IDOL LIVE predix: 2010 CMT Awards

Two Idol alums are up for awards at tonight's 2010 CMT Music Awards, with a combined four categories available for them to nab.

Carrie Underwood is shooting for her "Cowboy Casanova" video to earn her a CMT Award in the Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year categories, while she could be victorious in the CMT Performance of the Yearcategory thanks to her live performance of "Temporary Home" for the network. Kellie Pickler, on the other hand, could win in the Collaborative Video of the Year category as a result of her teaming up with friend Taylor Swift on the "Best Days of Your Life" video.

Read my predictions for how things will go tonight below (predicted winners are in bold):

Video of the Year
Kenny Chesney – "Out Last Night"
Brad Paisley – "Welcome to the Future"
Jason Aldean – "The Truth"
Lady Antebellum – "Need You Now"
Miranda Lambert – "White Liar"
Zac Brown Band – "Toes"
Carrie Underwood – "Cowboy Casanova"
Taylor Swift – "You Belong With Me"Toby Keith – "American Ride"
Keith Urban – '"Til Summer Comes Around"

Female Video of the Year
Miranda Lambert – "White Liar"
Taylor Swift – "You Belong With Me"
Reba McEntire – "Consider Me Gone"
Carrie Underwood – "Cowboy Casanova"

Collaborative Video of the Year
Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins – "Hillbilly Bone"
Jason Aldean and Bryan Adams – "Heaven' from 'CMT Crossroads"
Kellie Pickler featuring Taylor Swift – "Best Days of Your Life"
Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews – "I'm Alive"

CMT Performance of the Year
Carrie Underwood – "Temporary Home" from Invitation Only: Carrie Underwood
Lady Antebellum – "Lookin' For A Good Time" from the 2009 CMT Music Awards
Tim McGraw – "Southern Voice" from Invitation Only: Tim McGraw
Reba McEntire – "Consider Me Gone" from Invitation Only: Reba
Brad Paisley – "Then" from the 2009 CMT Music Awards

No real surprises here. Hopefully Carrie does pull through and wins the CMT Performance of the Year, because that is probably where her competition is the weakest for this type of awards show. Watch "Cowboy Casanova" and "Best Days of Your Life" below:

"Cowboy Casanova"

Carrie Underwood   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

"Best Days of Your Life"


The CMT Music Awards will be hosted by Kid Rock and will be broadcast live on CMT at 8 p.m. ET.

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IDOL LIVE predix: Carrie at the 2010 ACM Awards

It's not all that surprising to think that Carrie Underwood is the sole Idol alum to be vying for multiple awards at the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards tonight.

Below are the categories in which she's nominated, mostly made possible by her latest release Play On (predictions are in bold):

Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Top Female Vocalist
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Lee Ann Womack

Album of the Year
American Saturday Night, Brad Paisley
Lady Antebellum, Lady Antebellum
Play On, Carrie Underwood
Revolution, Miranda Lambert
The Foundation, Zac Brown Band

Song of the Year
"Cowboy Casanova," Carrie Underwood
"Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
"People Are Crazy," Billy Currington
"White Liar," Miranda Lambert
"You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift

Vocal Event of the Year
"Hillbilly Bone," Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins
"Honky Tonk Stomp," Brooks & Dunn and Billy Gibbons
"I Told You So," Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis
"I'm Alive," Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews
"Seeing Stars," Jack Ingram and Patty Griffin

As evident in my picks, tonight will not be as kind to Carrie as the awards ceremony has been in years past due to the intense competition. Instead, Lady Antebellum will be the main beneficiary of this competition, as Taylor Swift is not usually thought of very highly by the academy. But Carrie should have no problem taking home the "Top Female Vocalist" honors, as she's done so for the past three years (four if you count her winning "New Female Vocalist of the Year" in 2006).

