NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE "47th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC(R) AWARDS," COUNTRY MUSIC'S PARTY OF THE YEAR(R), TO BE BROADCAST LIVE FROM THE MGM GRAND IN LAS VEGAS SUNDAY, APRIL 1 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

Kenny Chesney Leads with 9 Nominations; Jason Aldean Earns 6 Nominations; Lady Antebellum Receives 5 Nominations; Brad Paisley Gets 4 Nominations; Taylor Swift, Toby Keith, Eli Young Band and Grace Potter Each Earn 3 Nominations

Fans Will Once Again Vote for Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year

Nominations for the 47th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS(R), a star-studded event produced for television by dick clark productions, were announced this morning in a first-ever ACM digital press conference on the Academy's Facebook and Twitter pages. The winners will be announced live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 1 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. As previously announced, Blake Shelton will join forces with country music star Reba to host the show for the second consecutive year.

This morning's digital press conference began with a video introduction by Reba, followed by nomination announcements from music superstar Lionel Richie, who will be honored in this spring's CBS special "ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends," Beth Behrs of the CBS comedy series "2 Broke Girls," Nancy O'Dell from "Entertainment Tonight" and television journalist Michael Ausiello from TVLine.com. The online event culminated with music fans from around the country, who submitted videos naming their favorite artists, announcing nominees Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift for Entertainer of the Year, the Academy's biggest prize.

For the fifth year, fans will select the winner of the Academy's most prestigious honor, Entertainer of the Year, and, for the fourth year, the New Artist of the Year category will also be opened up to fan voting. Nominees for New Artist of the Year were not announced in the press conference today because fan voting for those semi-finalists closes on Monday, Jan. 30 (see below*). The winners of Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year will be announced live during the 47th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS.

Kenny Chesney leads with nine nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, a category he has won four times since 2004. He is twice nominated for Album of the Year for Hemingway's Whiskey, as both artist and producer, as well as earning double nominations for Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year as both artist and producer for "You And Tequila" with Grace Potter. Chesney is also nominated for Song of the Year for "You And Tequila" with Grace Potter.

Jason Aldean is nominated for six awards, including his second consecutive nods for Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. He is nominated for Album of the Year for My Kinda Party, and has two nominations for Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year for "Don't You Wanna Stay," featuring Kelly Clarkson. He is nominated for Video of the Year for "Tattoos On This Town."

Lady Antebellum is nominated for five awards, including Vocal Group of the Year, which they have won for two consecutive years. They are also nominated for Album of the Year as artists and producers for Own The Night and for Song of the Year and Video of the Year for "Just A Kiss."

Brad Paisley is nominated for four awards, including his fifth nomination for Entertainer of the Year and eighth nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, which he won five times consecutively between 2006 and 2010. He received two nominations in the Vocal Event of the Year category, for "Old Alabama" with Alabama and "Remind Me" with Carrie Underwood.

Toby Keith received three nominations for "Red Solo Cup," including Video of the Year, which he last won in 2003 for "Beer For My Horses." He received a double nomination as artist and producer for Single Record of the Year.

Reigning Entertainer of the Year Taylor Swift is nominated for three awards, including her third nod for Entertainer of the Year. Swift is nominated for the fifth time for Female Vocalist of the Year and for the third time for Video of the Year for "Mean."

First-time ACM nominee Grace Potter received three nominations for "You And Tequila" with Kenny Chesney, in the Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year categories.

Eli Young Band has three nominations, including Vocal Group of the Year, Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Crazy Girl."

Dierks Bentley, Kelly Clarkson, Vince Gill, Miranda Lambert, Aaron Lewis, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood and Chris Young all received two nominations each.

Members of the Academy of Country Music select the nominees and winners of the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, including selection of the final top five nominees of the Entertainer of the Year category and the eight semi-finalists in the New Artist of the Year category. Presenters and performers who will appear at the ceremony will be announced at a later date.

*Fan voting for New Artist of the Year began at VoteACM.com and GACtv.com/ACM on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012 and will close on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012 at 12:00 Noon, ET/9:00 AM, PT, after which nominees in that category will be announced separately. Fan voting for New Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year begins on Monday, March 19, 2012 at 12:00 Noon, ET/9:00 AM, PT at VoteACM.com. Fan voting for New Artist of the Year will close at 5:00 PM PT on Sunday, April 1, before the start of the live broadcast, and fan voting for Entertainer of the Year will close during the third hour of the live show.

