Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; Mark Sullivan/Getty Images; Rick Diamond/Getty ImagesThe Academy of Country Music Awards is shaping up to be a real Lady's night. Lady Antebellum, that is.
The Nashville-based trio scored a leading seven ACM nominations this morning, five of which come courtesy of their one-month-old, million-selling album Need You Now.
Other leading ladies included Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood, each of whom scored six nominations, as did "Chicken Fried" frontman Zac Brown, who earned four as part of his Zac Brown Band and another two individually as a producer.
It wouldn't be a music awards show without Taylor Swift, though, and the country cutie turned ceremonial steamroller earned herself five nominations, including her first as Entertainer of the Year—but unlike last year, she's far from being a lock. Get a load of this competition:
Squaring off against Swift for the ACM's biggest prize will be Kenny Chesney (who scored four nods overall), Brad Paisley (ditto), Toby Keith, George Strait, Keith Urban, Zac Brown Band and Underwood. Once again the winner will be determined by fan vote.
Chesney, Paisley, Strait and Urban will meet again in the Top Male Vocalist category, where they're joined by Hootie-no-more Darius Rucker.
The female category pits Lambert, Swift and Underwood against Lee Ann Womack and the grand poobah of country crooners, Reba McEntire, while Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Randy Rogers Band, Rascal Flatts and Zac Brown Band battle it out for Top Vocal Group.
Album of the Year nominations, meanwhile, went to Paisley's American Saturday Night, Lady Antebellum's eponymously named new release, Underwood's Play On, Lambert's Revolution and Zac Brown Band's The Foundation.
For the 12th consecutive year, McEntire will host the show from Las Vegas, airing live April 18 on CBS.
Here's the complete list of nominees for the 45th annual Academy of Country Music Awards:
Entertainer of the Year
• Kenny Chesney
• Toby Keith
• Brad Paisley
• George Strait
• Taylor Swift
• Carrie Underwood
• Keith Urban
• Zac Brown Band
Top Male Vocalist of the Year
• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• Darius Rucker
• George Strait
• Keith Urban
Top Female Vocalist of the Year
• Miranda Lambert
• Reba McEntire
• Taylor Swift
• Carrie Underwood
• Lee Ann Womack
Top Vocal Group of the Year
• Lady Antebellum
• Little Big Town
• Randy Rogers Band
• Rascal Flatts
• Zac Brown Band
Top Vocal Duo of the Year
• Brooks & Dunn
• Joey + Rory
• Montgomery Gentry
• Steel Magnolia
• Sugarland
Top New Solo Vocalist of the Year
• Luke Bryan
• Jamey Johnson
• Chris Young
Top New Vocal Duo of the Year
• Bomshel
• Joey + Rory
• Steel Magnolia
Top New Vocal Group of the Year
• Eli Young Band
• Gloriana
• The Lost Trailers
Album of the Year
• American Saturday Night, Brad Paisley
• Lady Antebellum, Lady Antebellum
• Play On, Carrie Underwood
• Revolution, Miranda Lambert
• The Foundation, Zac Brown Band
Single Record of the Year
• Lady Antebellum, "Need You Now"
• Billy Currington, "People Are Crazy"
• David Nail, "Red Light"
• Zac Brown Band, "Toes"
• Miranda Lambert, "White Liar"
Song of the Year
• Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
• Lady Antebellum, "Need You Now"
• Billy Currington, "People Are Crazy"
• Miranda Lambert, "White Liar"
• Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me"
Video of the Year
• Randy Houser, "Boots On"
• Lady Antebellum, "Need You Now"
• Brad Paisley, "Welcome to the Future"
• Miranda Lambert, "White Liar"
• Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me"
Vocal Event of the Year
• Blake Shelton feat. Trace Adkins, "Hillbilly Bone"
• Brooks & Dunn feat. Billy Gibbons, "Honky Tonk Stomp"
• Carrie Underwood feat. Randy Travis, "I Told You So"
• Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews, "I'm Alive"
• Jack Ingram feat. Patty Griffin, "Seeing Stars"
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Will the country stars outdo themselves on the red carpet? We'll find out next month—in the meantime, relive the fashion highs and lows from last year's ACMs.