Be sure to view the full list of nominations. The ACM Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Kelly Clarkson gives Scott Borchetta a piece of her mind

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Kelly Clarkson entered the fray on Thursday when she gave her two cents on the Taylor Swift Grammy performance, which has received a lot of criticism. After Taylor's label rep Scott Borchetta dissed Idol in his defense of the 20-year-old, Kelly lashed out at him on her blog, saying in part:

I bring this up because you should take a lesson from these people and instead of lashing out at other artists (that in your ‘humble’ opinion lack true artistry), you should simply take a breath and realize that sometimes things won’t go according to plan or work out and that’s okay.

Kelly signed the note "Sincerely, One of those contestants from American Idol who only made it because of her high notes." Looks like she gets the last laugh once again.

>Carrie Underwood spoke with Cosmo for the latest issue on which she appears on the cover. Watch the segment below:



Carrie has a big Sunday coming up as she tackles the honor of singing "The-Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XLIV. The anthem will take place a little bit before 6:30 p.m. ET.

>Label mates Jordin Sparks and David Archuleta did a duet for charity down in Miami for "The Jordin Sparks Experience" at Eden Roc Renaissance on Wednesday as part of the week's worth of events leading up to tomorrow's Super Bowl XLIV. Watch the two sing "No Air" below:



"The Jordin Sparks Experience" is an NFL-themed movement that helps youths make a positive impact on their communities. Many fellow artists were in attendance including Jason Derulo, Chris Richardson and JoJo.

>Syesha Mercado continued her press tour promoting the national tour for the musical Dreamgirls when the show hit the Boston this week. She taped an interview with FOX 25 morning news that aired yesterday. Watch the segment below:



Syesha said her friends from the seventh season of Idol are planning on attending the musical when it stops in Los Angeles from Feb. 25-April 4.

>Fantasia sat down on Oprah Winfrey's famous couch to discuss her trials and tribulations since winning Idol, including her home foreclosure episode and her many mysterious missed shows while on Broadway in The Color Purple. Watch her perform her new single "Even Angels" below:



Fantasia's reality series Fantasia For Real is currently airing on VH1. "Even Angels" is now available to purchase on iTunes.

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IDOL LIVE predix: Alums at the Grammys

It's that time of year once again when the music industry does its best to highlight the brightest spots of the previous year in music. Although the Grammys are notorious for offering up a few surprises, especially in the big" categories," it's a good bet this time around will be pretty straight forward.

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards will be about one young artist - Taylor Swift. Expect her to sweep in the coveted Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year categories in addition to some country and a few pop categories.

Just like last year, I'm taking a stab at how Idol alums will fare tonight. My predictions are below:

Best Pop Vocal Album: The Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)

Kelly Clarkson definitely deserves the nomination for her fourth album All I Ever Wanted, and many will argue the album deserves the win. But this category will be reserved as a place to make up for The Black Eyed Peas not taking home a statue in some of the bigger categories. Therefore, it seems likely that their multi-platinum The E.N.D. will triumph this time around. Still, many media outlets are calling this for Kelly, so there could still be some good surprises tonight.

Best Female Country Vocal Performance: Carrie Underwood, "Just A Dream"

Swift will be bringing home a whole lotta gold tonight, but the "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" category will not have her name reserved on the winner's envelope. Her "White Horse" entry was not as well-known as some of her more popular singles, and Carrie Underwood's #1 "Just a Dream" hasn't really had the chance to win her some hardware. Add to this the fact that Carrie is a perennial favorite to win at the Grammys and things look bright for her going into tonight.

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: Brad Paisley & Keith Urban, "Start a Band"

Since Carrie should be victorious in "Female Country Vocal Performance," the fact that she and Randy Travis will lose out here shouldn't be too hard to stomach. Brad Paisley and Keith Urban won for "Start a Band" at last year's Academy of Country Music Awards, and they are good bets to repeat tonight.

