Country music fans are all too aware of tonight's CMT Music Awards. Much like the MTV Music Awards, CMT pits the most popular country singers against each other for an all-out Southern battle royale.
Apparently not much has changed since the 2010 CMT Awards because seven of this year's ten nominees were featured on last year's ballot. That means either Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert are really that amazing or no one has broken through the country music scene in the last 365 days (give or take a few).
Last year, Carrie Underwood took home the coveted Video of the Year award for her song "Cowboy Casanova" and her song "Undo It" is up for the honors this year.
Taylor Swift's song "You Belong With Me" was also on last year's ballot. Her song "Mine" resides in a precious spot on the 2011 nominee list. Arguably both songs barely fit in the country music genre. Yes, we said it.
Let's face it, Swift is a young, blonde thing who deserves recognition for the emotional rollercoaster trips her albums take teen girls on. But while she has a country background her current status falls right into the hands of pop music.
For the years that Ms. Swift has been in the spotlight her music has taken a turn from country, as heard in songs like "Tim McGraw" and "Picture to Burn." She's progressed from warbling about trucks that "get stuck on back country roads at night" to lightening her natural twang considerably while trying to convince her boy-neighbor that he belongs with her. That sure sounds like the pop-radio progression to me.
And now for the full list of the 2011 CMT Awards Video of the Year nominees:
1. Jason Aldean - My Kinda Party
2. Kenny Chesney - The Boys of Fall
3. Lady Antebellum - Hello World
4. Miranda Lambert - The House That Built Me
5. Rascal Flatts - Why Wait
6. Sugarland - Stuck Like Glue
7. Taylor Swift - Mine
8. The Band Perry - If I Die Young
9. Carrie Underwood - Undo It
10. Zac Brown Band - Colder Weather
Follow County Grind on Facebook and Twitter: @CountyGrind.