Martina, Carrie and Lady A OH MY!!

So on Day 69 (before I leave) I got an email from Carrie Underwood's website stating that she would be performing at the Grand Ole Opry on June 7 along with Martina McBride, Lady Antebellum, Jerrod Nieman and others. So.. I quickly decided that this would be a great way to kick off the trip the first night I am there. My flight arrives at 2pm, so why not hit the ground running! ;) Very excited to be going back to the Opry. It was my favorite experience from the last time I was in Nashville. What a feeling to be in the same room that so many "greats" have been in! I was there before the Nashville flood, so I assume they restored it to almost it's original but it will be neat to see if there are any changes.

On another note:
The Academy of Country Music Awards are this Sunday! I will unfortunately miss the first hour or so of it, but my DVR is already set! :) The following are the nominees... I have highlighted my picks! We'll see how close I come to getting it right! ;)

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

•  Jason Aldean

• Toby Keith

•  Miranda Lambert

• Brad Paisely

•  Taylor Swift

•  Keith Urban

TOP MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

•  Jason Aldean

•  Brad Paisley

•  Blake Shelton

• George Strait

• Keith Urban

TOP FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR *Sidenote* SOO hard for me to pick one here! :)

•  Miranda Lambert

• Reba McEntire

• Taylor Swift

• Carrie Underwood

• Lee Ann Womack

TOP VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

• the JaneDear girls

• Joey + Rory

• Montgomery Gentry

• Steel Magnolia

• Sugarland

TOP VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR (again hard for me to pick)

• Lady Antebellum

• Little Big Town

• Randy Rogers Band

• The Band Perry

• Zac Brown Band

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] (TIE)

• Hemingway's Whiskey - Kenny Chesney (BNA) Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney

• Need You Now - Lady Antebellum (Capitol Records Nashville) Produced by: Lady Antebellum, Paul Worley

• The Guitar Song - Jamey Johnson (Mercury) Produced by: Arlis Albritton, Dave Cobb, The Kent Hardly Playboys

• Speak Now - Taylor Swift (Big Machine Records) Produced by: Nathan Chapman, Taylor Swift

• Up On The Ridge - Dierks Bentley (Capitol Records Nashville) Produced by: Jon Randall Stewart

• You Get What You Give - Zac Brown Band (Southern Ground / Roar / Bigger Picture / Atlantic) Produced by: Zac Brown, Keith Stegall

SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] (TIE) (again hard to pick!!)

• "A Little More Country Than That" - Easton Corbin (Mercury) Produced by: Carson Chamberlain

• "As She's Walking Away" - Zac Brown Band Featuring Alan Jackson (Southern Ground / Roar / Bigger Picture / Atlantic) Produced by: Zac Brown, Keith Stegall

• "If I Die Young" - The Band Perry (Republic Nashville) Produced by: Paul Worley

• "Love Like Crazy" - Lee Brice (Curb Records) Produced by: Lee Brice, Doug Johnson

• "The Boys Of Fall" - Kenny Chesney (BNA) Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney

• "The House That Built Me" - Miranda Lambert (Columbia Nashville) Produced by: Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke

SONG OF THE YEAR [Award to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

• "A Little More Country Than That" - Easton Corbin Composers: Rory Lee Feek, Don Poythress, Wynn Varble Publishers: A Sling And A Prayer Music (ASCAP), Chrysalis One Music (ASCAP), Don Poythress Songs (ASCAP), Precious Flour Music (BMI), Universal Music-MGB Songs (ASCAP), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)

• "As She's Walking Away" - Zac Brown Band Featuring Alan Jackson Composers: Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette Publishers: Angelika Music (BMI), Weimerhound Publishing (BMI)

• "If I Die Young" - The Band Perry Composer: Kimberly Perry Publishers: Pearlfeather Publishing (BMI), Rio Bravo Music, Inc. (BMI)

• "Love Like Crazy" - Lee Brice Composers: Tim James, Doug Johnson Publishers: Mike Curb Music (BMI), Sweet Radical Music (BMI), T-Bird's Music (BMI), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)

• "The House That Built Me" - Miranda Lambert Composers: Tom Douglas, Allen Shamblin Publishers: Built On Rock (ASCAP), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Tomdouglasmusic (BMI)

VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Award to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)] *(Off Camera Award)

• "Hillbilly Bone" - Blake Shelton Featuring Trace Adkins Producer: Randy Brewer Director: Roman White

• "Only Prettier" - Miranda Lambert Producer: Trent Hardville Director: Trey Fanjoy

• "Stuck Like Glue" - Sugarland Producer: Tony McGarry Director: Declan Whitebloom

• "The Boys Of Fall" - Kenny Chesney Producer: Don Lepore Director: Shaun Silva

• "The House That Built Me" - Miranda Lambert Producer: Trent Hardville Director: Trey Fanjoy

VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] (Off Camera Award)

• "As She's Walking Away" - Zac Brown Band Featuring Alan Jackson (Southern Ground / Roar / Bigger Picture / Atlantic) Produced by: Zac Brown, Keith Stegall

• "Blue Sky" - Emily West Featuring Keith Urban (Capitol Records Nashville) Produced by: Mark Bright

• "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn, Sheryl Crow and Miranda Lambert (Columbia Nashville) Produced by: John Carter Cash, Patsy Lynn Russell

• "Cold Beer" - Colt Ford Featuring Jamey Johnson (Average Joes) Produced by: Shannon Houchins, Jared Scuillo, Justin Spillner

• "Good To Be Me" - Uncle Kracker Featuring Kid Rock (Top Dog/ Atlantic / Bigger Picture) Produced by: Kid Rock

Well, that's quite a group!! So excited to see the outcome! :) Let's face it... I'm obsessed!