On November 10, the 2011 CMA Awards will bring together country’s brightest stars for an evening of glamour, excitement, and live performances of the year’s biggest hits — but you won’t have to wait until then for the fun to start.

The announcement of this year’s nominees will be an event unto itself, featuring an appearance on ‘Good Morning America’ by The Band Perry and Jake Owen, as well as a Nashville press conference hosted by Jerrod Niemann and Thompson Square.

It all starts at 8:30 a.m. EST on September 6, when The Band Perry and Jake Owen arrive on the ‘GMA’ set to announce the nominees in five categories. Owen will also be performing his hit ‘Barefoot Blue Jean Night.’ Later in the morning, the nominees in the final seven categories will be announced at a press conference from Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium.

CMT will air its coverage of the nomination announcements the following day, with a ‘CMT Insider Special Edition: 2011 CMA Award Nominations’ special scheduled to air at 11:30 a.m. EST. Finally, on November 10, ABC will air the awards ceremony, hosted by three-time emcees Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.

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