The CMA awards are the biggest of the Nashville Awards and have been run since 1967. They are voted by the music industry. This year will be the 40th year that the awards have been run.
| Entertainer of the Year |
| Brooks & Dunn |
| Kenny Chesney |
| Brad Paisley |
| Rascal Flatts |
| Keith Urban |
| |
| Female Vocalist of the Year |
| Sara Evans |
| Faith Hill |
| Martina McBride |
| Carrie Underwood |
| Gretchen Wilson |
| |
| Male Vocalist of the Year |
| Dierks Bentley |
| Kenny Chesney |
| Alan Jackson |
| Brad Paisley |
| Keith Urban |
| |
| Horizon Award |
| Miranda Lambert |
| Little Big Town |
| Sugarland |
| Josh Turner |
| Carrie Underwood |
| |
| Vocal Group of the Year |
| Alison Krauss + Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas |
| Little Big Town |
| Lonestar |
| Rascal Flatts |
| Sugarland |
| |
| Vocal Duo of the Year |
| Big & Rich |
| Brooks & Dunn |
| Montgomery Gentry |
| Van Zant |
| The Wreckers |
| |
| Single of the Year |
| “Believe” |
| Brooks & Dunn |
| Produced by Tony Brown/Kix Brooks/ Ronnie Dunn |
| Arista Nashville |
| “Better Life” |
| Keith Urban |
| Produced by Dann Huff/Keith Urban |
| Capitol Records Nashville |
| "Jesus Take The Wheel” |
| Carrie Underwood |
| Produced by Mark Bright |
| Arista Nashville |
| “Summertime” |
| Kenny Chesney |
| Produced by Buddy Cannon/Kenny Chesney |
| BNA Records |
| “When I Get Where I’m Going” |
| Brad Paisley (Featuring Dolly Parton) |
| Produced by Frank Rogers/Chris DuBois |
| Arista Nashville |
| |
| Musician of the Year |
| Eddie Bayers – Drums |
| Jerry Douglas – Dobro |
| Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar |
| Dann Huff – Guitar |
| Brent Mason – Guitar/Electric Guitar |
| Randy Scruggs – Guitar |
| |
| Album of the Year |
| Hillbilly Deluxe |
| Brooks & Dunn |
| Produced by Ronnie Dunn/Kix Brooks/Mark Wright/Tom Shapiro/Tony Brown/Bob DiPiero |
| Arista Nashville |
| Me And My Gang |
| Rascal Flatts |
| Produced by Dann Huff/Rascal Flatts |
| Lyric Street Records |
| Precious Memories |
| Alan Jackson |
| Produced by Keith Stegall Arista |
| Nashville |
| The Road And The Radio |
| Kenny Chesney |
| Produced by Buddy Cannon/Kenny Chesney |
| BNA Records |
| Time Well Wasted |
| Brad Paisley |
| Produced by Chris DuBois/Frank Rogers |
| Arista Nashville |
| |
| Music Video of the Year |
| “8th of November” |
| Big & Rich |
| Directed by Robert Deaton/George J. Flanigen IV/Marc Oswald |
| “Believe” |
| Brooks & Dunn |
| Directed by Robert Deaton/George J. Flanigen IV |
| “Jesus Take The Wheel” |
| Carrie Underwood |
| Directed by Roman White |
| “Kerosene” |
| Miranda Lambert |
| Directed by Trey Fanjoy |
| “When I Get Where I’m Going” |
| Brad Paisley (Featuring Dolly Parton) |
| Directed by Jim Shea |
| |
| Musical Event of the Year |
| Brooks & Dunn |
| (Guest vocals by Sheryl Crow and Vince Gill) |
| “Building Bridges” |
| Arista Nashville |
| Faith Hill Featuring Tim McGraw |
| “Like We Never Loved At All” |
| Warner Bros. Records |
| Gretchen Wilson |
| (Featuring Merle Haggard) |
| “Politically Uncorrect” |
| Epic Records |
| Brad Paisley |
| (Featuring Dolly Parton) |
| “When I Get Where I’m Going” |
| Arista Nashville |
| Bon Jovi |
| (Duet with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland) |
| “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” |
| Island Records |
| |
| Song of the Year |
| “8th of November” |
| Big Kenny/John Rich |
| Big Love Music/WB Music/Rich Texas Music |
| “Believe” |
| Craig Wiseman/Ronnie Dunn |
| Sony/ATV Tree/Showbilly Music/Big Loud Shirt |
| “Jesus Take The Wheel” |
| Hillary Lindsey/Brett James/Gordie Sampson |
| Dimensional Music of 1091/Raylene Music/Songs of Combustion Music |
| “Tonight I Wanna Cry” |
| Keith Urban/Monty Powell |
| Universal Music/Lanark Village Tunes/Guitar Monkey Music/Coburn Music |
| “When I Get Where I’m Going” |
| Rivers Rutherford/George Teren |
| Universal Music/Memphersfield Music/House of Full Circle Music |
