Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood announced nominees for "The 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards" on Monday, March 4, 2008 at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. Photo by Shay Taylor.

March 5, 2008 — Yesterday’s announcement of the nominees for the 43rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards provoked a strong reaction from many of the artists and songwriters who found their names on that prestigious list. Here’s what a few of the nominees were saying:

• Kenny Chesney (11 nominations): "To me, Just Who I Am is a record that’s shown a lot of growth, and when people give us these nominations, it says we’re growing in the right direction."

• Rodney Atkins (six total nominations): "It’s amazing to have your name mentioned with these guys like George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley. It’s going to take a while to sink in. It’s nice to be noticed, kind of like getting to the big leagues: It’s what you always hope for."

• Big Kenny, Big & Rich (eight collective nominations as a duo, and as individuals): "People always say it is an honor to just be nominated, and you know what? It is. I feel like all the years we struggled to be accepted [have] paid off. These nominations mean more to us than you will ever know."

Miranda Lambert photo courtesy of frontpagepublicity.com.

• Brad Paisley (four nominations, including Video of the Year): "Any time you get William Shatner to do a makeout scene in your video with Jason Alexander’s mother from ‘Seinfeld,’ you should be up for Video of the Year!"

• Miranda Lambert (three nominations): "I was hoping for one since I played [on the nominations broadcast] this morning, but three is just amazing. Album of the Year is the big one, and I’m so excited to be nominated. I poured my heart into this album, and the great response makes it that much better."