The 2010 CMA Awards took place on November 10, 2010. The 44th annual presentation of the awards given by the Country Music Association occurred at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The event was televised live on ABC network channels beginning at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.http://www.cmaawards.com/news/

The event was hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, who were also the hosts for the preceding two years. Paisley was nominated for the top award of the night, 2010 CMA Entertainer of the Year, which he won, and Underwood is the current Academy of Country Music (ACM) Entertainer of the Year.http://www.cmaawards.com/news/ http://www.mahalo.com/country-music-awards-nominees-2010

The award nominees for 2010 were named in two parts. On September 1, 2010, the Country Music Association honored the 85th Anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry by announcing the first seven categories of nominees from the Ryman Auditorium. The nominees were read by country music stars Chris Young and Justin Moore.http://www.pitchengine.com/cma-announces-first-round-of-nominees-for-the-44th-annual-cma-awards/84882/ The remainder of the nominees were announced on September 2, 2010, on Good Morning America. The final categories included the announcement of the five contenders for the Entertainer of the Year category. Miranda Lambert, who was taking part in reading the nominees was announced as one of the five who could receive the top honor. Lambert announced the nominees on the show along with Dierks Bentley who is nominated for the Male Vocalist of the Year.http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1647002/cma-nominations-catch-country-artists-by-surprise.jhtm

When both lists of categories were read, Miranda Lambert was the musician with the most nominations for the 2010 awards. Lambert's name was included nine times, marking the most nominations in a single awards year by a female performer. In 2001, Alan Jackson received ten nominations and in 1970, Merle Hagaard had nine. Lambert has seven previous nominations but has never won a CMA award.http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1647002/cma-nominations-catch-country-artists-by-surprise.jhtml

Miranda Lambert made her rise into country music beginning as a contestant on “Nashville Star”. Although she did not win the reality show competition, Lambert received a record deal as a result of it. Following behind Miranda Lambert in the nomination count, Lady Antebellum earned five nominations in all.http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/arts/music/02arts-MIRANDALAMBE_BRF.html

Entertainer of the Year

• Winner - Brad Paisley

Nominees:

• Lady Antebellum
• Miranda Lambert
• Brad Paisley
• Keith Urban
• Zac Brown Band

Female Vocalist of the Year

• Winner - Miranda Lambert

Nominees:

• Miranda Lambert
• Martina McBride
• Reba McEntire
• Taylor Swift
• Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year

• Winner - Blake Shelton

Nominees:

• Dierks Bentley
• Brad Paisley
• Blake Shelton
• George Strait
• Keith Urban

Album of the Year

• Winner - 'Revolution by Miranda Lambert

Nominees:

• Need You Now by Lady Antebellum
• Play On by Carrie Underwood
• Revolution by Miranda Lambert
• Twang by George Strait
• Up On The Ridge by Dierks Bentley

Musical Event of the Year

• Winner - "Hillbilly Bone" by Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins

Nominees:

• "Bad Angel" by Dierks Bentley featuring Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson
• "Can't You See" by Zac Brown Band featuring Kid Rock
• "Hillbilly Bone" by Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins
• "I'm Alive" by Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews
• "Till The End" by Alan Jackson with Lee Ann Womack

New Artist of the Year

• Winner - Zac Brown Band

Nominees:

• Luke Bryan
• Easton Corbin
• Jerrod Niemann
• Chris Young
• Zac Brown Band

Vocal Group of the Year

• Winner - Lady Antebellum

Nominees:

• Lady Antebellum
• Little Big Town
• Rascal Flatts
• The Band Perry
• Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo of the Year

• Winner - Sugarland

Nominees:

• Brooks & Dunn
• Joey + Rory
• Montgomery Gentry
• Steel Magnolia
• Sugarland

Single of the Year

• Winner - "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum

Nominees:

• "A Little More Country Than That" by Easton Corbin
• "Hillbilly Bone" by Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins
• "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum
• "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert
• "White Liar" by Miranda Lambert

Song of the Year – Songwriter’s Award

• Winner - "The House That Built Me" by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin

Nominees:

• "A Little More Country Than That" by Rory Lee Feek, Don Poythress, and Wynn Varble
• "Need You Now" by Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, and Josh Kear
• "The House That Built Me" by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin
• "Toes" by Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, John Driskell Hopkins, and Shawn Mullins
• "White Liar" by Miranda Lambert and Natalie Hemby

Music Video of the Year

• Winner - "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert

Nominees:

• "Hillbilly Bone" by Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins
• "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum
• "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert
• "Water" by Brad Paisley
• "White Liar" by Miranda Lambert

Musician of the Year

• Winner - Mac McAnally - Guitar

Nominees:

• Paul Franklin - Steel Guitar
• Dann Huff - Guitar
• Brent Mason - Guitar
• Mac McAnally - Guitar
• Randy Scruggs – Guitarhttp://www.cmaawards.com/nominees/category.aspx