# 43rd Academy of Country Music Awards

The 43rd Academy of Country Music Awards were held on May 18, 2008, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada. The ceremony was hosted by ACM Award Winner Reba McEntire.

## Winners and nominees

Winners are shown in bold.
| Entertainer of the Year | Album of the Year |
| Rascal Flatts Kenny Chesney Brad Paisley George Strait Keith Urban | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend — Miranda Lambert 5th Gear — Brad Paisley Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates — Kenny Chesney If You’re Going Through Hell — Rodney Atkins Taylor Swift — Taylor Swift |
| Top Female Vocalist of the Year | Top Male Vocalist of the Year |
| Carrie Underwood Miranda Lambert Martina McBride LeAnn Rimes Taylor Swift | Brad Paisley Rodney Atkins Kenny Chesney George Strait Keith Urban |
| Top Vocal Group of the Year | Top Vocal Duo of the Year |
| Rascal Flatts Diamond Rio The Eagles Emerson Drive Little Big Town | Brooks & Dunn Big & Rich Halfway To Hazard Montgomery Gentry Sugarland |
| Single Record of the Year | Song of the Year |
| “Stay” — Sugarland “Don’t Blink” — Kenny Chesney “Famous in a Small Town” — Miranda Lambert “Lost in This Moment” — Big & Rich “Watching Airplanes” — Gary Allan | “Stay” — Jennifer Nettles “Don’t Blink” — Casey Beathard, Chris Wallin “Lost in This Moment” — Keith Anderson, Rodney Clawson, John Rich “Moments” — Dave Berg, Annie Tate, Sam Tate “Watching You” — Rodney Atkins, Steve Dean, Brian White |
| Top New Male Vocalist | Top New Female Vocalist |
| Jack Ingram Luke Bryan Jake Owen | Taylor Swift Sarah Buxton Kellie Pickler |
| Top New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year | Video of the Year |
| Lady Antebellum Carolina Rain The Wreckers | "Online" — Brad Paisley "Don't Blink" — Kenny Chesney "Lost in This Moment" — Big & Rich "Stay" — Sugarland "Watching You" — Rodney Atkins |
| Vocal Event of the Year ||
| “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” — Tracy Lawrence with Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney “Because of You” — Reba McEntire with Kelly Clarkson “Shiftwork” — Kenny Chesney with George Strait “Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore” — LeAnn Rimes with Bon Jovi “What You Give Away” — Vince Gill with Sheryl Crow ||

## Performers

| Performer(s) | Song(s) |
| Carrie Underwood | "Last Name" |
| Toby Keith | "She's a Hottie" |
| Brad Paisley | "I'm Still a Guy" |
| Miranda Lambert | "Gunpowder & Lead" |
| Rodney Atkins | Number Ones Medley "Watching You" "These Are My People" "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)" "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" |
| Kenny Chesney George Strait | "Better as a Memory" "I Saw God Today" "Shiftwork" |
| Sugarland | "All I Want to Do" |
| Brooks & Dunn Reba McEntire | "Put a Girl in It" |
| Taylor Swift | "Should've Said No" |
| Trace Adkins | "You're Gonna Miss This" |
| Garth Brooks Trisha Yearwood | Greatest Hits Medley "The Thunder Rolls" "Callin' Baton Rouge" "Friends in Low Places" "We Shall Be Free" "The Dance" "Good Ride Cowboy" "In Another's Eyes" "More Than a Memory" "Rodeo" "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)" |
| Keith Urban | "Tu Compañía" |
| Rascal Flatts | "Every Day" |
| Carrie Underwood Brad Paisley | Eddy Arnold Tribute "Make the World Go Away" |
| Kellie Pickler | "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" |
| LeAnn Rimes | "Family" |
| Montgomery Gentry | "Back When I Knew It All" |

## Presenters

| Presenter(s) | Notes |
| Poppy Montgomery Criss Angel | Single Record of the Year |
| Jason Alexander | Brad Paisley performance |
| Lady Antebellum | Top New Female Vocalist of the Year |
| Blake Shelton | Miranda Lambert performance |
| Little Big Town | Top New Duo or Vocal Group of the Year |
| Clay Walker Brad Mates | Top New Male Vocalist of the Year |
| Jewel John Rich | Album of the Year |
| Randy Owen | Las Vegas backstage |
| Julianne Hough Clint Black | Song of the Year |
| Brooks & Dunn | Present Home Depot Humanitarian Award for Rascal Flatts |
| Phil McGraw Robin McGraw | Top Vocal Duo of the Year |
| Kaley Cuoco Kimbo Slice | Top Vocal Group of the Year |
| David Spade | Rascal Flatts performance |
| Sara Evans | Kellie Pickler performance |
| Trisha Yearwood | Male Vocalist of the Year |
| Karolína Kurková Dwight Yoakam | Top Female Vocalist of the Year |