The nominees for country music's biggest awards were announced Thursday, and the list of top contenders has a familiar look.
Among the five biggest awards, male and female vocalist of the year, vocal duo and vocal group of the year and entertainer of the year, 14 of a possible 20 nominees are the same as a year ago.
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Jason Aldean and Keith Urban were nominated for both male vocalist of the year and entertainer of the year. Aldean won entertainer of the year in 2016. Carrie Underwood was a nominee for both entertainer of the year and female vocalist of the year, while Florida Georgia Line earned vocal duo of the year and entertainers of the year nominations.
Maren Morris was nominated for both new female vocalist and female vocalist of the year, while Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay and Maddie & Tae were all nominated for both new vocal duo or group of the year and vocal duo of the year honors.
Bentley, Florida Georgia Line, Morris, Urban and Lambert were all also nominated for album of the year, while Urban, Florida Georgia Line, Tim McGraw, Morris and Lambert were all nominated for single record of the year.
Urban's "Blue Ain't Your Color" headlined the ACM song of the year nominees along with Thomas Rhett's "Die a Happy Man," "Humble and Kind" by Tim McGraw, "Kill a Word" by Eric Church, featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Chris Stapleton's "Tennessee Whiskey" and "Vice" by Miranda Lambert were also nominated.
The Academy of Country Music Awards will be held in Las Vegas on April 2.
List of key nominations:
Male Vocalist of the Year: Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban
Female vocalist of the year: Kelsea Ballerini, Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Carrie Underwood
Entertainer of the Year: Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban
Vocal Duo of the Year: Big and Rich, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Maddie & Tae
Vocal Group of the Year: Eli Young Band, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Old Dominion, Rascal Flatts
New Male Vocalist of the Year: Kane Brown, Chris Janson, Chris Lane, Jon Pardi, Brett Young
New Female Vocalist of the Year: Lauren Alaina, Cam, Brandy Clark, Maren Morris
New Vocal Duo of the Year: A Thousand Horses, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, LoCash, Maddie & Tae
Songwriter of the Year: Ashley Gorley, Luke Laird, Hillary Lindsey, Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna
Album of the Year: Black by Dierks Bentley, Dig Your Roots by Florida Georgia Line, Hero by Maren Morris, Ripcord by Keith Urban, The Weight of These Wings by Miranda Lambert,
Single Record of the Year: Blue Ain’t Your Color by Keith Urban, H.O.L.Y. by Florida Georgia Line, Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw, My Church by Maren Morris, Vice by Miranda Lambert,
ACM Song of the Year: Blue Ain’t Your Color by Keith Urban, Die a Happy Man by Thomas Rhett, Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw, Kill a Word by Eric Church featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton, Vice by Miranda Lambert