Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift Nab Album of the Year Nominations from Academy of Country Music

By Eunice Oh

Thursday March 05, 2009 02:30 PM EST

Taylor Swift in Nashville

Tony R. Phipps/WireImage

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Will this year's Academy of Country Music Awards be a ladies' night? Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood are nominated for album of the year for their albums Fearless and Carnival Ride respectively, the Academy announced Thursday. George Strait (for Troubadour), Jamey Johnson (That Lonesome Song) and Montgomery Gentry (Back When I Knew It All) round out the category.

The 44th annual ACM Awards will be hosted – for a record eleventh time – by Reba McEntire on Sunday, April 5, and be broadcast live on CBS from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Swift, Tim McGraw, Rascall Flatts, Sugarland and nominees Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert and Heidi Newfield are scheduled to perform, the Academy announced.

Brad Paisley leads the group of ACM nominees with six nods this year, including for entertainer of the year and top male vocalist. (Other nominations were previously announced.) Other top nominees include Newfield, Strait and Johnson, who each received five nominations. Swift, Kenny Chesney and Underwood have four nominations apiece.