Toby Keith leads CMA nominations

Nashville, Tenn. ? Toby Keith got seven nominations for Country Music Assn. Awards on Tuesday, with Johnny Cash picking up four, two involving his rendition of a song by rock act Nine Inch Nails.

Keith led all nominees, with nods for best entertainer, male vocalist, and album of the year for “Unleashed.” “Beer for My Horses,” a collaboration with Willie Nelson, was nominated for best song, single, music video and vocal event.

The nominations were announced at the Grand Ole Opry House, where the awards show will be Nov. 5. Martina McBride and the group Rascal Flatts made the announcement.

Cash, 71, has been battling health problems in recent years and is mourning the death in June of his wife, June Carter Cash.

He is also nominated for six MTV Video Music Awards and may attend that show Thursday in New York.

Singer Martina McBride, left, and the group Rascal Flatts announce the nominees for the Country Music Assn. Awards show. Singer/songwriter Toby Keith was nominated Tuesday for seven awards. From left are McBride, Gary Levox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney.

CMA voters nominated Cash for best single and video for “Hurt,” a song about drug addiction written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. The video features a frail Cash along with his wife at his now-closed museum in Hendersonville, Tenn.

Cash also was nominated for best album (“American IV: The Man Comes Around”) and vocal event of the year for “Tears in the Holston River” with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Crossover stars Faith Hill and Shania Twain were shut out of the best female vocalist category. Nominated were McBride, Terri Clark, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless and Dolly Parton.

Gary Allen, Buddy Jewell, Joe Nichols, Blake Shelton and Darryl Worley were nominated for the Horizon Award, which goes to an act that CMA voters believe has a bright future.

The Dixie Chicks were nominated for best album for “Home,” in a year in which negative comments about President Bush by lead singer Natalie Maines caused some radio stations to stop playing their music.

The CMA is a trade organization that promotes country music. About 6,000 members nominate and vote for award winners.

¢ Entertainer of the Year: Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw.¢ Female Vocalist: Terri Clark, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Martina McBride, Dolly Parton.¢ Male Vocalist: Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, George Strait.¢ Horizon Award: Gary Allan, Buddy Jewell, Joe Nichols, Blake Shelton, Darryl Worley.¢ Vocal Group: Alabama, Diamond Rio, Dixie Chicks, Lonestar, Rascal Flatts.¢ Vocal Duo: Bellamy Brothers, Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, Sons of the Desert, The Warren Brothers.¢ Single of the Year (awarded to artist and producer): “Beer For My Horses” — Toby Keith duet with Willie Nelson, produced by James Stroud/Toby Keith; “Celebrity” — Brad Paisley, produced by Frank Rogers; “Have You Forgotten?” — Darryl Worley; produced by Frank Rogers/James Stroud; “Hurt” — Johnny Cash, produced by Rick Rubin; “Three Wooden Crosses” — Randy Travis, produced by Kyle Lehning.¢ Musician of the Year: Jerry Douglas — dobro; Paul Franklin — steel guitar; Aubrie Haynie — fiddle/mandolin; Brent Mason — guitar; Randy Scruggs – guitar.¢ Album of the Year (awarded to artist and producer): “American IV: The Man Comes Around” — Johnny Cash, produced by Rick Rubin, Lost Highway Records; “Home” — Dixie Chicks, produced by Dixie Chicks/Lloyd Maines; “Man With A Memory” — Joe Nichols, produced by Brent Rowan; “Tim McGraw And The Dancehall Doctors” — Tim McGraw/Dancehall Doctors, produced by Byron Gallimore/Tim McGraw/Darran Smith; “Unleashed” — Toby Keith, produced by James Stroud/Toby Keith.¢ Music Video of the Year (awarded to artist and director): “Beer For My Horses” — Toby Keith duet with Willie Nelson, directed by Michael Salomon; “Celebrity” — Brad Paisley, directed by Peter Zavadil; “Concrete Angel” — Martina McBride, directed by Robert Deaton/George J. Flanigen IV; “Hurt” — Johnny Cash, directed by Mark Romanek; “Red Dirt Road” — Brooks & Dunn, directed by Steven Goldmann.¢ Vocal Event of the Year: Toby Keith duet with Willie Nelson — “Beer For My Horses”; Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett — “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”; Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow — “Picture”; Nitty Gritty Dirt Band featuring Johnny Cash — “Tears in the Holston River”; Tracy Byrd (with Andy Griggs, Montgomery Gentry and Blake Shelton) — “The Truth About Men.”¢ Song of the Year: “Beer For My Horses” — Toby Keith/Scotty Emerick; “Celebrity” — Brad Paisley; “Have You Forgotten?” — Darryl Worley/Wynn Varble; “Red Dirt Road” — Kix Brooks/Ronnie Dun; “Three Wooden Crosses” — Doug Johnson/Kim Williams.