Carrie said of her five nominations, “I feel like I am still in a dream. My life has been such a whirlwind in the past two years, so please don’t wake me up!” Kenny, up for two of the Academy’s biggest awards, Entertainer and Top Male Vocalist, remarked that award nominations never get old. “It’s always great to be honored like this,” Kenny noted, “because it recognizes everybody who helps contribute to this success.” Rascal Flatts’ Gary LeVox concurred with Kenny that, “This will never, ever get old. We are grateful that we continue to be recognized by our peers and the Academy.” Rising star Ashley Monroe had a dream come true with her first ACM nomination, in the Vocal Event category for her duet with Ronnie Dunn, “I Don’t Want To.” Ashley, who co-wrote the song, simply stated, “Wow . . . I’m so excited to get this nomination! I’m very proud of this song and so grateful to Ronnie Dunn for being kind enough to sing it with me.”