me Gone"
· Kellie Pickler - "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You"
· Taylor Swift - "You Belong With Me"
· Carrie Underwood - "Cowboy Casanova"
· Lee Ann Womack - "Solitary Thinkin'"

GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a group; awarded to the artists
· Gloriana - "How Far Do You Wanna Go?"
· Lady Antebellum - "American Honey"
· Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now"
· Rascal Flatts - "Here Comes Goodbye"
· Rascal Flatts - "Summer Nights"
· Trailer Choir - "Rockin' the Beer Gut"
· Zac Brown Band - "Highway 20 Ride"
· Zac Brown Band - "Toes"

DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo; awarded to the artists
· Bomshel - "Fight Like a Girl"
· Brooks & Dunn - "Indian Summer"
· Brooks & Dunn - "My Maria" from INVITATION ONLY: BROOKS & DUNN
· Caitlin & Will - "Address in the Stars"
· Joey + Rory - "Play the Song"
· Steel Magnolia - "Keep On Lovin' You"
· Sugarland - "Keep You"
· Sugarland - "Nightswimming/Joey"

USA WEEKEND BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from an artist's major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female, or group/duo)
· Ryan Bingham - "The Weary Kind"
· Luke Bryan - "Do I"
· Laura Bell Bundy - "Giddy On Up"
· Easton Corbin - "A Little More Country Than That"
· Randy Houser - "Boots On"
· Justin Moore - "Small Town USA"
· Steel Magnolia - "Keep On Lovin' You"
· Chris Young - "Gettin' You Home"

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video that featured a special collaborative appearance by artists; awarded to the artists (individual, group or duo)
· Jason Aldean and Bryan Adams - "Heaven" from CMT CROSSROADS: BRYAN ADAMS AND JASON ALDEAN
· Brooks & Dunn featuring Billy Gibbons - "Honky Tonk Stomp"
· Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews - "I'm Alive"
· Jamey Johnson and Shooter Jennings - "Somewhere Between Jennings and Jones" from CMT CROSSROADS: SHOOTER JENNINGS AND JAMEY JOHNSON
· John Mellencamp featuring Karen Fairchild - "A Ride Back Home"
· Kellie Pickler featuring Taylor Swift - "Best Days of Your Life"
· Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins - "Hillbilly Bone"
· Sugarland featuring The B-52s - "Love Shack" from the 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)
· Jason Aldean and Bryan Adams - "Heaven" from CMT CROSSROADS: BRYAN ADAMS AND JASON ALDEAN
· Dierks Bentley - "Sideways" from the 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS
· Lady Antebellum - "Lookin' For A Good Time" from the 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS
· Reba McEntire - "Consider Me Gone" from INVITATION ONLY: REBA
· Tim McGraw - "Southern Voice" from INVITATION ONLY: TIM McGRAW
· Brad Paisley - "Then" from the 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS
· Sugarland featuring The B-52s - "Love Shack" from the 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS
· Carrie Underwood - "Temporary Home" from INVITATION ONLY: CARRIE UNDERWOOD

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Best video director of the year; awarded to the director for his or her body of work from the past year
· Deaton Flanigan (award eligible videos include: Jason Aldean's "The Truth" and Carrie Underwood's "Temporary Home")
· Darren Doane (award eligible videos include: Zac Brown Band's "Toes" and "Highway 20 Ride")
· Trey Fanjoy (award eligible videos include: Reba McEntire's "Consider Me Gone" and Lady Antebellum's "American Honey")
· Chris Hicky (award eligible videos include: Miranda Lambert's "White Liar" and Justin Moore's "Small Town USA")
· Michael Salomon (award eligible videos include: Toby Keith's "American Ride" and Dierks Bentley's "Sideways")
· Shaun Silva (award eligible videos include: Kenny Chesney's "Out Last Night" and Rascal Flatts' "Summer Nights")
· Roman White (award eligible videos include: Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" and Kellie Pickler's "Best Days of Your Life")
· Theresa Wingert (award eligible videos include: Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" and Martina McBride's "I Just Call You Mine")

Videos that debuted on CMT between February 24, 2009 and March 1, 2010 are eligible for the 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS. Finalists were determined by an industry panel that includes noted country music journalists, as well as music industry, music retail and CMT executives. Log on to CMT.com to view streaming clips of nominated videos.

Fans can get more information as it becomes available on Twitter (@FollowCMT) or become a fan of the CMT MUSIC AWARDS on Facebook. Also, fans can join the discussion now at CMT.com's community and talk about who they want to see on the show, discuss travel plans and more. CMT also offers fans instant updates on their mobile phones via CMT Mobile by texting AWARDS to 32709 (standard rates apply).

The 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS is the start of CMT's "Summer of Music" celebration which kicks off this June in Nashville, coinciding with two of the summer's most anticipated events for country music fans. The 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS is live on June 9 and the CMA Music Festival rocks downtown Nashville and LP Field June 10-13, with more than 100 hours of live music, 30 hours of autograph signings, hundreds of artists and celebrities, and thousands of ardent country music fans from around the globe.

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