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: Jeremy Camp, Speaking Louder Than Before

Admittedly this category is hard for me to gauge, and even though Mandisa's Freedom is a great album, it seems unlikely that she will be recognized for this LP over the more commercially successful Speaking Louder Than Before. Therefore, it appears her record at the Grammys will be extended to 0-2.

Best Musical Show Album: David Caddick & David Lai, producers (Leonard Bernstein, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist) (New Broadway Cast with Matt Cavenaugh, Josefina Scaglione & Others), West Side Story

The last category isn't so much a referendum on the Idol alums attached to their respective entry (Ruben Studdard and Frenchie Davis on the 30th anniversary cast recording of Ain't Misbehavin') as it is the popularity of the shows themselves. That said, West Side Story is a classic that has always received widespread accolades, and the recent revival has been a success, so it only seems fitting it takes this category.

Even though I don't have every Idol alum nominated taking home a Grammy, I hope I'm wrong on the ones I don't have confidence in. It's always good to seem alums recognized for their work in the industry. And it'll be worth tuning in just to see Carrie and Jennifer Hudson partake in the tribute to Michael Jackson.

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards air at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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People's Choice Awards wrap-up

The 36th annual People's Choice Awards were broadcast on CBS Wednesday night, and it was not without a few mentions of Idol and a few of the show's alums.

The big winners included Carrie Underwood, who took home a PCA for the "Favorite Country Artist" category, and the show itself, which was named "Favorite Competition Show." Watch Carrie's sincere acceptance speech below, in which she almost slips and falls (but has a nice recovery) on her walk up to the stage:

Carrie did lose out to Taylor Swift in the "Favorite Female Artist" category, and Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson all lost in their respective categories.

Below is a full list of all categories that included an Idol-related entry:

Favorite COMPETITION SHOW
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Survivor: Samoa

Favorite FEMALE ARTIST
Taylor Swift
Beyonce
Britney Spears
Carrie Underwood
P!NK

Favorite COUNTRY ARTIST
Carrie Underwood
Brad Paisley
Keith Urban
Rascal Flatts
Taylor Swift

Favorite BREAKOUT MUSIC ARTIST
Lady Gaga
Adam Lambert
Demi Lovato
Kris Allen
Susan Boyle

Favorite ROCK BAND
Paramore
Daughtry
Green Day
Kings of Leon
Muse

Favorite R&B ARTIST
Mariah Carey
Alicia Keys
Beyonce
Jennifer Hudson
Usher

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Z100 Jinge Ball's "Road to MSG" premieres Friday

The king of Jingle Ball concerts took place last Friday at Madison Square Garden, when New York City's Top 40 radio station Z100 hosted its installment with musical guests including Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and John Mayer. Not surprisingly, a few Idol alums were among those included in the lineup, as Jordin Sparks and Kris Allen performed while Adam Lambert co-hosted the event.

Below are video segments from MSG's "Road to MSG: Z100's Jingle Ball 2009" special that will air tomorrow at 11 p.m. ET on the regional cable network MSG Network. Included are clips from Kris and Adam:

For photos and more features from the Jingle Ball, check out MSG's Jingle Ball Central. Also check out the site for more information on the "Road to MSG" special.

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IDOL LIVE predix: Allison Iraheta's 'Just Like You'

Allison Iraheta, the feisty red-haired Avril Lavigne-esque punk princess and fourth-place finisher on the eighth season of Idol, is the latest alum to release her debut album, as her Just Like You hits stores and digital retailers everywhere tomorrow. Although she does not carry with her nearly the amount of hype that came with Adam Lambert's release last week, she does have a few things going for her.

Recently there haven't been a ton of releases geared toward Allison's target demographic, as they are primarily depending on a few older titles that have been selling well like Taylor Swift's Fearless, so this is one good sign for her. Jive has also been very smart with how Allison has been marketed, as there was a special promotion going on where her music was featured before showings of the mega successful New Moon in select theatres, which opened up a huge amount of audiences to her album. There were also listening parties held at the plus size clothing retailer Torrid locations nationwide yesterday. Whether or not this will translate into sales, though, is another question.

