ACM Album of the Year Nominations Announced

When nominations for the 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards were announced last month, one very important category was noticeably left out: Album of the Year. That's because the ACM was rethinking its rule that all albums nominated in that category must have sold at least 300,000 copies. Today's tough economy, coupled with the shift to digital music downloading, ultimately caused the Academy to change that rule. So, the nominations are finally out!

This year's ACM Album of the Year nominees are: Jamey Johnson's 'That Lonesome Song,' Montgomery Gentry's 'Back When I Knew It All,' George Strait's 'Troubadour,' Taylor Swift's 'Fearless' and Carrie Underwood's 'Carnival Ride.' Johnson and Montgomery Gentry wouldn't have heard their names called Thursday if it hadn't been for the rule change.

Brad Paisley leads the pack of ACM nominees with six nods, followed by Heidi Newfield and George Strait with five each. For a full list, click here.