Kacey Musgraves Ties Taylor Swift, Earns Key CMA Awards Nominations

As a media darling and artist’s artist, breakthrough country singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves is certain to have a lasting presence at awards shows.

She made waves on the nominations list for this past spring’s Academy of Country Music Awards, and she does the same on the newly-announced ballot for the upcoming 47th Annual Country Music Association Awards.

Musgraves ties music superstar Taylor Swift with a ceremony-best six nominations for the CMAs, which air this November on ABC. And though she does not join the latter in the coveted Entertainer of the Year category, she is up for votes in several key categories, including Single of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year.

While Swift matches Musgraves’ nomination count, it is worth noting that three of her nominations–Single of the Year, Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year–are for her collaboration with Keith Urban and Tim McGraw on McGraw’s “Highway Don’t Care.” Of Musgraves’ six nominations, only one–Song of the Year for her co-write on Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart”–fits a similar bill (and Musgraves also has a nomination in that category for her own “Merry Go Round”).

ABC issued the nominations list Tuesday:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Jason Aldean

Luke Bryan

Blake Shelton

George Strait

Taylor Swift

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

(Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))

“Cruise”

Florida Georgia Line

Produced by Joey Moi

Republic Nashville

“Highway Don’t Care”

Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban

Produced by Byron Gallimore and Tim McGraw

Big Machine Records

“Mama’s Broken Heart”

Miranda Lambert

Produced by Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf, and Chuck Ainlay

RCA Nashville

“Merry Go ‘Round”

Kacey Musgraves

Produced by Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, and Kacey Musgraves

Mercury Records

“Wagon Wheel”

Darius Rucker

Produced by Frank Rogers

Capitol Records NASHVILLE

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

(Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))

“Based on a True Story”

Blake Shelton

Produced by Scott Hendricks

Warner Bros. Records

“Blown Away”

Carrie Underwood

Produced by Mark Bright

19 Recordings/Arista NASHVILLE

“Red”

Taylor Swift

Produced by Jeff Bhasker, Scott Borchetta, Nathan Chapman, Dann Huff, Jacknife Lee, Max Martin, Shellback, Taylor Swift, Butch Walker, and Dan Wilson

Big Machine Records

“Same Trailer Different Park”

Kacey Musgraves

Produced by Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, and Kacey Musgraves

Mercury Records

“Tornado”

Little Big Town

Produced by Jay Joyce

Capitol Records NASHVILLE

SONG OF THE YEAR

(Award goes to Songwriter(s))

“I Drive Your Truck”

Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, and Jimmy Yeary

“Mama’s Broken Heart”

Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally, and Kacey Musgraves

“Merry Go ‘Round”

Kacey Musgraves, Josh Osborne, and Shane McAnally

“Pontoon”

Natalie Hemby, Luke Laird, and Barry Dean

“Wagon Wheel”

Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Kelly Clarkson

Miranda Lambert

Kacey Musgraves

Taylor Swift

Carrie Underwood

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Jason Aldean

Luke Bryan

Eric Church

Blake Shelton

Keith Urban

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Eli Young Band

Lady Antebellum

Little Big Town

The Band Perry

Zac Brown Band

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

Big & Rich

Florida Georgia Line

Love and Theft

Sugarland

The Civil Wars

Thompson Square

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR

(Award goes to each artist)

“Boys ‘Round Here”

Blake Shelton (featuring Pistol Annies)

Warner Bros. Records

“Cruise”

Florida Georgia Line (with Nelly)

Republic NASHVILLE

“Don’t Rush”

Kelly Clarkson (featuring Vince Gill)

19 Recordings/RCA NASHVILLE

“Highway Don’t Care”

Tim McGraw (with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban)

Big Machine Records

“The Only Way I Know”

Jason Aldean with Luke Bryan and Eric Church

Broken Bow Records

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

Sam Bush (Mandolin)

Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar)

Dann Huff (Guitar)

Brent Mason (Guitar)

Mac McAnally (Guitar)

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

“Blown Away”

Carrie Underwood

Directed by Randee St. Nicholas

“Boys ‘Round Here”

Blake Shelton featuring Pistol Annies

Directed by Trey Fanjoy

“Downtown”

Lady Antebellum

Directed by Peter Zavadil

“Highway Don’t Care”

Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban

Directed by Shane Drake

“Mama’s Broken Heart”

Miranda Lambert

Directed by Trey Fanjoy

“Tornado”

Little Big Town

Directed by Shane Drake

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Lee Brice

Brett Eldredge

Florida Georgia Line

Kip Moore

Kacey Musgraves

Brian Cantor

Brian Cantor is the editor-in-chief for Headline Planet. He has been a leading reporter in the music, movie, television and sporting spaces since 2002. Brian's reporting has been cited by major websites like BuzzFeed, Billboard, the New Yorker and The Fader -- and shared by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj. Contact Brian at brian.cantor[at]headlineplanet.com.

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Brian Cantor