The Country Music Association Nominates Its Biggest and Brightest Stars

Paisley, who returns as the show's co-host and reigning male vocalist of the year, may have garnered a leading seven nominations this year, but he's facing some stiff competition from up and comers Taylor Swift, Darius Rucker, and Randy Houser.

Swift, the 19-year who gained some unexpected media exposure when Kanye West interrupted her MTV Video Music Awards' speech, is the youngest artist ever to be nominated for entertainer of the year.

The first female solo artist to be nominated for the top award since Faith Hill in 2000, she faces Paisley, Strait, Keith Urban, and four-time winner Kenny Chesney. The last female to win the award was Shania Twain a decade ago.

Swift's CD "Fearless", which has sold more than three million copies and currently holds the No. 1 position on Billboard's Country albums chart, landed her crossover success as she became one of the top selling acts in both country and pop. "Fearless" is up for album of the year against Paisley's "American Saturday Night and offerings from Urban, Sugarland, and Jamey Johnson.

"To country music radio and the fans and anybody who voted for the CMAs this year, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," Swift said in a video blog posted on her MySpace page. That's a "thank you" for each of her four nominations.

Her video "Love Story", (her VMA Moonman was earned for "You Belong with Me"), is nominated for video of the year.

Swift was also recognized in the female vocalist of the year category, where she vies against McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, and Carrie Underwood. Underwood, last year's female vocalist of the year, will reprise co-hosting duties this year with Paisley.

Paisley also faces first-year nominee Darius Rucker in the male vocalist of the year category.

Rucker, familiar to pop audiences as the lead singer for Hootie and the Blowfish, released his first country album, "Learn to Live", last year.

"I love being in country music because of the accessibility and the relationships you have with fans and with radio is awesome," said Rucker, after he announced the nominations with Lee Ann Womack on ABC, according to the Associated Press.

The feeling appears to be mutual. Fans lined the streets of Montgomery, Alabama, in the rain last May to watch Rucker's show during JubileeFest - despite the fact that LL Cool J and Three Doors Down were playing on competing stages. Rucker has also been a fan favorite as an opening act on the recent Rascal Flatts' tour.

Should he take home the male vocalist statuette, Rucker will be the first African-American to claim this category since Charlie Pride won in 1972.

Rucker's also up for new artist of the year alongside Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Jake Owen, and the Zac Brown Band.

Houser, whose "Boots On" competes against Swift, Strait, Billy Currington, and Paisley and Urban's duet "Start a Band" in the music video race, has proved himself to be a shining star in country music's stable of new talent.

The Los Angeles Times credits the Mississippi-born Houser with adding "grit to the genre." After a performance on the "Late Show with David Letterman", his debut single from the album of the same name, "Anything Goes", shot into the Top 20. "Boots On" is the second single from that album. The song sits for its second week atop Billboard's Heatseeker's chart. On Billboard's country song chart, it peaked at No. 2 and currently sits in the No. 5 slot.

Labeled "Country Music's Biggest Night", the CMA Awards are scheduled to be broadcast live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 11 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET/PT) on ABC.