ALAN JACKSON, RASCAL FLATTS AND CARRIE UNDERWOOD TO PERFORM ON �THE 40TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS�

�Country Music�s Biggest Night�� is getting even bigger with the announcement today that Alan Jackson, Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood will perform on �The 40th Annual CMA Awards� to be telecast MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

The artists join a star-packed lineup of nominees and performers that already includes CMA Awards hosts Brooks & Dunn, multi-Platinum singer and �Dancing with the Stars� participant Sara Evans and the artist who tied Brooks & Dunn with the most CMA Awards nominations this year, Brad Paisley.

Jackson maintains his perch atop of the list of artists with the most career CMA Awards nominations, with 74. He is nominated for Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for �Precious Memories.� The album is a pared down collection of church standards Jackson recorded for his mother as a Christmas present in 2005. Initially there were only 100 copies recorded.

After winning three consecutive Vocal Group of the Year Awards, Rascal Flatts received their first nomination for CMA Awards Entertainer of the Year. The Entertainer of the Year Award has only been won four times by a group, among these the Dixie Chicks and Alabama. Rascal Flatts also received nominations for Vocal Group and Album of the Year for �Me and My Gang.�

One of the breakout artists of the past year, Underwood definitely didn�t miss the attention of CMA�s voting members. She received four CMA Awards nominations � tying her with Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban. They were her first CMA Awards nominations, which include Female Vocalist, the Horizon Award, and Single and Music Video of the Year for �Jesus Take the Wheel.�

Additional artists will be added to the lineup and announced at a later date. �The 40th Annual CMA Awards� airs live from the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville.

�The 40th Annual CMA Awards� is a production of the Country Music Association. Walter C. Miller is the executive producer and Robert Deaton is the consulting producer.