In terms of televised performances, Allison will perform on Good Morning America tomorrow and will be on Ellen on Thursday, which is a much lighter schedule than what some previous Idol alums were granted, but it should be sufficient for the time being. A more worrying factor is the lack of substantial airplay for Allison's debut single "Friday I'll Be Over U," which was released over a month ago.

And then there's the competition factor. Allison really has no true competition to speak of, as the only true major release comes from R&B artist R. Kelly, and it would not be much of a stretch to assume most of Allison's demographic will not be purchasing the former's Untitled.

Without radio play and an overwhelming demand for tracks from the 17-year-old, things could look a little disappointing for Just Like You. I'm calling for opening week sales of 35k for the album, which should be in line with the relatively weak first week sales of label mate Kris Allen's album just two weeks ago.

Just Like You will be out tomorrow and is now available to pre-order on Amazon.com.

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'Idol' alums aplenty at American Music Awards

It was a big night for Idol alums at the 2009 American Music Awards, as familiar faces spanning multiple seasons of the show were on-hand to make appearances.

The night was filled with a few shockers (Who's Gloriana?) and a lot of mess ups, plus most of the performances were lackluster. Therefore, it was no surprise that most of the performances from Idol alums were considered to be among the bright spots of the night. Here's a rundown of the performances:

Daughtry was the first alum to perform at the ceremony, as the boys showcased their latest single "Life After You." Watch the performance below:

Although some might accuse it of being boring, Chris and the guys sounded as good as usual. The song will probably have a long and healthy chart life on multiple formats, and this performance will serve as a good launching pad.

Kelly Clarkson's hit single "Already Gone" received a warm reception thanks to a stringed accompaniment, which was a new approach for the performance. Watch it below:



Kelly is the original Idol, and she will always have a special place in fans' hearts. The fact that she got a standing ovation just goes to show she is one of the most respected artists in the industry, and her vocals were among the best of the night (if not the best).

Carrie Underwood delivered one of the hottest performances of her career when she took to the stage to sing "Cowboy Casanova." Watch the scorcher below:



Notice the reaction shot from Paula Abdul? Either they caught her at a bad spot or she was not impressed with the fourth season's champ. Carrie's performance is being widely considered to be one of the highlights of the show even though she didn't seem all too happy with herself judging from her reaction at the end.

And then there was Adam Lambert and his much hyped performance that everyone "would be talking about" the next day. Well, it looks like he accomplished his goal:



Sorry, everything about that was atrocious.

As for the actual awards, neither of the two Idol-related alums took home any hardware. Both Carrie and Daughtry were nominated, both of them lost to Taylor Swift. But at least now they have something in common with Michael Jackson, as the former King of Pop lost out to the up and coming country music star in the "Artist of the Year" category.

Other Idol personnel (or former personnel) were in the building, as Paula presented the category for "Favorite Band/Duo/Group" for Pop/Rock and Ryan Seacrest presented for "Artist of the Year." He was also sure to plug his "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve" special this New Year's Eve while on the stage. Kris Allen was also there to present, as he and Demi Lovato presented the "Best Female Soul/R&B Artist" award to Beyonce, who was not in the building.

There was a Blake Lewis sighting on the red carpet, and he tweeted a picture of himself with Perez Hilton. If that's what he considers to be a photo opp, then good for him.

All in all, the night was a big one for Idol performance-wise, but in the scope of things no one will really remember anything special taking place. Possibly the fact that Swift one a few too many awards, but that's nothing new.

The 2009 AMAs were held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif., and was broadcast on ABC.

