ACM ALBUM NOMS ANNOUNCED (Items on Montgomery Gentry, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Jamey Johnson, George Strait, Tim McGraw, Ernie Ashworth)

The Academy of Country Music have finally given us their nominations for Album of the Year for this year's awards handout (April 5 on CBS).
I couldn't figure out why the ACM delayed the long-player announcement until now (I'm not a Music City-insider and/or not savvy enough), but CMT (which is both the former and latter of the previous parenthetical portion of this sentence) sez it was because of "a revision in the qualifications. Previously, albums had to sell 300,000 copies to be considered, but that is no longer the case."
...or because the ACM wanted to "stunt" announce the noms to get more juice heading into the ceremony.
Whatever...here they are:

* Back When I Knew It All
Montgomery Gentry, Produced by Blake Chancey
Columbia

* Carnival Ride
Carrie Underwood, Produced by Mark Bright
19/Arista Nashville

* Fearless
Taylor Swift, Produced by Scott Borchetta, Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift
Big Machine

* That Lonesome Song
Jamey Johnson, Produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys
Mercury

* Troubadour
George Strait, Produced by Tony Brown and George Strait
MCA

So with the adjustments, the top nominee tally is still paced by Brad Paisley with six and Heidi Newfield with five. But Jamey and George are now also up for five, with the Album nods.
...and The Kent Hardly Playboys? GAC explained that for us, last August.
Also, Thursday, the ACM announced a group of performers for the show that includes nominees Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Heidi, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland and Taylor...along with non-nominee Tim McGraw.

Meanwhile, Carrie has scored a high fashion gig (high fashion, my girlfriend tells me). She'll appear in a print ad (see it here) along with Eva Longoria, Brooke Shields, Lauren Hutton and Anjelica Huston touting Badgley Mischka® ’s 20th anniversary celebration campaign.
Look for it in the April issue of your fave fashion rag.

...and Taylor's "CSI" appearance was "Enthusiastic, If Not Emmy-Worthy," sez one reviewer on another network, that, like "CSI" parent CBS, shares a corporate boss.

R.I.P.: Grand Ole Opry member Ernie Ashworth, whose signature hit, "Talk Back Trembling Lips," was a monster hit, passed away this week, after a sudden illness, aged 80.
Irby Mandrell, the father of Barbara Mandrell, died Thursday.
Extremely instrumental in his daughter's career, he was present last month when she was announced as one of the newest inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame.