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.

2008 Country Music Association Awards
Date	November 12, 2008 (2008-11-12)
Location	Sommet Center, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Hosted by	Brad Paisley Carrie Underwood
Most wins	Brad Paisley George Strait Sugarland (2 each)
Most nominations	Kenny Chesney Sugarland (6 each)
Television/radio coverage
Network	ABC
← 2007 · CMA · 2009 →

Winners and nominees

^[1] Winners are shown in bold.

Entertainer of the Year	Album of the Year
Sugarland Kenny Chesney Brad Paisley George Strait 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
Alan Jackson Kenny Chesney Brad Paisley 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[2]
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[3]
Dierks Bentley Brooks & Dunn

Hall of Fame

Country Music Hall of Fame[4]
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