2015 CMA Awards Nominees: The Surprises and the Snubs

The 2015 CMA Awards are a highlight of the country music year, and this year, there were a few surprises and also several snubs among the recently revealed list of nominees.

Kenny Chesney was near the top of the pool of nominations, garnering a total of five nods and generating quite a bit of surprise. Though the singer has had successful albums in the past, he stalled out a bit before his most recent release, The Big Revival. The album was truly a revitalization of sorts for Chesney, and it showed when the nods were announced.

Chris Stapleton was another surprise. He's been flying under most mainstream country fans' radars, similar in fashion to Kacey Musgraves early in her career, but he obviously hasn't gone unnoticed by CMA voters.

There are several other surprise nominees in the mix, but sadly, there are quite a few snubs as well: Blake Shelton certainly deserved more nods, and Reba McEntire and Tim McGraw were shut out entirely.

Flip through the gallery above, and then share your own opinions on this year's list of nominees in the comments section below. Keep in mind, according to the Country Music Association, songs, singles, albums and music videos must have been first released during a specific period, typically between July 1 of the previous year and June 30 of this year, to be eligible for nomination.

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