Maybe you're wondering how Diamond Rio, Neal McCoy and Brad Paisley became the final nominees for The Home Depot Humanitarian Award. It wasn't easy!

Country artists are a bunch of folks who give generously of their time and energy to countless great causes. They also want to set an example for their fans to give of their time and money as well. So, virtually every country artist could be a potential The Home Depot Humanitarian.

To be eligible for the award, the Academy of Country Music sent out a letter to the entire music industry, asking for submissions. We needed some information about exactly what each artist did last year on behalf of others. After that, a Blue Ribbon Committee had the tough job of narrowing a big list of nominees to just three acts. That took a long time!

If one of your favorite artists isn't a final nominee this year, maybe he or she or they will be next year. Thanks for casting your vote this year.