2014 cma awards

Country music's most important night brings excitement, energy and decades of history. From changes in how the show is broadcast to changes in the actual CMA Awards trophy, only the categories themselves have remained consistent ... mostly. Click to learn everything you need to know about the Country Music Association Awards!

The 2014 CMA Awards just got a whole lot hotter with the announcement of three of country music's hottest bands.

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will return as hosts of the CMA Awards on November 5, and while the 'Perfect Storm' singer says the cupboard is bare in terms to things to joke about, his co-host's pregnancy "will definitely be addressed."

The CMA Awards' New Artist of the Year nominees are speaking out about their nominations.

Modest as they may be, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton likely knew they'd be mentioned among 2014 CMA Awards nominees, but garnering a collective twelve nods? It was a shock.

Luke Bryan is nominated for three CMA Awards, including the coveted Entertainer of the Year. His good fortune, he says, is "crazy."

Blake Shelton earned three CMA Award nominations this year, which is exactly one-third of what his superstar wife, Miranda Lambert, received. But while the songstress could certainly boast about her nine nods, her husband says she couldn't be more humble.

Dierks Bentley is nominated for five CMA Awards, including one for Male Vocalist of the Year, making him the top male nominee. But of all his nominations -- which also include ones for Song of the Year, Single of the Year and Music Video of the Year -- he says it's the Album of the Year nod for his No.1 album 'Riser,' which was released earlier this year, that means the most to him.

It's been quite a year for George Strait. The country music superstar wrapped up his sold-out farewell The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, starred in a two-hour TV special, 'George Strait: The Cowboy Rides Away' and will release his live album, 'The Cowboy Rides Away: Live from AT&T Stadium.' He's also nominated for his 83rd CMA Award, for Entertainer of the Year, capping off one of the most memorable years of his career.

The Eli Young Band are nominated once again for a CMA Award for Vocal Group of the Year, a category they've been named in every year since 2012 but have yet to win. But the four-man group says being nominated really is validation enough.