This year’s CMA Awards will be broadcast live Wednesday from the Sommet Center in Nashville. You can watch from 8-11 p.m. on ABC.
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood return as hosts of the show for the second time.
Here’s a complete list of the nominees for the 2009 CMA Awards and my picks for the winners:
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Because I know that we live by the TiVo, I wanted to make sure that everyone got 12 hours or so to watch ABC’s reboot of “V,” which premiered last night before revealing any juicy plot points. I normally don’t wait this long to give details,  but given the buzz on this show, which won the night in ratings, I decided to just this once.

I don’t consider them spoilers, because the show’s already aired, and if you’re gonna recap something, you can’t possibly know when everybody at home is going to read that recap. So if you don’t want to know what happened, DON’T READ ANY FURTHER. You’ve been warned.

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Morena Baccarin plays Anna, leader of the alien visitors, in ABC's 'V'. (ABC)

Imagine this. At a time of political turmoil, a charismatic, telegenic new leader arrives virtually out of nowhere. He offers a message of hope and reconciliation based on compromise and promises to marshal technology for a better future that will include universal health care.

The news media swoons in admiration — one simpering anchorman even shouts at a reporter who asks a tough question: “Why don’t you show some respect?!!” The public is likewise smitten, except for a few nut cases who circulate batty rumors on the Internet about the leader’s origins and intentions. The leader, undismayed, offers assurances that are soothing, if also just a tiny bit condescending: “Embracing change is never easy.”

So, does that sound like anyone you know? Oh, wait — did I mention the leader is secretly a totalitarian space lizard who’s come here to eat us?

Welcome to ABC’s V, the final, the most fascinating and bound to be the most controversial new show of the fall television season. Nominally a rousing sci-fi space opera about alien invaders bent on the conquest (and digestion) of all humanity, it’s also a barbed commentary on Obamamania that will infuriate the president’s supporters and delight his detractors.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cocktails won’t be served, but ABC says a new online “music lounge” will offer a full menu of songs and artists featured on its shows.

The virtual ABC Music Lounge is aimed at making the most of the tunes included on “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Desperate Housewives” and other programs, the network said Thursday.

The Web site offers a streaming “radio station” playing 200-plus singers and bands whose songs have been heard on ABC, Web pages for featured artists and a link for online song purchases.

Music videos, exclusive performance footage and interviews with artists and show producers also are on the site.

“This is way to bring all the music of ABC into one place, to allow people to find and enjoy it,” said Michael Benson, ABC executive vice president for marketing.

Artists showcased on the new site include Adele, the Fray, Lenka, Anya Marina, Joshua Radin and Rilo Kiley.

ABC Music Lounge’s scheduled Thursday debut was to coincide with 100th episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.” To mark the occasion, the Web site offered a retrospective of the music featured throughout the drama’s run.

Other TV networks highlight on-air music on their Web sites, but ABC said its goal is to offer the most “robust” destination. The Music Lounge is another measure of the growing importance of television to the music industry, ABC executives said.

“There’s been so much talk about CD sales declining. That doesn’t mean the use of music and demand for music is declining,” said Peter DiCecco, ABC senior vice president of business and legal affairs for music. “People always want a venue to find music. TV is that venue.”

ABC also is taking on the “important responsibility” of helping to launch new artists in a changing music industry, said Dawn Soler, ABC vice president for TV music.

According to the network, sales of the Fray’s “How To Save A Life” jumped nearly 300 percent after playing in an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” while digital downloads of Lenka’s “Trouble Is A Friend” also jumped after it was included on the show.

The network is working with Epic Records and other labels to create a new business model that provide for revenue-sharing and help reduce license fees for the use of music on TV, Benson said.

LYNN ELBER
AP Television Writer

Last year, American Idol‘s Ryan Seacrest emceed the Emmys, a first for a reality show host. But Seacrest bombed.

So, what did ABC do this year?

Bring Seacrest back with…four other reality show hosts! Ooooh, goodie!

Unfortunately the result was the same: The telecast bombed and was even worst than last year’s show. At least Seacrest could spread the blame. He stunk up the joint with Tom Bergeron, Howie Mandel, Jeff Probst and Heidi Klum. With no one to vote off, The Reality Show Five looked woefully out of place. Even they admitted in their lame opening they had nothing. But who knew they were being so literal?

When Begeron let Klum fall to the stage in a painfully unfunny bit, the thud wasn’t as loud as all the jokes and one-liners that kept falling flat all night long.

It took an old pro like Don Rickles to show The Reality Show Five what funny is really all about. Rickles came out and mostly killed. Checking out a sea of white faces in the front row at the Nokia Theater, Rickles joked the row looked like O.J. Simpson’s jury. And when Kathy Griffin informed Don that the teleprompter’s red light was flashing — a sign for the star to stay on script — Rickles rolled his eyes and deapanned the light was flashing because the telecast was such a “hot” show.

I say let Rickles host next year.

With a show that bad, there weren’t many memorable moments. But here are a few…

Funniest acceptance speech: Tina Fey. After winning for Best Actress in a Comedy, Fey revealed that when she has trouble with a scene, her hubby tells her to act like Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Then, right on cue, the 30 Rock star holds up her shiny new Emmy, looks at Julia (who just lost to Fey) and cracks, “This is really working out for me.” Kudos to Julia for laughing and being a good sport.

Worst jacket on a dude: Perhaps new CSI star Laurence Fishburne thought he was going to the Playboy Mansion instead of the Emmys. How else can you explain him wearing a fire engine red jacket that looked like it’s been hanging in Hef’s closet since the late ’60s?

Most surprising upset: Breaking Bad‘s Brian Cranston beating out Mad Men favorite Jon Hamm. Even the dashing Hamm could be seen mouthing “Whoa!” when Cranston’s name was announced.

Star Who Looked Most Like A Young Jack Nicholson: Christian Slater could very well be Jack’s love child. Same eyebrows. Same creepy smile. Same receding hairline. Scary.

Meaniest Looking Presenter: David Boreanaz. I’ve seen killers on Death Row look more excited than the Bones star did last night while presenting the Best Actor and Actress in a Comedy Emmy. Somebody should’ve told David he’s not playing Angel anymore. It’s OK to lighten up a bit.

Best dig at President Bush: Paul Giamatti cracking that “anybody can play the president. Anybody.”

Star I’m Really Sorry Didn’t Win: Lost‘s Michael Emerson. But at least he lost to Zeljko Ivanek who did some fine work on Damages as a high-powered attorney.

Best Musical Number: Josh Groban singing the theme songs to a bunch of popular TV shows. OK, so it was the only musical number. But it was sure better than watching the The Reality Show Five bomb.