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IDOL LIVE predix: 'Idol' alums at the 2009 AMAs

Judging by the list of Idol alums making appearance at the 2009 American Music Awards, one would think many would be ready to take home hardware at the music event. In reality, only two are nominated (Carrie Underwood and Daughtry), and it's a good bet that neither will be victorious. My predictions are as follows:

Favorite Female Artist (Country)
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Carrie will unfortunately suffer one more bout with "Taylor Swift-itis" this season, as she will not be enough competition for the 19-year-old, who happens to be having the best year of her young career. Swift stole Carrie's thunder at the CMA Awards in the "Female Vocalist of the Year" category, so it only seems fitting she follows suit here, especially considering the AMAs are fan-voted.

Favorite Artist (Adult Contemporary)
Daughtry
Jason Mraz
Taylor Swift

See above.

Despite the huge probability that no Idol alums will take home awards this time around, there will be plenty of reasons for fans of the franchise to watch, mostly thanks to performances from Carrie, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson and Adam Lambert, plus presenters like Kris Allen. So don't forget to tune in to ABC tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET for an Idol extravaganza.

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CMA Awards wrap-up: Carrie co-hosts, performs but goes home empty-handed

It wasn't as big night for Idol alums at the 2009 CMA Awards as it should have been.

Carrie Underwood co-hosted the show with Brad Paisley and therefore received the most stage time of any other woman at the Sommet Center in Nashville, but you never would have guessed based on the huge night 19-year-old pop/country superstar Taylor Swift had. Swift not only beat out Carrie in the "Music Video of the Year" and "Female Vocalist of the Year" categories, she nabbed the ultra-coveted "Entertainer of the Year" award among a crowded field of veteran competitors.

Carrie briefly grabbed attention away from Swift's buzz when she took to the stage to put on a scorching performance of "Cowboy Casanova." Watch the exhibition below:

Amid an array of outfit changes, Carrie was able to dish out plenty of laughs with jokes through song about figures like Brooks & Dunn, Kanye West and even epidemics like swine flu. In the funniest moment of the night, 88-year-old Jimmy Jones "interrupted" Carrie and Paisley while they were introducing an act, which of course was a mock of the Kanye-Taylor Swift episode that happened earlier this year at MTV's VMA Awards.

Also taking to the stage was Daughtry, who did a duet of "Tennessee Line" with Vince Gill. Watch the performance below:



Kellie Pickler turned up a few times, once introducing an act and a second time in the audience where she was sitting next to a little boy.

Additionally, Idol alums and fellow up-and-coming country artists Danny Gokey and Diana DeGarmo made appearances at the celebration. Photos of them arriving on the red carpet are up on WireImage.

As for my predictions, I was wrong on both accounts, as Carrie went home empty-handed for the first time at the CMA Awards, as she and Randy Travis lost out to Paisley and Keith Urban for "Musical Event of the Year." And although Carrie was not attached to it, her single "I Told You So" lost out in the "Song of the Year" category. Hopefully next year is kinder to her.

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'Idol' Hot 100: Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" #21 (11/14/09)

For the third straight week, Carrie Underwood saw one of her singles debut on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Nov. 14.

Despite the debut, it was still Kelly Clarkson who led Idol alums on the chart with her single "Already Gone." The song slid four spots to #21 but retained its bullet thanks to an influx of tracks by Taylor Swift that made appearances for the week (eight in all).

Rounding out the franchise's representation was Carrie, whose "Cowboy Casanova" fell #21-28 and the debut of her single "Undo It," which came in at #86. That debut was six spots higher than Carrie's "Temporary Home" came in at on last week's chart.

Full chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
21 17 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
28 21 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
86 -- Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"

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Adam Lambert and Paula Abdul announce AMA noms

A runner-up and former judge were on hand to announce the nominees for the 2009 American Music Awards this morning in Los Angeles. Adam Lambert and Paula Abdul were two artists chosen to announce the nominees, most likely because they are two of the most talked about musicians that have been out there this year.

Adam then went on to spill to Ryan Seacrest on his morning radio program that he will indeed be performing his new single during the show's live broadcast. He said of the performance:

"I want some dancing up there. I want some costumes. I want some fire....I really want it to be something to look at, something really, really exciting and over the top."

