CMT News

Four members of Diamond Rio are among nominees for instrumentalist awards announced Monday by the Academy of Country Music. Keyboardist Dan Truman, guitarist James Olander and bassist Dana Williams received nominations in their respective instrument fields. Rio mandolinist Gene Johnson is up for an award in the Specialty Instrument category.

Martie Seidel and Emily Robison of the Dixie Chicks also are nominated in instrumentalist categories. Seidel is up for top fiddle honors, while banjoist Robison competes in the Specialty Instrument field. The Dixie Chicks already have five nominations for this year's ACM awards. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill also have five.

The 35th annual "Hat" Awards will be presented May 3 at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Winners will be announced during a three-hour, prime time special on CBS TV, produced by dick clark productions. Winners in the instrumentalist categories will be announced about two weeks prior to the telecast.

Five of last year's winners are nominated again this year: Eddie Bayers (Drums), Stuart Duncan (Fiddle), Dobro player Jerry Douglas (Specialty Instrument), Brent Mason (Guitar) and Glenn Worf (Bass).

Though they have four instrumentalist nominations, Diamond Rio is not in the running for any other Hat awards.

The nominees in the Instrumentalist categories are:

Drums


Eddie Bayers
Randy Hardison
Paul Leim

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Keyboard

John Hobbs
Steve Nathan
Hargus Robbins
Dan Truman

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Fiddle

Stuart Duncan
Johnny Gimble
Martie Seidel

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Steel Guitar

Sonny Garrish
Paul Franklin
Jay Dee Maness

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Specialty Instrument

Jerry Douglas - Dobro
Gene Johnson - Mandolin
Robert Langford - Mandolin
Charlie McCoy - Harmonica
Emily Robison - Banjo

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Bass

Larry Paxton
Michael Rhodes
Dana Williams
Glenn Worf

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Guitar
Al Bruno
Pat Buchanan
Vince Gill
B. James Lowery
Brent Mason
James Olander
Brent Rowan

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