Shania Twain returns to national stage with CMA Awards performa

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- After a two-year hiatus, rock-country diva Shania Twain returns to the national stage Wednesday when she opens the Country Music Association Awards live on CBS from the Grand Ole Opry House.

But it's Alan Jackson who may steal the show. Jackson is up for a record 10 awards, including the top honor of best entertainer. Last year, he stopped the show with the performance of his Sept. 11-themed hit "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)."

Hosted for the 11th straight year by Vince Gill, the show's 26 performances will also include Brad Paisley, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney and reigning best female vocalist Lee Ann Womack.

"It showcases the full breadth of country music and what happened this year -- from Faith Hill and Shania to Dolly Parton and Allison Krauss," said CMA spokesman Scott Stem.

Country music sales are up in an otherwise sluggish year industry-wide. As of Oct. 27, country music sales for 2002 totaled 51.9 million, up 5.5 percent from the same period last year, according to Nielson SoundScan. That's compared with overall music sales, which were down 10.5 percent for the same period.

Been out off the country

Twain, 1999's CMA Entertainer of the Year, spent much of the past two years in Switzerland with producer-husband Mutt Lange. Twain gave birth to the couple's first child, Eja, on Aug. 12.

Twain will open the show with "I'm Gonna Getcha Good," the first song from her new album "UP!," which is slated for release Nov. 19, and first television appearance since 1999.

"Shania has long since eclipsed just Nashville and just country," said Neil Pond, editor of Country Weekly and Country Music magazines. "For her to be coming back and launching this phase of her career from Nashville and from the CMAs is a great sign.

"She's saying 'country radio and country music are important to me,' and that's a message Nashville is heartened to hear."

As for Jackson, his 10 nominations -- which broke a record set by Merle Haggard when he received nine in 1970 -- include nods for entertainer, male vocalist and album of the year for "Drive," as well as single, song and video of the year for both "Drive (For Daddy Gene)" and Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)."

This year, the CMA Awards show also benefits from recent or upcoming album releases by the genre's biggest performers.

Tim McGraw premieres his new CD "Tim McGraw & the Dancehall Doctors" on Nov. 26, and "Cry," the newest album by McGraw's wife Faith Hill, is currently No. 1 on the country charts and No. 2 on Billboard's Top 200.

"The CMA Awards have the good fortune of coming into the intersection at the same time the biggest stars of the format are releasing products," Pond said. "Given the fact that they've got an almost unprecedented superstar factor, it's going to be a big night."

Country legends Porter Wagoner and "Jumpin"' Bill Carlisle will be welcomed by Parton as the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame as part of the show.

Along with Jackson, the nominees for the top award of best entertainer are Chesney, Toby Keith, George Strait and Brooks & Dunn. Best male vocalist nominees are Chesney, Jackson, Keith, Paisley and Strait.

Best female vocalist nominees are Womack, Krauss, Sara Evans, Martina McBride and Trisha Yearwood.

About 6,000 CMA members, who work in the country music industry, nominate and select the winners.

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On the Net

Country Music Awards: www.cmaawards.com