MUMBAI: Singer songwriter Eric Church leads the 48th Country Music Awards nominations with seven nods, including his second consecutive nod for Album of the Year.

Church bagged nods for Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for Chief, Video Record of the Year, Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year for Springsteen, Video of the Year for Creepin’ and Vocal Event of the Year with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan for The Only Way I Know.

Following closely with six nominations was newcomer Hunter Hayes who bagged nods for New Male Vocalist of the Year, Single Record of the Year as artiste and producer, Video of the Year and twice nominated in Song of the Year as artiste and composer for Wanted.

Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert bagged five nods each. Swift picked up nominations in Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Video of the Year for ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ and a double nomination in Album of the Year for Red as the artist and producer.

While Lambert bagged nods for Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Single Record of the Year and twice nominated for Song of the Year as artist and composer for ‘Over You’.

Other major nominees included Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan and Eli Young Band amongst others. The awards will be hosted by Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan, both of whom have earned nominations at the awards.

Nominees were revealed online through the second annual ACM digital press conference on the Academy’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Iconic singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, The Band Perry, Little Big Town, Scotty McCreery, Ryan Seacrest, Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler, and Sheryl Underwood amongst others announced the nominations in video postings. The announcement culminated in music fans announcing the nominees for the Academy’s biggest prize, Entertainer of the Year. For the second year, fans were invited to submit videos naming their favourite artist in the category.

Fan voting for New Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year begins on 25 March 25, 2013 and voting for New Artist of the Year will close on 7 April 2013. The voting for Entertainer of the Year will close during the third hour of the live broadcast on 7 April.

The Country Music Awards will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on 7 April 2013, and will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network.