"Tennessean" trio bashes heads in predicting CMA Awards winners.

Our experts:

Peter "I lover Manilow" Cooper, music writer, guitar picker and mediocore bassist who once ate lunch with Bill Wyman.

Craig "Bluegrass Boy" Havighurst, music writer and leader of the dangerous acoustic group Bandwagon.

Brad "Big Nosh" Schmitt, calebrity columnist and gourmand, who is taking part in this exercise because he thought we were calling it "Snackdown!"

Female Vocalist: Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood

Brad: There isn't a category, including entertainer, that has more talent in it - not to mention more totally hot babes! But I disdress. A pregnant Faith, who won last year, has kind of laid off this year. Trisha Yearwood and Martina McBride have fabulous new albums, but Martina's got the edge here: She has long hair again and she has neber looked or sounded better. When God-fearin' Women Get The Blues is sassy! Hair's the thing: Martina wins.

Craig: Forgive me for using only my ears in assessing this category, Brad, even if we come to largely the same conclusion. Trisha and Martina are two of the best pure voices ever to grace this town, and they just keep making excellent music. Yearwood released a strong new album, McBride her first hits package and a ripping new single with country guts. Tough call, but I get a vibe about McBride.

Peter: McBride, Womack and Yearwood have each knocked me out at various times this year: Lee Ann on the Opry, Martina in concert and singing the national anthem on Monday Night Football; and Trisha at Ryman. Faith hasn't performed much. Sara Evans was good on the Girls' Night Out tour and way, way pitchy on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and that Country Freedom Concert on CMT. Voters will give the edge to Martina, whose powerhouse vocals were unassailable highlight of the Girls' Night Out shows.