Unexpected Nods for Lovett

The three nominations of critics’ fave Lyle Lovett were the big surprise in the country field, more so than Vince Gill’s category-leading five nominations or even teen sensation LeAnn Rimes’ three nods.

Lovett’s “The Road to Ensenada” album--one of the few country efforts to make many pop critics’ year-end Top 10 lists--contends with releases by Gill, Brooks & Dunn, Trisha Yearwood and Patty Loveless in the country album category. Lovett also is nominated for best country song and duo vocal. Any win for Lovett, who never has been much of a hit-maker, could remind Nashville that artistry has a place alongside the formulaic songs that dominate the charts and radio.

Rimes, just 13 when she recorded her powerhouse Patsy Cline-like hit “Blue,” is up for female vocal performance along with veterans Mary Chapin Carpenter (whose star seems to have faded among voters, this being her only nomination), Yearwood and Alison Krauss and newcomer Deana Carter. Because Rimes’ album and single fared so well on the pop charts, it’s no surprise that she also is up for best new artist.

Gill, whose nominations include best country album, song and male vocal, remains a favorite among voters for his consistently moving vocals, his solid songwriting and his ability to wed the two in hit songs and albums.