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 was the 38th year that the awards have been run.
After having hosted the awards ceremony for over a decade Vince Gill had decided to step down. This years hosts were Brooks & Dunn, who in addition to hosting the show picked up their 12th Vocal Duo Of The Year award.
The nominess and winners were as follows, for each category the winner is listed first, followed by the other nominees;
| Entertainer Of The Year |
| Kenny Chesney |
| Brooks & Dunn |
| Alan Jackson |
| Toby Keith |
| Tim McGraw |
| |
| Female Vocalist Of The Year |
| Martina McBride |
| Terri Clark |
| Sara Evans |
| Alison Krauss |
| Reba McEntire |
| |
| Male Vocalist Of The Year |
| Keith Urban |
| Kenny Chesney |
| Alan Jackson |
| Toby Keith |
| George Strait |
| |
| Horizon Award |
| Gretchen Wilson |
| Dierks Bentley |
| Big & Rich |
| Julie Roberts |
| Josh Turner |
| |
| Vocal Group Of The Year |
| Rascal Flatts |
| Alabama |
| Diamond Rio |
| Lonestar |
| Trick Pony |
| |
| Vocal Duo Of The Year |
| Brooks & Dunn |
| Big & Rich |
| Blue County |
| Montgomery Gentry |
| The Warren Brothers |
| |
| Single Of The Year |
| Live Like You Were Dying |
| Tim McGraw |
| Produced by Byron Gallimore/Tim McGraw/Darran Smith |
| Curb Records |
| I Love This Bar |
| Toby Keith |
| Produced by Toby Keith/James Stroud |
| DreamWorks Records Nashville |
| Redneck Woman |
| Gretchen Wilson |
| Produced by Mark Wright/Joe Scaife |
| Epic Records |
| Remember When |
| Alan Jackson |
| Produced by Keith Stegall |
| Arista Nashville |
| Whiskey Lullaby |
| Brad Paisley featuring Alison Krauss |
| Produced by Frank Rogers |
| Arista Nashville |
| |
| Musician Of The Year |
| Dann Huff – Guitar |
| Matt Chamberlain – Drums |
| Kenny Greenberg – Electric Guitar |
| Larry Paxton – Bass Guitar |
| Brent Rowan – Guitar |
| |
| Album Of The Year |
| When The Sun Goes Down |
| Kenny Chesney |
| Produced by Buddy Cannon/Kenny Chesney |
| BNA Records |
| Here For The Party |
| Gretchen Wilson |
| Produced by Mark Wright/Joe |
| ScaifeEpic Records |
| Mud On The Tires |
| Brad Paisley |
| Produced by Frank Rogers |
| Arista Nashville |
| Red Dirt Road |
| Brooks & Dunn |
| Produced by Kix Brooks/Ronnie Dunn/Mark Wright |
| Arista Nashville |
| Shock’N Y’All |
| Toby Keith |
| Produced by Toby Keith/James Stroud |
| DreamWorks Records Nashville |
| |
| Music Video Of The Year |
| Whiskey Lullaby |
| Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss |
| Directed by Rick Schroder |
| I Love This Bar |
| Toby Keith |
| Directed by Michael Salomon |
| It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere |
| Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett |
| Directed by Trey Fanjoy |
| Redneck Woman |
| Gretchen Wilson |
| Directed by David Hogan |
| Remember When |
| Alan Jackson |
| Directed by Trey Fanjoy |
| |
| Musical Event Of The Year |
| Whiskey Lullaby |
| Brad Paisley featuring Alison Krauss |
| Arista Nashville |
| Creepin' In |
| Norah Jones with Dolly Parton |
| Blue Note Records |
| Hey Good Lookin’ |
| Jimmy Buffett with Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith & George Strait |
| RCA Records |
| How’s The World Treating You |
| James Taylor/Alison Krauss |
| Universal South |
| When The Sun Goes Down |
| Kenny Chesney (Duet with Uncle Kracker) |
| BNA Records |
| |
| Song Of The Year |
| Live Like You Were Dying |
| Tim Nichols/Craig Wiseman |
| Warner-Tamerlane/Big Loud Shirt |
| Long Black Train |
| Josh Turner |
| Sony/ATV Tunes/Drivers Ed Music |
| Redneck Woman |
| Gretchen Wilson/John Rich |
| Sony/ATV/Cross Keys/Hoosiermama Music/WB Music/Warner-Tamerlane |
| Remember When |
| Alan Jackson |
| EMI April Music/Tri-Angels Music |
| Whiskey Lullaby |
| Bill Anderson/Jon Randall |
| Mr. Bubba Music/Reynsong/SonyATV Tree/Wha Ya Say |
