In the first part of a 3-part ACM Awards preview series, we take an in-depth look at three of the Categories in which the Academy of Country Music will be handing out awards.
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For the next three weeks we’ll be previewing three different sections of the categories of the 2012 ACM Awards (airing April 1, 2012 at 8PM on CBS TV). We’re going to preview our thoughts on the categories for Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Single of the Year this week.
Album of the Year
[Award to Artist/Producer/Record Company]
Chief — Eric Church (EMI Nashville) [Producer: Jay Joyce, Arturo Bunahora, Jr.]
Four the Record — Miranda Lambert (RCA) [Producer: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell]
Hemingway’s Whiskey — Kenny Chesney (BNA) [Producer: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney)
My Kinda Party — Jason Aldean (Broken Bow) [Producer: Michael Knox]
Own The Night — Lady Antebellum (Capitol Nashville) [Producer: Lady Antebellum, Paul Worley]
This category showcases a distinct difference between ACM and CMA Categories as Chief from Eric Church probably would be picked-over by some other category. The category also represents the changing of the guard of sorts with Church and Aldean leading the way with their rockin’ brands of country music. Lambert, Chesney and Lady Antebellum are all previous nominees here with the Lambert’s previous two albums and Lady Antebellum’s last record Need You Now all winning this award. Lambert’s record is the ‘newest’ of the bunch here, followed by Church’s so that leads us to think they have the least chance of winning. Aldean and Chesney both have massive albums with 4 #1 hits which means they really are AotY worthy, particularly when you factor in the great album cuts that weren’t singles. This means this category will likely go to either Aldean or Chesney but don’t rule out Miranda either for the reason mentioned above, two previous AotY wins.
Song of the Year
[Award to Composer/Publisher/Artist]
“Crazy Girl” — Eli Young Band
(Composers: Liz Rose, Lee Brice) [Publishers: Cake Taker Music(BMI), Mike Curb Music (BMI), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Sweet Hysteria Music (BMI)]
“Home” — Dierks Bentley
(Composers: Brett Beavers, Dierks Bentley, Dan Wilson) [Publishers: Big White Tracks (ASCAP), Chestnut Barn Music (BMI), Chrysalis Music/BMG Rights (ASCAP), Chrysalis One Songs (BMI)]
“Just A Kiss” — Lady Antebellum
(Composers: Dallas Davidson, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott) [Publishers: Dwhaywood Music (BMI), EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI), EMI Foray Music (SESAC), Hillary Dawn Songs (SESAC), Radiobulletspublishing (BMI), String Stretcher Music (BMI) Warner-Tamberlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)]
“Threaten Me With Heaven” — Vince Gill
(Composers: Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Dillon O’Brian, Will Owsley) [Publishers: Grant Girls Music (ASCAP), Vinny Mae Music (BMI), Willie-O Music (ASCAP)]
“You and Tequila” — Kenny Chesney (Feat Grace Potter)
(Composers: Matraca Berg, Deana Carter) [Publishers: Deanaling Music (ASCAP), Hannaberg Music (BMI), Songs of Universal Inc., (BMI), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)]
An award for the songwriters, the publisher and the artists, I’d really be surprised if anything but “Crazy Girl” or “Just A Kiss” took home this award. That’s just how these things typically go. That doesn’t mean we don’t think “Home,” “Threaten Me With Heaven” or “You And Tequila” are bad songs. Oh, quite the contrary. We like those three perhaps more – and in that order – than the two other tunes, it’s just that we realize that academy voting blocs usually vote for the best-written commercially successful song and that’s what the first two were. But in the end, no matter what happens, we’ll be happy with whomever wins as the crop of 5 tunes are all strong songs.
Single Record of the Year
[Award to Artist/Producer/Record Company]
“Crazy Girl” — Eli Young Band (Republic Nashville) [Producer: Mike Wrucke]
“Don’t You Wanna Stay” — Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson (Broken Bow) [Producer: Michael Knox]
“Red Solo Cup” — Toby Keith (Show Dog-Universal) [Producer: Toby Keith]
“Tomorrow” — Chris Young (RCA) [Producer: James Stroud]
“You and Tequila” — Kenny Chesney feat. Grace Potter (BNA) [Producer: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney]
What we love about this category and another example of the ACM’s nomination process is that they best hit singles of the year don’t always have to be the best-written songs and so there are only two hold-overs in the category here. First we have Eli Young Band’s “Crazy Girl,” a song which broke the band out in a big way and ended up 2011 as the most-played song on Billboard’s radio charts while Kenny Chensey (and Grace Potter)’s “You And Tequila” wasn’t far behind. Add in #1 hit “Tomorrow” from Chris Young (one of 5 #1’s in a row from him), multi-week and format smash duet “Don’t You Wanna Stay” from Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson and we’ve got songs that are downright massive and worthy of being “Single Record of the Year.” Then we have fall 2011 and early 2012 viral sensation “Red solo Cup” from Toby Keith and you’ve got a tight, tough competition for this award.
First, let’s eliminate the pretenders. As great as “Tomorrow” is, we just don’t see it winning. The same can probably be said about “You And Tequila.” So that leaves the three other songs and on any normal rational basis we’d eliminate “Solo Cup” but quite honestly, it wasn’t supposed to ever be a single at radio, let alone a massive Top 10 hit with close to two million downloads. For that alone, we think it’s the front-runner with “Don’t You Wanna Stay” and “Crazy Girl.” If somebody said we ‘had to choose’ one of those three, we’d go with “Crazy Girl” because of the status as the #1 single of 2011 along with the fact that “Don’t You Wanna Stay” will likely win Vocal Event of the year and that “Red Solo Cup” which all started with a video, will likely take home that award (but more on those next week).
Well, there you have it folks, our first of three weekly prediction pages previewing the 2012 ACM Awards on CBS. On Friday, we’ll talk “New Artist of the Year, “Vocal Event of the Year, Video of the Year” and Songwriter of the Year categories before finishing off next week with the Male, Female, Duo, Group, and Entertainer of the Year categories right before the Award Show on April 1!
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