As for Idol alums up for various categories, Carrie Underwood is nominated for "Favorite Country Music Female Artist" and Daughtry is nominated for "Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist." Both are expected to lose to country superstar Taylor Swift in their respective categories.

The fan-voted 2009 American Music Awards will be broadcast live on ABC on Sun., Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. ET.

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Kelly Clarkson crushes Kanye

At least in her blog she does. In a post dedicated solely to calling out Kanye West for his extremely unbecoming actions following Taylor Swift's win in the "Best Female Video" category for her "You Belong with Me" music video at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, Kelly Clarkson totally ripped the over-inflated, egocentric rapper on her personal blog. Although the whole post deserves to be placed below, here is a snippet:

I’ve seen you do some pretty shitty things, but you just keep amazing me with your tactless, asshole ways. It’s absolutely fascinating how much I don’t like you. I like everyone. I even like my asshole ex that cheated on me over you…which is pretty odd since I don’t even personally know you. The best part of this evening is that you weren’t even up for THIS award and yet you still have a problem with the outcome. Is winning a moon man that much of a life goal?? You can have mine if it will shut you up. Is it that important, really??

Wow, Kelly is so awesome and she doesn't even know it (or maybe she just has a ton more tact and class than Kanye will ever have). Congrats Kelly on the most interesting and candid blog you have ever posted.

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Alums tweet their thoughts on Kanye-Swiftgate

So by now everyone has seen or at least hard about the drama that went down onstage between Taylor Swift and Kanye West at MTV's Video Music Awards this evening. Obviously, Idol alums had no shortage of opinions on the matter on Twitter. Below is a sampling of what some had to say:

LaBelleMusikKanye whaaaattttt! Omg. My heart just fell for that poor girl. He just killer her dream & whole moment. Wow. That was horrible. So wrong! :( about 2 hours ago from UberTwitter

TheRealJordinYessir! RT @ClaudeKelly hes a geat artist BUT every1, artists included, need 2 have tact, class, & respect. about 2 hours ago from Twitterrific

mcktweetytaylor (Cardin McKinney), sweet taylor. beautiful, classy, unTOUCHABLE taylor. GO girl. WIN that VMA without apologies!! :) WOO!!! WORK IT!!! :) about 1 hour ago from web

mdoolittleI know I'm late, but really Kanye? Really? Taylor Swift is the sweetest girl ever and Beyonce is so gracious. Not right at all! about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck

thedavidcooksounds like kanye was home sick during finishing school... 29 minutes ago from mobile web

Chikezie_Eze@thedavidcook You mean elementary school. You know he's illiterate. And quite proud of that fact... 23 minutes ago from web in reply to thedavidcook

LaBelleMusikBeyonce!!!!! *applauding her* wow. I'm such a weenie cuz I def cried just now! Yes. Hats off to her. She is such a beautiful soul. Classy. 16 minutes ago from UberTwitter

Chikezie_EzeLet me clarify, I AM a Kanye fan. But there's something 2B said 4 someone who demands respect and yet offers so very little... 13 minutes ago from web

mdoolittleLike I said...Taylor Swift is a sweetheart and Beyonce is such a gracious artist...pure class! 13 minutes ago from TweetDeck

TheRealJordin@mdoolittle it's probably a good thing I'm not there. You KNOW I wouldve said something. Ahahaha I miss you! 12 minutes ago from Twitterrific in reply to mdoolittle

Needless to say, Kanye has lost a lot of respect from people in all sectors of the music industry after tonight's events. And for good reason.

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Carrie Underwood earns two CMA Awards noms

If you consider yourself a country artist, you were a finalist at some point on Idol and your name is not Carrie Underwood, you're out of luck at the 43rd annual CMA Awards.

