The CMA awards are the biggest of the Nashville Awards and have been run since 1967. They are voted by the music industry. The awards ceremony is a three hour spectacular televised live in the U.S., which is said to be second in size only to the Oscars and regularly draws a record TV audience. The 1999 show attracted a TV audience of 37 million.
The nominations for the 37th CMA Awards were announced on the 26 August and the awards ceremony was held on 5 November. The host, as in previous years, was Vince Gill.
The nominess and winners were as follows, for each category the winner is listed first, followed by the other nominees;
| Entertainer of the Year |
| Alan Jackson |
| Brooks & Dunn |
| Kenny Chesney |
| Toby Keith |
| Tim McGraw |
| |
| Male Vocalist of the Year |
| Alan Jackson |
| Kenny Chesney |
| Toby Keith |
| Tim McGraw |
| Brad Paisley |
| George Strait |
| |
| Female Vocalist of the Year |
| Martina McBride |
| Terri Clark |
| Alison Krauss |
| Patty Loveless |
| Dolly Parton |
| |
| Vocal Group of the Year |
| Rascal Flatts |
| Alabama |
| Diamond Rio |
| Dixie Chicks |
| Lonestar |
| |
| Vocal Duo of the Year |
| Brooks & Dunn |
| Bellamy Brothers |
| Montgomery Gentry |
| Sons of the Desert |
| The Warren Brothers |
| |
| Horizon Award |
| Joe Nichols |
| Gary Allan |
| Buddy Jewell |
| Blake Shelton |
| Darryl Worley |
| |
| Vocal Event of the Year (Awards presented to artists and producer(s)) |
| It's Five O'Clock Somewhere |
| Artists: Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett |
| Record Label: Arista Nashville |
| Beer for My Horses |
| Artists: Toby Keith duet with Willie Nelson |
| Record Label: DreamWorks |
| Picture |
| Artists: Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow |
| Record Label: Lava/Atlantic |
| Tears in the Holston River |
| Artists: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band featuring Johnny Cash |
| Record Label: Capitol Nashville |
| The Truth About Men |
| Artists: Tracy Byrd (with Andy Griggs, Montgomery Gentry and Blake Shelton) |
| Record Label: RCA |
| |
| Album of the Year (Awards presented to artist(s) and producer(s)) |
| American IV: The Man Comes Around -- Johnny Cash |
| Producer: Rick Rubin |
| Record Label: Lost Highway |
| Home -- Dixie Chicks |
| Producers: Dixie Chicks and Lloyd Maines |
| Record Label: Open Wide/Monument/Columbia |
| Man With a Memory -- Joe Nichols |
| Producer: Brent Rowan |
| Record Label: Universal South |
| Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors -- Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors |
| Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw and Darran Smith |
| Record Label: Curb |
| Unleashed -- Toby Keith |
| Producers: James Stroud and Toby Keith |
| Record Label: DreamWorks |
| |
| Song of the Year (Awards presented to the songwriter(s) and publisher(s)) |
| Three Wooden Crosses -- Randy Travis |
| Writers: Doug Johnson and Kim Williams |
| Publishers: Mike Curb Music, Sweet Radical Music, Sony and ATV Tunes |
| Beer for My Horses -- Toby Keith duet with Willie Nelson |
| Writers: Toby Keith and Scotty Emerick |
| Publishers: Tokeco Tunes and Big Yellow Dog Music |
| Celebrity -- Brad Paisley |
| Writer: Brad Paisley |
| Publishers: EMI April Music and Sea Gayle Music |
| Have You Forgotten? -- Darryl Worley |
| Writers: Darryl Worley and Wynn Varble |
| Publishers: EMI April Music, Pittsburg Landing Songs and Warner-Tamerlane Pub. |
| Red Dirt Road -- Brooks & Dunn |
| Writers: Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn |
| Publishers: Sony and ATV |
| |
| Single of the Year (Awards presented to artist(s)and producer(s)) |
| Hurt -- Johnny Cash |
| Producer: Rick Rubin |
| Record Label: Lost Highway |
| Beer for My Horses -- Toby Keith duet with Willie Nelson |
| Producers: James Stroud andToby Keith |
| Record Label: DreamWorks |
| Celebrity -- Brad Paisley |
| Producer: Frank Rogers |
| Record Label: Arista Nashville |
| Have You Forgotten? -- Darryl Worley |
| Producers: Frank Rogers and James Stroud |
| Record Label: DreamWorks |
| Three Wooden Crosses -- Randy Travis |
| Producer: Kyle Lehning |
| Record Labels: Word, Curb and Warner Bros. |
| |
| Music Video of the Year (Awards presented to artist(s) and director) |
| Hurt |
| Artist: Johnny Cash |
| Director: Mark Romanek |
| Beer for My Horses |
| Artists: Toby Keith duet with Willie Nelson |
| Director: Michael Salomon |
| Celebrity |
| Artist: Brad Paisley |
| Director: Peter Zavadil |
| Concrete Angel |
| Artist: Martina McBride |
| Directors: Robert Deaton and George J. Flanigen IV |
| Red Dirt Road |
| Artist: Brooks & Dunn |
| Director: Steven Goldmann |
| |
| Musician of the Year |
| Randy Scruggs -- guitar |
| Jerry Douglas -- Dobro |
| Paul Franklin -- steel guitar |
| Aubrie Haynie -- fiddle/mandolin |
| Brent Mason -- guitar |
