Logging six nods apiece, Books & Dunn and Brad Paisley [ tickets ] are the leading nominees for the 40th Annual CMA Awards [ tickets ], which will be handed out Nov. 6 at Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center.

Other top contenders include Kenny Chesney [ tickets ], Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood with four nominations each, and Rascal Flatts and Dolly Parton with three.

In addition to their bounty of nominations, Brooks & Dunn [ tickets ] will also host this year's ceremony, to be televised live on ABC. It will mark the duo's third straight year hosting the show.

Final nominees in five of the 12 CMA Awards categories were announced this morning on ABC's "Good Morning America," where Paisley and Sugarlands' Jennifer Nettles were on hand. Nominees in the other categories were announced by country artists Jason Aldean and Little Big Town on a special edition of CMT's "CMT Insider" live from the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

Shut out of this year's CMA nominations entirely--despite releasing one of the genre's top-selling albums of the past year, "Taking the Long Way"--were the Dixie Chicks [ tickets ], who famously courted controversy when lead singer Natalie Maines, during a 2003 concert in London, told the audience that she was "ashamed" that President George W. Bush was a fellow Texan. The trio also distanced itself from the country music establishment while promoting the new album, the Chicks' first release since what they now refer to as "The Incident."

With this year's nominations, Dolly Parton has accumulated 43 CMA Awards nominations over the course of her career, moving ahead of Reba McEntire as the female artist with the most nominations.

The final list of nominees for the 2006 CMA Awards follows.

Entertainer of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Rascal Flatts
Keith Urban

Single of the Year
"Believe," Brooks & Dunn
"Better Life," Keith Urban
"Jesus Take the Wheel," Carrie Underwood
"Summertime," Kenny Chesney
"When I Get Where I'm Going," Brad Paisley f/ Dolly Parton

Album of the Year
"Hillbilly Deluxe," Brooks & Dunn
"Me and My Gang," Rascal Flatts
"Precious Memories," Alan Jackson
"The Road and the Radio," Kenny Chesney
"Time Well Wasted," Brad Paisley

SONG OF THE YEAR
"8th of November," Big Kenny/John Rich (performed by Big & Rich)
"Believe," Craig Wiseman/Ronnie Dunn (Brooks & Dunn)
"Jesus Take The Wheel," Hillary Lindsey/Brett James/Gordie Sampson (Carrie Underwood)
"Tonight I Wanna Cry," Keith Urban/Monty Powell (Keith Urban)
"When I Get Where I'm Going," Rivers Rutherford/George Teren (Brad Paisley f/ Dolly Parton)

Female Vocalist of the Year
Sara Evans
Faith Hill
Martina McBride
Carrie Underwood
Gretchen Wilson

Male Vocalist of the Year
Dierks Bentley
Kenny Chesney
Alan Jackson
Brad Paisley
Keith Urban

Vocal Group of the Year
Alison Krauss + Union Station f/ Jerry Douglas
Little Big Town
Lonestar
Rascal Flatts
Sugarland

Vocal Duo of the Year
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
Van Zant
The Wreckers

Musical Event of the Year
Brooks & Dunn (Guest vocals by Sheryl Crow and Vince Gill), "Building Bridges"
Faith Hill f/ Tim McGraw, "Like We Never Loved At All"
Gretchen Wilson f/ Merle Haggard, "Politically Uncorrect"
Brad Paisley f/ Dolly Parton, "When I Get Where I'm Going"
Bon Jovi w/ Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland, "Who Says You Can't Go Home"

Musician of the Year
Eddie Bayers (drums)
Jerry Douglas (dobro)
Paul Franklin (steel guitar)
Dann Huff (guitar)
Brent Mason (guitar)
Randy Scruggs (guitar)

Music Video of the Year
"8th of November," Big & Rich (directed by Robert Deaton, George J. Flanigen IV, Marc Oswald)
"Believe," Brooks & Dunn (Robert Deaton, George J. Flanigen IV)
"Jesus Take the Wheel," Carrie Underwood (Roman White)
"Kerosene," Miranda Lambert (Trey Fanjoy)
"When I Get Where I'm Going," Brad Paisley f/ Dolly Parton (Jim Shea)

Horizon Award
Miranda Lambert
Little Big Town
Sugarland
Josh Turner
Carrie Underwood