Voting begins today for the 2008 CMT Music Awards, country music's only fan-voted award show, with the announcement of this year's first round finalists. Beginning today, Tuesday, February 5 at 5:00 p.m., ET, fans can vote on CMT.com for their favorite artists to determine the final nominees for CMT's seventh annual awards show.

Country music's biggest stars will rock Nashville's Curb Event Center at Belmont University when the 2008 CMT Music Awards premieres live on Monday, April 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET on CMT and CMT.com.

The first round of voting runs from February 5 through February 25, only at CMT.com. On Thursday, March 6, CMT will announce the four finalists in each of the thirteen 2008 CMT Music Awards categories, except "Video of the Year". Fans can then vote online at CMT.com through Friday, April 11 to determine the winners. The final nominees for Video of the Year will be announced at the beginning of the live show, and fans can vote at CMT.com throughout the live broadcast (ET/CT only) to determine the night’s big winner.

The nominees in each of the 2008 CMT MUSIC AWARDS categories include:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• Brad Paisley - "Online"(Director: Jason Alexander)
• Carrie Underwood - "Wasted" (Director: Roman White)
• Kenny Chesney - "Don’t Blink" (Director: Shaun Silva)
• LeAnn Rimes - "Nothin' Better To Do" (Directors: David McClister and LeAnn Rimes)
• Rascal Flatts - "Take Me There" (Director: Shaun Silva)
• Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson - "Because of You" (Director: Roman White)
• Sugarland - "Stay" (Director: Shaun Silva)
• Taylor Swift - "Our Song" (Director: Trey Fanjoy)

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• Alan Jackson - "Small Town Southern Man"
• Brad Paisley - "Online"
• Jason Aldean - "Johnny Cash"
• Josh Turner - "Firecracker"
• Keith Urban - "I Told You So"
• Kenny Chesney - "Don’t Blink"
• Toby Keith - "High Maintenance Woman"
• Trace Adkins - "I Got My Game On"

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• Carrie Underwood - "So Small"
• Carrie Underwood - "Wasted"
• Gretchen Wilson - "Come to Bed"
• LeAnn Rimes - "Nothin' Better to Do"
• Martina McBride - "Anyway"
• Miranda Lambert - "Famous in a Small Town"
• Sara Evans - "As If"
• Taylor Swift - "Our Song"

GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• Bon Jovi - "(You Want To) Make a Memory"
• The Eagles – "How Long"
• Lady Antebellum –"Love Don't Live Here"
• Little Big Town – "A Little More You"
• Old Crow Medicine Show – "I Hear Them All"
• Randy Rogers Band – "One More Goodbye"
• Rascal Flatts – "Stand"
• Rascal Flatts – "Take Me There"

DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• Big & Rich – "Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace"
• Big & Rich – "Lost in this Moment"
• Brooks & Dunn – "Proud of the House We Built"
• Montgomery Gentry – "What Do Ya Think About That"
• Sugarland – "Everyday America"
• Sugarland – "Stay"
• Van Zant – "Goes Down Easy"

USA WEEKEND BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• Bucky Covington – "A Different World"
• Chuck Wicks – "Stealing Cinderella"
• Eric Church – "Guys Like Me"
• Jake Owen – "Startin' With Me"
• Jason Michael Carroll – "Livin' Our Love Song"
• Kellie Pickler – "I Wonder"
• Lady Antebellum – "Love Don't Live Here"
• Luke Bryan – "All My Friends Say"

Videos that debuted on CMT between January 16, 2007 and January 17, 2008 are eligible for the 2008 CMT Music Awards. Finalists were determined by an industry panel that includes noted country music journalists, as well as music industry, music retail and CMT executives. Log on to CMT.com to view streaming clips of nominated videos.

Labels: CMT