McAnally Humbled by Another CMA Nomination

Coral Reefer Mac McAnally is very humbled by his CMA Musician of the Year nomination, an award he’s won the last two years. The Times Daily has an interview with Mac:

“I know we’ve had this conversation before, but I was flattered and felt unworthy to be nominated the first time and now I’ve won two,” McAnally said Friday during a telephone interview from San Francisco where he was preparing for a show with Jimmy Buffett.

The CMA Musician of the Year Award is given to studio musicians in recognition of their work in the past year, particularly with chart-topping songs.

McAnally speculated 2009’s win was the result of his studio work with Kenny Chesney on “Down the Road,” a song McAnally wrote more than 20 years ago. The previous year, he said it was likely because of his work with Buffett and George Strait.

“Once again, I’m awfully grateful to be thought about in any positive light by my peers,” McAnally said.

He normally is busy as a producer, performer and studio musician, but back-to-back CMA awards brought him telephone calls from artists he has not heard from previously.

“Playing music is my favorite thing to do,” he said. “It’s certainly not a bad thing to get called to do some more.”

He said this year’s nomination probably is linked to several things he did during the past year, including co-producing “Buffett Hotel” and work with George Strait as well as up-and-coming country artist and Alabama native Jamey Johnson.

“I’m not without a lot of work in the pile,” McAnally said.