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Faces: Nashville newcomer Kasey Musgrave ties Taylor Swift with six CMA nominations

September 10, 2013 at 10:38PM

EBERT STATUE: Fundraisers Scott and Donna Anderson flanked sculptor Rick Harney, who held a model of a memorial to film critic Roger Ebert at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, Ill., where the $122,500 bronze will reside. Its unveiling is scheduled for the 2014 Ebertfest, which celebrates many of Ebert’s favorite yet overlooked films. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

NASHVILLE – Kacey Musgraves knew the Country Music Association Awards nominations were Tuesday morning, but as a newcomer saw no reason to set her alarm and get up. Then her roommate started shouting.

"I had no idea I'd make history," Musgraves said with a laugh.

She's tied with Taylor Swift as the CMA's lead nominee with six for the Nov. 6 awards in Nashville, becoming the first woman to lead the nominations in her first year as a nominee.

The 25-year-old Texas-born performer earned nominations as a singer, songwriter and producer with album, female vocalist, new artist, single and two different song of the year entries.

Swift will be going for her third entertainer of the year award and was nominated for album for the multiplatinum "Red" and female vocalist of the year.

The nominations were announced in New York on "Good Morning America" and in a later news conference by Sheryl Crow and the duo Florida Georgia Line.

Reigning entertainer of the year Blake Shelton and his wife, Miranda Lambert, are next with five nominations each. They will be going for their fourth consecutive wins in the male vocalist and female vocalist categories and have a chance to again share a trophy in the musical event and video categories.

Shelton and Swift are up for top honor entertainer of the year with Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and surprise nominee George Strait, a two-time winner in the category who's being feted by CMA voters as he retires from touring.

'Shore' star talks about addiction: Former "Jersey Shore" cast member Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino realized he had an addiction problem on a trip to Australia in February 2012. He ran out of a prescription to treat an injury suffered during a 2010 stint on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." "All I had to do was get dressed for a family function and I couldn't do that," Sorrentino said Monday. So he checked into rehab, where doctors prescribed a medication to treat opioid addiction. The 32-year-old is now a paid spokesman for Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc., the company that makes the medication. He's also helped to launch a program called Reset Reality, to foster understanding of opioid prescription painkiller addictions.

News Services

Sorrentino (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Musgraves (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Swift (The Minnesota Star Tribune)