Brad Paisley, with two Grammys under the belt, leads the Country Music Award nominations, including the coveted Entertainer Of The Year trophy and male vocalist, an honour he also won last year. His 'Waitin' on a Woman', is also a finalist for record, song and video of the year and for his 'Start a Band' with Keith Urban for vocal event of the year.

A list top heavy with male singers, also features biggest surprise Heidi Newfield and former 'Trick Pony' vocalist, who releasing her first solo album last year, follows with five nominations, including Top Female Vocalist and Best Single, with her 'Johnny & June' nominated for Song Of The Year, her ode to the late Johnny and June Carter Cash.

Carrie Underwood, the former champ of 'American Idol' and who also won a Grammy on Sunday, has been nominated for three awards, including being the sole female entry for Entertainer Of The Year award. If, she manages to beat the competition in the form of Paisley, four-time winner Kenny Chesney, George Strait and Keith Urban, she will be the seventh woman in 44-years, winning will put her alongside Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire and, most recently, the Dixie Chicks in 2000, when the awards are presented in Las Vegas on 5th April.

Taylor Swift, 19, Trace Adkins, Brooks & Dunn, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, James Otto, Jake Owen, Taylor Swift and Sugarland received two nominations each, George Strait and Jamey Johnson four apiece, including top new male vocalist. A relative newcomer, Johnson is up for top new male vocalist, single record of the year and song of the year for hit 'In Color'. The first time to be nominated as an artist, Johnson co-writing Strait's 'Give It Away', won song of the year in 2006 for it.

Strait's 'I Saw God Today' is in the running for Song Of The Year, his other nominations including entertainer, top male vocalist and video of the year.

Keith Urban's three nominations include: entertainer of the year, top male vocalist and vocal event of the year for 'Start a Band'.

Jessica Simpson, LeAnn Rimes, Kellie Pickler and Julianne Hough will read the nominations Wednesday during CBS' 'The Early Show' live broadcast.

Hough who won 'Dancing with the Stars' has been nominated for top new female vocalist, capping 'an amazing year and a half' that saw her touring with Paisley and Strait and her 'That Song in My Head' hitting it big.