Following is the list of final nominees. Winners in each of the following categories, except where noted, will be presented with an ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARD during the live television broadcast:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

· Jason Aldean

· Kenny Chesney

· Brad Paisley

· Blake Shelton

· Taylor Swift

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

· Jason Aldean

· Kenny Chesney

· Brad Paisley

· Blake Shelton

· Chris Young

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

· Sara Evans

· Miranda Lambert

· Martina McBride

· Taylor Swift

· Carrie Underwood

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

· Love and Theft

· Montgomery Gentry

· Steel Magnolia

· Sugarland

· Thompson Square

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

· The Band Perry

· Eli Young Band

· Lady Antebellum

· Rascal Flatts

· Zac Brown Band

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]

· Chief - Eric Church (EMI-Nashville) Produced by: Arturo Buenahora, Jr., Jay Joyce

· Four The Record - Miranda Lambert (RCA) Produced by: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf

· Hemingway's Whiskey - Kenny Chesney (BNA) Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney

· My Kinda Party - Jason Aldean (Broken Bow Records) Produced by: Michael Knox

· Own The Night - Lady Antebellum (Capitol Records Nashville) Produced by: Lady Antebellum, Paul Worley

SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]

· Crazy Girl - Eli Young Band (Republic Nashville) Produced by: Mike Wrucke

· Don't You Wanna Stay - Jason Aldean With Kelly Clarkson (Broken Bow Records) Produced by: Michael Knox

· Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith (Show Dog-Universal Music) Produced by: Toby Keith

· Tomorrow - Chris Young (RCA) Produced by: James Stroud

· You And Tequila - Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter (BNA) Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney

SONG OF THE YEAR [Award to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

· Crazy Girl - Eli Young Band Composers: Lee Brice, Liz Rose Publishers: Cake Taker Music (BMI), Mike Curb Music (BMI), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Sweet Hysteria Music (BMI)

· Home - Dierks Bentley Composers: Brett Beavers, Dierks Bentley, Dan Wilson Publishers: Big White Tracks (ASCAP), Chestnut Barn Music (BMI), Chrysalis Music/BMG Rights (ASCAP), Chrysalis One Songs (BMI)

· Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum Composers: Dallas Davidson, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott Publishers: Dwhaywood Music (BMI), EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI), EMI Foray Music (SESAC), Hillary Dawn Songs (SESAC), Radiobulletspublishing (BMI), String Stretcher Music (BMI) Warner-Tamberlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)

· Threaten Me With Heaven - Vince Gill Composers: Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Dillon O'Brian, Will Owsley Publishers: Grant Girls Music (ASCAP), Vinny Mae Music (BMI), Willie-O Music (ASCAP)

· You And Tequila - Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter Composers: Matraca Berg, Deana Carter Publishers: Deanaling Music (ASCAP), Hannaberg Music (BMI), Songs of Universal Inc., (BMI), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)

VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Award to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)] *(Off-Camera Award)

· Homeboy - Eric Church Producer: Brandon Arolfo Director: Peter Zavadil

· Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum Producer: Don Lepore Director: Shawn Silva

· Mean - Taylor Swift Producer: Oualid Mouaness Director: Declan Whitebloom

· Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith Producer: Mark Kalbfeld Director: Michael Salomon

· Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean Producer: John Burke Director: Wes Edwards

VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] *(Off-Camera Award)

· Country Boy - Aaron Lewis Featuring George Jones and Charlie Daniels (R&J Records) Produced by: Aaron Lewis, James Stroud

· Don't You Wanna Stay - Jason Aldean With Kelly Clarkson (Broken Bow Records) Produced by: Michael Knox

· Old Alabama - Brad Paisley Featuring Alabama (Arista Nashville) Produced by: Frank Rogers

· Remind Me - Brad Paisley Duet With Carrie Underwood (Arista Nashville) Produced by: Frank Rogers

· You And Tequila - Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter (BNA) Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney

IMPORTANT NOTE: Awards counts for artists reflect categories in which they have been recognized as individuals or as part of their duo or group. In some cases, an artist may receive more than one nomination which factors into their official count. For example, Kenny Chesney received two nominations in the Album of the Year category, one each as artist and producer, because that category recognizes both.

In addition, the Song of the Year category recognizes the artist, composer and publishing company as a nominee but does not recognize an individual as owner or partial owner of the publishing company.

Award recipients in each category are noted above parenthetically in the Album of the Year, Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Video of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year.

The 47th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry. The show is produced for television by dick clark productions. Orly Adelson and R.A. Clark are executive producers, Barry Adelman is producer, and Bob Bardo is the executive in charge of production. Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

RATING: To Be Announced