See videos from all the nominees.
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Ryan Bingham | Photos | Music
Singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham was raised in rural Texas, where years of hardscrabble ranch work and rodeo competitions would later lend a sense of authenticity to his music. He fashioned a road-weary sound that caught the attention of Nashville. In 2009, Bingham collaborated with producer T Bone Burnett on the film Crazy Heart -- winning the Oscar for the song "The Weary Kind." |
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Randy Houser | Photos | Music
Country singer and songwriter Randy Houser was born and raised in Lake, Miss., where his love of music was apparent even as a young child. He started fronting bands when he was around 13 years old and landed his first big hit with Trace Adkins' "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk." Houser's "Boots On" was a video hit and reached the top five on Billboard. |
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Justin Moore | Photos | Music
Justin Moore was born and raised in Poyen, Ark. One set of his grandparents raised cattle and he helped with the chores. The other grandparents taught him how to hunt and fish. Although he was a star athlete in high school, he moved to Nashville after graduation to pursue a music career. Moore's self-penned "Small Town USA" reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart. |
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Chris Young | Photos | Music
A native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., Chris Young grew up performing in children's theater, where his family and friends discovered his singing talent. In high school, rather than playing sports, he focused on getting better at music. After two years of studying, he was performing more than 150 shows a year. He won the TV talent competition, Nashville Star in 2006. Young scored his first No. 1 with "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)." |
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