# 2008 Country Music Association Awards

The 2008 Country Music Association Awards, 42nd Annual Ceremony, was held on November 12, 2008, at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee and was hosted by CMA Award winners Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. Kenny Chesney and Sugarland led the night with 6 nomination each.

## Winners and nominees

Winners are shown in bold.
| Entertainer of the Year | Album of the Year |
| Kenny Chesney Brad Paisley George Strait Sugarland Keith Urban | Troubadour — George Strait Carnival Ride — Carrie Underwood Cowboy Town — Brooks & Dunn Good Time — Alan Jackson Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates — Kenny Chesney |
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Female Vocalist of the Year |
| Brad Paisley Kenny Chesney Alan Jackson George Strait Keith Urban | Carrie Underwood Alison Krauss Miranda Lambert Martina McBride Taylor Swift |
| Vocal Group of the Year | Vocal Duo of the Year |
| Rascal Flatts Eagles Emerson Drive Lady A Little Big Town | Sugarland Big & Rich Brooks & Dunn Montgomery Gentry The Wreckers |
| Single of the Year | Song of the Year |
| "I Saw God Today" — George Strait "Don't Blink" — Kenny Chesney "Gunpowder & Lead" — Miranda Lambert "Stay" — Sugarland "You're Gonna Miss This" — Trace Adkins | "Stay" — Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland) "Good Time" — Alan Jackson (Alan Jackson) "I Saw God Today" — Rodney Clawson, Monty Criswell & Wade Kirby (George Strait) "Letter to Me" — Brad Paisley (Brad Paisley) "You're Gonna Miss This" — Ashley Gorley & Lee Thomas Miller (Trace Adkins) |
| New Artist of the Year | Musician of the Year |
| Lady Antebellum Jason Aldean Rodney Atkins James Otto Kellie Pickler | Mac McAnally Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dan Huff Brent Mason |
| Music Video of the Year | Musical Event of the Year |
| "Waitin' on a Woman" — Brad Paisley "Don't Blink" — Kenny Chesney "Good Time" — Alan Jackson "Stay" — Sugarland "You're Gonna Miss This" — Trace Adkins | "Gone, Gone, Gone" — Robert Plant & Alison Krauss "Another Try" — Josh Turner featuring Trisha Yearwood "Every Other Weekend" — Reba McEntire featuring Kenny Chesney "Life in a Northern Town" — Sugarland featuring Little Big Town & Jake Owen "Shiftwork" — Kenny Chesney featuring George Strait |
| International Artist Achievement Award ||
| Dierks Bentley Brooks & Dunn ||

## Hall of Fame

* Country Music Hall of Fame
* Tom T. Hall
* Emmylou Harris
* Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman
* The Statler Brothers

## Performers

| Artist(s) | Song(s) |
| Brad Paisley Keith Urban | "Start A Band" |
| Kellie Pickler | "Best Days of Your Life" |
| Alan Jackson | "Good Time" |
| Miranda Lambert | "More Like Her" |
| Lady Antebellum | "Love Don't Live Here" |
| Martina McBride | "I Don't Want to See You Again" |
| Rodney Atkins | "It's America" |
| Taylor Swift | "Love Story" |
| Kid Rock | "All Summer Long" |
| George Strait | "River of Love" |
| Jason Aldean | "She's Country" |
| Brooks & Dunn Reba McEntire | "Cowgirls Don't Cry" |
| Darius Rucker | "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" |
| Brad Paisley | "Waitin' on a Woman" |
| Keith Urban | "Sweet Thing" |
| Carrie Underwood | "Just a Dream" |
| Sugarland | "Love" |
| James Otto | "Just Got Started Lovin' You" |
| Kenny Chesney | "Everyone Wants to Go to Heaven" |
| Trace Adkins | "You're Gonna Miss This" |
| The Eagles | "Busy Being Fabulous" |

## Presenters

| Presenter(s) | Award |
| Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman | Single of the Year |
| Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus | Song of the Year |
| Heidi Newfield and John Rich | Vocal Group of the Year |
| Taylor Swift | New Artist of the Year |
| Julianne Hough, Jimmy Wayne, and Jake Owen | Vocal Duo of the Year |
| Lee Ann Womack and Josh Turner | Album of the Year |
| Vince Gill | Female Vocalist of the Year |
| Reese Witherspoon | Male Vocalist of the Year |
| Shania Twain | Entertainer of the Year |
* Vince Gill - recognized the Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees