Sara Evans Soars With Five CMA Nods
On the strength of her third album, Born to Fly, Sara Evans has five nominations in voting for the 35th annual Country Music Association awards.
Brooks & Dunn, who announced the nominations with Jo Dee Messina Tuesday morning (Aug. 28) at Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, have four nominations, along with Alan Jackson.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the roots-oriented soundtrack from the Coen Brothers film of the same name, also pulled four nominations, including a nod for album of the year.
Evans, from a rural Missouri family, began her career as a traditional country singer. She has been nominated three times for CMA awards in past years, but has not won.
On Born to Fly, nominated for album of the year, she worked with producer Paul Worley, known for his collaborations with Dixie Chicks. Together they crafted a more urbane album, mixing elements of pop and traditional country. Since awards for single and album also go to producers, Evans could pick up two additional honors in those categories, as co-producer with Worley.
Evans’ other mentions are for single of the year, song of the year and video of the year, for “Born to Fly,” and for female vocalist of the year.
Brooks & Dunn, who recently completed their Neon Circus & Wild West Show tour, are up for entertainer of the year for the first time since 1998. They also vie for vocal duo of the year, single of the year (“Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You”) and album of the year (Steers & Stripes).
Jackson has four nominations, for entertainer, album (When Somebody Loves You), male vocalist and music video of the year (“www.memory”).
The O Brother project can win only three awards, since two performances are nominated in the same category, vocal event of the year. “Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby,” by Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch and “I’ll Fly Away,” by Krauss and Welch are in contention there.
“I’m a Man of Constant Sorrow,” from The Soggy Bottom Boys, including vocalist Dan Tyminski, is up for single of the year.
Diamond Rio’s emotion-filled “One More Day,” written by Steven Dale Jones and Bobby Tomberlin, is up for single and song of the year, as is Lonestar’s “I’m Already There,” penned by lead singer Richie McDonald with Gary Baker and Frank Myers.
Brad Paisley is up for male vocalist of the year, but competes with himself in the vocal event category, collaborating with Chely Wright on “Hard to Be a Husband, Hard to Be a Wife” and with George Jones, Bill Anderson and Buck Owens on “Too Country.”
Rounding out the entertainer of the year nominations are Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw and George Strait.
Toby Keith joins Jackson, McGraw, Paisley and Strait in the competition for male vocalist of the year.
Faith Hill has her only nomination in the female vocalist category, vying with Evans, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack and Trisha Yearwood.
The 35th CMA Awards will be telecast from 8-11 p.m. ET Nov. 7 on CBS, from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Keep checking with country.com for nominees’ reactions and more information about the upcoming awards.