In announcements made earlier this morning on ABC's Good Morning America and CMT's Insider Special Edition: 2009 CMA Awards Nominations, it was revealed that Carrie received two nominations for this year's awards show, one for "Female Vocalist" and one for "Musical Event" for her single "I Told You So" featuring Randy Travis. Other than that, there were no noms doled out for any other Idol alums.

Below are the categories in which Carrie is nominated and thus what her competition will be:

Female Vocalist

Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Musical Event
(Award goes to each artist.)

"Cowgirls Don't Cry"
Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire
Arista Nashville

"Down the Road"
Kenny Chesney (with Mac McAnally)
Blue Chair Records, BNA Records

"Everything But Quits"
Lee Ann Womack (duet with George Strait)
MCA Records

"I Told You So"
Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis
19 Recordings/Arista

"Old Enough"
The Raconteurs featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe
Third Man Records, Warner Bros. Records

An interesting observation is the fact that Taylor Swift, who has had a very big year, was the first female to be nominated for Entertainer of the Year since 2000, something Carrie has never had the honor of receiving. Carrie did, however, receive a nomination and win in the category at the Academy of Country Music Awards earlier this year.

The CMA Awards will air on ABC on Wed., Nov. 11, at 8 p.m. ET, being held live at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn. Carrie will once again fulfill hosting duties alongside Brad Paisley.

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Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" single cover revealed

Apparently the unveiling of Carrie Underwood's latest single, "Cowboy Casanova," came a little earlier than expected thanks to the song leaking last night. Carrie blogged on her official fan club today saying that the song was scheduled to be released next week, but the leak forced her label to get it out there in order to squash any unwanted ramifications.

Speaking of ramifications, last night's "world premiere" of "Cowboy Casanova" on 100.7 The Wolf, a country radio station in Seattle, Wash., was in fact an unofficial version of the song. It featured a more pop feel complete with synths and absent of any true country style, which confused fans for a short period of time before it was confirmed that the version was not the correct one. It was interesting, however, that there was no denying that the more pop-ified version was perhaps a version tweaked for a Top 40 release a la Taylor Swift, so that option still hangs in the balance. Talk about a headache for camp Carrie.

A new item of note regarding the single today comes in the form of its cover art, which will accompany the song's release at digital music retailers next Tuesday. Carrie definitely looks more dolled up here than she does on her album cover for Play On, but it fits the song's edginess and rock feel.

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CMT Awards wrap-up: Kellie performs "Best Days of Your Life"

The 2009 CMT Music Awards were a little lackluster this year thanks to a familiar face at these kinds of events skipping out on the festivities, as Carrie Underwood opted to join her mother on a mini-vacation rather than attend the show. But there was still plenty of Idol to go around at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn.

Although she came up empty handed in the "Female Video of the Year" for her "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" music video, Kellie Pickler was quite a presence at the awards show. After appearing onstage with Randy Jackson to present the award for "USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year," Kellie returned to perform her current hit single "Best Days of Your Life." Watch the performance below:

Before the show even started, though, Kellie turned up in the opening pre-taped sketch between host Bill Engvall and Taylor Swift, which involved Swift and Kellie colliding in the hallway before the show and landing on the floor. Watch the bit below:



The biggest honor of the night, "Video of the Year," went to Swift's "Love Story."

Also in attendance was Bucky Covington, but he was merely a spectator this time around. The awards show was broadcast live concurrently on CMT and CMT.com.

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IDOL LIVE predix: Carrie at the ACM Awards

The 44th Academy of Country Music Awards is looking to be fairly kind to an Idol alum named Carrie Underwood. Carrie is basically the queen of the ACMs, as she has received six awards since 2006 and has been nominated nine times in all not including this year's four nominations.

Although Taylor Swift has proved to be a rival to Carrie commercially as of late, it appears that the Academy generally frowns upon crossover artists, so it probably will not be as big of a night for her as many are predicting.

