Forget just who Kenny Chesney is—just what he is is a music award magnet.
The country superstar continued his stronghold at the top of the twang-happy heap Tuesday, raking in a leading 11 nominations, nearly double his nearest competitor, for the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
In addition to nabbing yet another nod for the ceremony's top prize, that of the gender-neutral Entertainer of the Year—an award he's taken home each of the past three years—Chesney also scored a nomination for Top Male Vocalist as well as a laundry list of would-be honors for his latest album, Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, and single "Don't Blink."
While the former earned the 10-gallon hat-wearin' crooner an Album of the Year nod, with nominations for Chesney as both singer and producer, "Don't Blink" racked up nominations for Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year.
Not quite hot but at least warm on Chesney's nomination-garnering heels is Rodney Atkins, who scored a second-best six ACM nominations and also performed during the nomination announcement, which were announced Tuesday morning by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood on CBS' Early Show via satellite from Nashville.
Atkins, who is the reigning Top New Male Vocalist having taken home the award last year, will vie against Chesney for Top Male Vocalist this time around. His "Watching You" is also up for Song and Video of the Year, while If You're Going Through Hell scored a nod for Album of the Year.
Three acts were next in the race to the podium, with Brad Paisley, Big & Rich and Sugarland each receiving four nominations.
Paisley, the reigning Top Male Vocalist, will defend his honor in the category again this year as well as trying his luck as Entertainer of the Year. His 5th Gear and "Online" are also up for Album and Video of the Year, respectively.
Big & Rich and Sugarland, meanwhile, go head-to-head in all nominated categories, with both acts up for Top Vocal Duo, Single Record, Song and Video of the Year. For the latter three categories, Big & Rich hopes are courtesy of their hit "Lost in This Moment," while Sugarland earned their nods with the single "Stay."
Rounding out the nominations were Miranda Lambert and newcomer Taylor Swift, each of whom scored three nods.
Lambert, the reigning Top New Female Vocalist who, along with Atkins, performed during the nomination announcement, is up this year for Top Female Vocalist, Album of the Year for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Single Record of the Year for "Famous in a Small Town."
For her part, Swift will attempt to succeed Lambert in the Top New Female Vocalist category, and is also up against her as Top Female Vocalist. Her final nod, for Album of the Year, came courtesy her self-titled debut.
Meanwhile, while she didn't fare as well as in years past, nomination announcer Underwood didn't go home empty-handed. The onetime American Idol champ received one nomination this year, for Top Female Vocalist. Her title-sharing cohort, Kelly Clarkson, is also up for one award at the country-fried ceremony, that of Vocal Event of the Year for her "Because of You" duet with Reba McEntire.
McEntire herself will be hosting the show, making it her 10th time doing so.
Rounding out the would-be Idol honorees was Kellie Pickler, who is up for Top New Female Vocalist.
For the first time ever this year, the show's most coveted prize, that of Entertainer of the Year, will not be chosen by the Academy, but rather by the public. Fan voting will open May 5, though details as to how to participate in the process have not yet been released.
Billed as country music's party of the year, the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will take place in Las Vegas May 18 and air live on CBS.
Here's the complete list of nominees:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
- Kenny Chesney
- Brad Paisley
- Rascal Flatts
- George Strait
- Keith Urban
TOP MALE VOCALIST
- Rodney Atkins
- Kenny Chesney
- Brad Paisley
- George Strait
- Keith Urban
TOP FEMALE VOCALIST
- Miranda Lambert
- Martina McBride
- LeAnn Rimes
- Taylor Swift
- Carrie Underwood
TOP VOCAL GROUP
- Diamond Rio
- Eagles
- Emerson Drive
- Little Big Town
- Rascal Flatts
TOP VOCAL DUO
- Big & Rich
- Brooks & Dunn
- Halfway to Hazard
- Montgomery Gentry
- Sugarland
TOP NEW MALE VOCALIST
- Luke Bryan
- Jack Ingram
- Jake Owen
TOP NEW FEMALE VOCALIST
- Sarah Buxton
- Kellie Pickler
- Taylor Swift
TOP NEW DUO OR VOCAL GROUP
- Carolina Rain
- Lady Antebellum
- The Wreckers
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
- Brad Paisley, 5th Gear
- Miranda Lambert, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
- Kenny Chesney, Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates
- Rodney Atkins, If You’re Going Through Hell
- Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR
- Kenny Chesney, "Don't Blink"
- Miranda Lambert, "Famous In A Small Town"
- Big & Rich, "Lost In This Moment"
- Sugarland, "Stay"
- Gary Allan, "Watching Airplanes"
SONG OF THE YEAR
- Kenny Chesney, "Don't Blink"
- Big & Rich, "Lost In This Moment"
- Emerson Drive, "Moments"
- Rodney Atkins, "Watching You"
- Sugarland, "Stay"
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
- Kenny Chesney, "Don't Blink"
- Big & Rich, "Lost In This Moment"
- Brad Paisley, "Online"
- Sugarland, "Stay"
- Rodney Atkins, "Watching You"
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
- Reba McEntire & Kelly Clarkson, "Because of You"
- Tracy Lawrence with Tim McGraw & Kenny Chesney, "Find Out Who Your Friends Are"
- Kenny Chesney & George Strait, "Shiftwork"
- Bon Jovi & LeAnn Rimes, "Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore"
- Vince Gill & Sheryl Crow, "What You Give Away"