As niche music awards shows go, the CMAs always bring a wicked lineup.
The 52nd Country Music Association Awards will air at 8 p.m. Wednesday on ABC and blast off with a performance from Leesburg native and entertainer of the year nominee (he's won it twice) Luke Bryan.
Never one to hog a spotlight, Bryan, who will perform “What Makes You Country,” has enlisted a series of fledgling country stars to join him.
The show often spotlights shared performances, and this year the collaborations so far will be with Macon's Jason Aldean and Miranda Lambert ("Drowns the Whiskey"), Dierks Bentley and Brothers Osborne ("Burning Man"), nominee-leader Chris Stapleton along with Maren Morris and Mavis Staples and Florida Georgia Line with Bebe Rexha ("Meant to Be") — although FGL's Brian Kelley recently stated that the performance would be "super-powerful" and offer "a little different version" of the song.
Other performers include Garth Brooks (who will debut a new song); hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley (separately); Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Kacey Musgraves, Thomas Rhett, Luke Combs, Midland, Brett Young, Kelsea Ballerini, Dan + Shay, Old Dominion and Pistol Annies.
On the presenter list are rising newcomers Kane Brown (who has lived in Rossville, Fort Oglethorpe and LaFayette) and Carly Pearce, as well as Lady Antebellum, Monticello native Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Jimmie Allen, Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch.
Credit: Robb Cohen Photography & Video/
Credit: Robb Cohen Photography & Video/
As usual, you can’t get too far down the list of nominees without bumping into a Georgia native.
Representing the Peach State at the awards ceremony in Nashville:
• Aldean and Bryan will vie for the top honors of the night — entertainer of the year — with Chesney, Stapleton and Urban.
• Aldean is also nominated for single of the year and musical event of the year (“Drowns the Whiskey” with Lambert).
• Atlanta-spawned Sugarland — who announced their reunion during last year's telecast — is back on the awards circuit with nods for vocal duo of the year and music video of the year ("Babe," featuring an up-and-comer named Taylor Swift).
• Rossville's Lauren Alaina will vie for new artist of the year, even though she was nominated in this category last year.
• Valdosta native Rhett will be visible with nods for music video of the year (“Marry Me”), male vocalist of the year and album of the year (“Life Changes”).
• Lady Antebellum (Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood hail from Augusta) will take on Little Big Town (the group's Karen Fairchild is a graduate of Lassiter High School in Marietta and Kimberly Schlapman a native of Cornelia) for vocal group of the year.
• Florida Georgia Line is a multiple nominee for “Meant to Be” (with Bebe Rexha) in single of the year and musical event of the year categories. The guys are also up for vocal duo of the year.
• Cedartown native Sam Hunt is tagged as a songwriter for "Body Like a Back Road" for song of the year.
I'm in Nashville for Wednesday's awards and will have live updates from the red carpet and backstage here and on Facebook and Twitter.
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