Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Zac Brown Band have topped the nominations for the 45th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which were announced by Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton last night.

Country Music has figured prominently at this year's GRAMMY Awards with Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown Band, Lady Antebellum, Randy Travis and Australia's Keith Urban amougst the winners.

Swift won GRAMMYS for Best Country Album, Best Country Song ('White Horse') and Best Female Country Vocal Performance ('White Horse'). She then won the biggest award of the night, Album Of The Year (all genres).

"I just hope that you know how much this means to me and Nathan [Chapman], my producer, and to all these musicians you see on this stage that we get to take this back to Nashville," she said.

"Oh my God, our families are freaking out in their living rooms! My dad and my little brother are losing their minds in the living room right now. This is for my dad. Thank you for all those times you said I could do whatever I wanted in life. And my mom, you're my best friend," said Swift.  

Zac Brown Band won Best New Artist among all genres, completing a great double for country music.

And Keith Urban won his third GRAMMY in the Best Male Country Vocal Performance category for 'Sweet Thing'.

Lady Antebellum won Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for 'I Run To You' and Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis won Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for 'I Told You So'.

Visit www.grammys.com for the full list of winners.

Photos: Steve Granitz / WireImage.com

The 38th CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia, were delivered on Saturday night in Tamworth. The Awards were hosted by The McClymonts.

The US People's Choice Awards were held today in Los Angeles with country artists fairing very well. Taylor Swift won the Favorite Female Artist (All Genres) award. She beat out Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Carrie Underwood and P!NK to win.

Keith Urban is back in Australia this week to perform major city shows. Check out some of the action from sound-check at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne last week...

Keith Urban has received four nominations for the 52nd Grammy Awards to be held on January 31, 2010 (February 1 Australian time) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Urban's nominations are in the following categories: 

* Best Male Country Vocal Performance: 'Sweet Thing'

* Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: 'Start A Band' w/Brad Paisley

* Best Country Album: Defying Gravity

* Best Long Form Music Video: 'Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy World Tour Live'

“I wrote and recorded Defying Gravity to touch upon the power of the human spirit,” said Urban.  “I had no idea it would’ve connected the way it did.  We saw it night after night on the Escape Together Tour and to now end the year with these nominations is pure magic", said Urban on his official website.

Congratulations Keith! 

Australia's Keith Urban won an American Music Award yesterday in the Favourite Male Country Artist category. The awards were broadcast in Australia on cable channel FOX 8. It's the first time Urban has won an American Music Award.

Taylor Swfit won five awards on the night and the big upset of the night was country group Gloriana's win in the Breakthrough Artist category. They beat out Lady GaGa to win that award.

Urban will now fly to Sydney to perform at the ARIA Awards in Sydney on Thursday night. He is nominated for an ARIA in the Best Country Album catagory alongside Jasmine Rae, Troy Cassar-Daley, Shane Nicholson and Felicity Urquhart.

Check out this video from Urban to fans following the AMA Award win...

Photo provided by the Country Music Association.

Troy Cassar-Daley, Adam Brand, The McClymonts, Amber Lawrence and Keith Urban are amongst the finalists for this year's CMAA Country Music Awards (Golden Guitars).

For full finalist details visit www.country.com.au

The 2009 ARIA Awards nominations have been announced and the nominees in the BEST COUNTRY ALBUM category are;

* Jasmine Rae - Look It Up
* Keith Urban - Defying Gravity
* Felciity Urquhart - Landing Lights 
* Shane Nicholson - Familar Ghosts
* Troy Cassar Daley - I Love This Place

Shane Nicholson won the award last year with wife Kasey Chambers for their album, Rattlin Bones, while Keith Urban won the award in 2007 and Troy Cassar-Daley in 2006.

For Jasmine Rae, it's her first ARIA Award nomination with her ARIA #5 debuting album, Look It Up. It's also the first nomination for Felicity Urquhart, whose album Landling Lights has been critically aclaimed.

Bob Evans will be Keith Urban's opening act when the Escape Together World Tour hits Australia in December. 

Evans released his third solo album Goodnight Bull Creek earlier this year. The includes a cover of Lily Allen’s ‘Not Fair’.

Dates and venues for the Escape World Tour as follows;

December 12, Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena
December 14, Wollongong, WIN Entertainment Centre
December 16, Sydney, Entertainment Centre
December 18, Brisbane, Entertainment Centre
December 19, Brisbane, Entertainment Centre