See my predictions of how the night will play out below:

>Entertainer of the Year: Carrie Underwood

Carrie is the first female artist to be nominated for this category since 2000, when the Dixie Chicks went home with the honor. Considering all the things Carrie has done for country music, it would be pointless for the Academy to have nominated her if they were not going to follow through and see to it that she receives the prize. Add to this the fact that the category is fan-voted and that Carrie was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry this past year and it seems the Carrie is the only nominee that has the ability to dethrone Kenny Chesney. It's an uphill battle, but Carrie should be one happy woman by the end of the night.

>Top Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood

There's a reason why Carrie has been the recipient of this award two years running, and that's the fact that she simply is the best female vocalist in the country genre at the moment. The only real competitor in this category is Swift, and even the Academy knows it would be a fallacy for the younger star to take home the award over Carrie. But stranger things have happened.

>Album of the Year: Troubadour, George Strait

Carnival Ride is a solid album, even more solid than Some Hearts is (and that album was victorious in this category back in 2007). But the Academy is in the mood to honor a veteran this year, and George Strait's Troubadour is the likeliest candidate for this category.

>Video of the Year: Love Story, Taylor Swift

Video of the Year is not nearly the most important category, so Carrie's "Just a Dream" can afford to lose this one. Besides, as good as that music video is, Swift's "Love Story" really is a better video overall, so the Academy will not feel bad about throwing her a bone when it knows she will lose out later in the night.

What do you all think? Share your predictions and come back here later tonight for a full post-show recap and analysis of the results. The 44th ACM Awards will air live tonight on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

ETA: Video of the Year was already announced and went to Brad Paisley's "Waitin' On a Woman." The ACMs really should update their Web site!

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Kellie Pickler premieres her "Best Days of Your Life" music video

Kellie Pickler yesterday premiered her new music video for her current single "Best Days of Your Life" on CMT.com. Watch the video, which was directed by Roman White, below:

Could Kellie finally crossover to pop like Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift before her? Well, for starters it helps to have Taylor heavily featured in the video, and the video is pretty hilarious. I mean, who thinks of having a cheating boyfriend get run over by a bus? Not even Carrie went that far in "Before He Cheats."

There is evidence that the video is already greatly helping the single, as it has rocketed to #102 on iTunes' Top Overall Songs chart. Look for a continued upward surge over the weekend.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Sligh, Carrie receive Dove Awards noms

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Chris Sligh was nominated for the 40th Annual Dove Awards for his single "Empty Me" in the Song of the Year category in addition to being put up for consideration for the New Artist of the Year. Another Idol alum received a nomination for the show: Carrie Underwood got her name thrown into the ring for Country Gospel Song of the Year for her live recording of "How Great Thou Art." The show will be held at the Grand Ole Opryhouse on Thurs., April 23 at 8 p.m. ET. Vote for Chris for New Artist on GospelMusicChannel.com.

>Carrie also received another award nomination, as she now has four noms for the 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards thanks to the announcement of the Album of the Year category's nominees. Carnival Ride's nomination adds to Carrie's other nominations for the Entertainer of the Year, Top Female Vocalist and Video of the Year categories.

>The ratings for Idol this week were leagues above all other programs in its timeslots, although it almost lost out to CSI in total viewers on Thursday because Taylor Swift's guest appearance launched the episode into an above average showing. Idol pulled in 24.2 million on Tuesday, 22.5 million on Wednesday and 21.2 million on Thursday.

>David Cook's rendition of "Billie Jean" was featured in a promo for the Israeli television series Loving Anna. Watch the spot below:

This isn't the first time Cook's version of "Billie Jean" has been featured in a promo for a program on Israeli TV. Last year, the song played in the background of a promo for Friday Night Lights.

>Cook is also currently working on his next music video, which will be for "Come Back to Me." He was caught filming the video at LAX the other day. Gavin Bowden will be helming the video (Lifehouse, Red Hot Chili Peppers)

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