ABC's 'Good Morning America' To Air CMA Awards Nominations Live From New York City Wednesday, Sept. 9 With Darius Rucker and Lee Ann Womack

ABC's 'Good Morning America' To Air CMA Awards Nominations Live From New York City Wednesday, Sept. 9 With Darius Rucker and Lee Ann Womack

CMA Broadcast Awards Finalists Announced By Chuck Wicks Live To Country Radio On Premiere Radio Networks; Official CMA Awards Radio Partner To Also Carry CMA Awards Nominee Announcements Live "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" Airs Live Nov. 11 on the ABC Television Network Hosted By Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The announcement of the final nominees for the 2009 CMA Awards will be carried live on Wednesday, Sept. 9, from the "Good Morning America" studios in the heart of New York City's Times Square on the ABC Television Network.

"The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" will be broadcast live from the Sommet Center in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 11 (8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on ABC and is hosted for the second year by reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Brad Paisley and reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Carrie Underwood.

The final nominees in select categories will be announced by Darius Rucker, who has quickly established himself as a fan and industry favorite with three No. 1 singles to his credit, and Lee Ann Womack, a former CMA Female Vocalist of the Year with 18 career CMA Awards nominations to her credit. The live announcements will take place during the 8:30 AM/ET half-hour of the morning news program.

"I was so honored to perform at the 2008 CMA Awards Show, and I feel privileged to be a part of this year's nominee announcement," said Rucker.

Rucker first came to prominence as the lead vocalist and songwriter for the pop group Hootie & The Blowfish, whose 1994 debut, Cracked Rear View, sold more than 16 million copies to become one of the best-selling albums in history. In early 2007, Rucker signed with Capitol Records Nashville and has since been embraced by the Country Music community with his chart-topping 2008 debut, Learn To Live - an album that has produced three consecutive No. 1 singles. Rucker's transition has been highly praised, with The New York Times proclaiming he has "one of the year's most vibrant Country albums." Rucker is currently on tour with Rascal Flatts.

"The excitement that comes with the announcements of the CMA Award nominations brings me such delight every year," Womack said. "I can remember watching the Awards as a young Texas girl and dreaming of one day being a part of something that brings such honor to what I've always been so passionate about. It's a time to celebrate the artists, songwriters, musicians, producers and the industry in general."

Womack has sold more than six million albums, won two Grammy's, numerous other milestone awards, and received notoriety for her last album There's More Where That Came From. Released February of '05 on CD and classic vinyl, There's More swept CMA Award trophies the fall of the same year for Album of the Year and Single of the Year ("I May Hate Myself In The Morning"). She is also recognized for No. 1 singles "The Fool," "A Little Past Little Rock," "I'll Think Of A Reason Later," and the mega smash "I Hope You Dance." Womack's current album Call Me Crazy has garnered critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, and The New York Times, to name a few. Debut single "Last Call" was nominated for a Grammy earlier this year in the "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" category. Visit www.leeannwomack.com to see the video for her latest, "Solitary Thinkin'."

In addition to the nominee announcements, Chuck Wicks will announce the finalists for the 2009 CMA Broadcast Personality and Radio Station of the Year in four categories (small, medium, large, and major markets) as well as the finalists for the CMA National Broadcast Personality of the Year live on Premiere Radio Networks from their New York studios.

"I am thrilled once again to be able to announce the Broadcast Nominees," explained Wicks. "Country radio has been so supportive of me this year and I'm happy to be able to be back again and be a part of these special announcements."

RCA Nashville recording artist Wicks found an instant hit with his first single, "Stealing Cinderella," from his debut album, Starting Now. The song climbed to No. 5 and was the first single from a new Country artist to crack the Top 5 in 2008. His follow-up single, "All I Ever Wanted," also soared up the Country charts and marked his second consecutive Top 15 hit. After a hugely successful run as the opening act on the final leg of Brad Paisley's "Bonfires & Amplifiers" Tour in 2007, Wicks rejoined Paisley in 2008 for the "Hershey's Presents the Paisley Party Tour." In 2009, Wicks has been on tour on his own playing at festivals across the country.

The audio announcement of the CMA Awards nominees and Broadcast Awards finalists will be available via satellite and FTP from CMA's official radio partner Premiere Radio Networks. Premiere has provided outstanding, radio coverage of the CMA Awards nominations for more than a decade.

As part of their comprehensive 2009 CMA Awards radio package, Premiere Radio Networks will offer the 2009 CMA Awards Nominations Special hosted by Senior Producer of Country Programming Rosemary Young, a preview special, Red Carpet features, a live feed of the Awards gala, and a backstage wrap up show. Any Country radio station interested in receiving the radio package, including the nominations feed, may contact Premiere Affiliate Relations at (818) 377-5300.

The 2008 CMA Awards, held in Nashville during November Sweeps (Nov. 12), ranked behind only the Academy Awards and Grammy Awards during the 2008-2009 season for awards shows among total viewers. With "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards," ABC won Wednesday evening in both total viewers (15.9 million) and adults 18-49 (5.0/13). According to Nielsen research, 34.6 million unique viewers 2+ watched six minutes or more of the program.

The CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the 6,000 plus industry professional members of CMA, which was the first trade organization formed to promote an individual genre of music in 1958. The first "CMA Awards Banquet and Show" was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards were broadcast on NBC television for the first time - making it the longest running, annual music awards program on network television. The show aired on NBC through 1971 and on the CBS Television Network from 1972 through 2005 before moving to ABC in 2006.

"The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Paul Miller is the Director, and David Wild is the writer. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

ABC News' "Good Morning America" is co-anchored by Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts. Chris Cuomo is the news anchor and Sam Champion is the weather anchor. The Emmy Award-winning morning news broadcast airs live Monday through Friday from 7:00 to 9:00 AM/ET on the ABC Television Network. Jim Murphy is the senior executive producer and Tom Cibrowski is the executive producer of ABC News' "Good Morning America."

Premiere Radio Networks is the official radio packager of the CMA Awards. American Airlines is the official airline of the 2009 CMA Awards. Chevy: The Official Ride of Country Music.

Source: Country Music Association

CONTACT: Wendy Pearl, +1-615-244-2840, or Scott Stem, +1-615-244-2840,
both of CMA; or Denise Carberry of PFA/NY, +1-212-334-6116; or Mozell Miley of
ABC/NY, +1-212-456-6444; or Bridgette Maney of GMA, +1-212-456-5902

Web Site: http://www.cmaworld.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: For Information, visit www.CMApress.com for CMA Awards history, photos, press releases and logos. On-line media credentialing for the CMA Awards begins Sept. 10. This is a protected site for the media only with restrictions on use.

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