Online voting open for ACM entertainer of year

updated 12:50 p.m. ET May 2, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Country music fans can begin voting online for the Academy of Country Music's entertainer of the year award, with voting continuing through the last hour of the ACM's May 18 awards show.

Beginning Thursday, anyone can cast a vote for entertainer nominees Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Keith Urban or Rascal Flatts at http://www.voteacm.com.

All five will perform during the show, which CBS will be broadcast live from Las Vegas at 8 p.m. Eastern.

This is the first time fans have been able to vote for the entertainer trophy, the night's top honor. All other winners are selected by members of the ACM.

Chesney is the night's leading nominee with 11. Besides entertainer of the year, he's up for male vocalist, song and video of the year for "Don't Blink" and vocal event for "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" with Tracy Lawrence and Tim McGraw.

Chesney received double nominations for artist and producer for "Shift Work" with George Strait, as well as for "Don't Blink" for single of the year and "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates" for album of the year.

If Chesney gets entertainer of the year, it would be his fourth straight win, tying him with Garth Brooks.

Paisley has four nominations, while Strait has three and Urban and Rascal Flatts have two each.

A win for top vocal group would give Rascal Flatts its sixth straight in that category, tying them with current leader Alabama.

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