Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley
Photo Credit: Ida Mae Astute/ABC
Jeez. You take a little time off from mega-touring and this is what happens? Watching
Dierks
Bentley and
Miranda Lambert on
Good Morning America to announce
some of the major CMA nominees, I was shocked when they got to the entertainer of the year category and
didn't say
"
Kenny Chesney." And for that matter, I was just as shocked that
Taylor
Swift and
Carrie Underwood's names weren't in the EOY category
either. As I understand it, the award recognizes achievements that took place during the qualifying period -- July 1, 2009,
through June 30, 2010. Granted, Chesney sharply curtailed his touring this spring and summer, but he headlined at least six
stadium shows during July, August and September of last year. And both Swift and Underwood have had two of this year's biggest
tours -- with plenty of dates before the June 30 cutoff for the awards eligibility. Swift was last year's EOY, and Chesney
won the award four times before that. Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled to death that Lambert, the
Zac
Brown Band,
Keith Urban,
Brad
Paisley and
Lady Antebellum are up for the CMA's top award, but
I am a little confused about some of the folks who didn't make this year's list.
