I love awards shows. All of them. I love the glitzy red carpets, the girls' gorgeous gowns, the guys' snazzy suits and tuxes, the musical performances, the scripted jokes,Taylor Swift's face every time she wins. It's almost embarrassing how fast I run home from class or work just to make sure I don't miss the anything. So obviously I'm really looking forward to the CMA Awards this Thursday!

I'm more excited than ever for this year's show! The performance line-up is filled with the best talent, and all of my favorite artists are on the list including Carrie Underwood, Little Big Town, Lady Antebellum, and Miranda Lambert. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are in their fifth year as co-hosts, promising the evening to be complete with witty jokes and banter and the excellent onstage chemistry that the two share.

This has been yet another incredible year for country and all of the nominees have given us so much music to love. Blown Away, Tornado, Night Train, Own the Night, Four the Record, Red...the list goes on.

Of course every nominee in each category is there for a reason, and each one deserves recognition for their achievements and contributions to country music for the past year. But here are some of my picks and predictions as to who will take home the prizes.

New Artist of the Year: There's no doubt in my mind that Hunter Hayes doesn't have this one in the bag. Out of all the artists in the category, Hayes has gained the widest audience and has produced the biggest hit with his single "Wanted."  Aside from his debut record, he has scored a major touring gig on Carrie Underwood's Blown Away tour. He has appealed to audiences in both country and pop and is, of course, every young girl's newest crush. So maybe my 20-year-old girl view is slightly biased, but I would be shocked if he didn't sweep this category as country's biggest breakout star this year.

Female Vocalist of the Year: Each of the artists nominated for Female Vocalist has had a string of victories over the past few years. Martina McBride won for three consecutive years from 2002-2004, Carrie Underwood from 2006-2008, Taylor Swift in 2009, and Miranda Lambert for the past two years. This year's awards introduce a completely new and surprising nominee with pop singer Kelly Clarkson, whose collaborations with Reba McEntire and Jason Aldean have earned her a place in Nashville. It's a tough call between each of these talented women who have all become such iconic figures in country. I would love to see Lambert snag the award for a third year, but I also think the accomplishments Underwood has achieved this year with Blown Away also put her at the top.

Male Vocalist of the Year: I think the real competition is between Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean. These two have been rising to the top over the past couple of years with some of the biggest hits on the charts. Aldean's huge success with My Kinda Party claims iconic hits like "Dirt Road Anthem" and the duet "Don't You Wanna Stay" with Kelly Clarkson that are enough to put Aldean to the top. Luke Bryan's own Tailgates and Tanlines make him an equal contender. The singles "Drunk on You" and "I Don't Want this Night to End" were perfect summer hits. Urban and Shelton have also claimed accomplishments this year both musically and in the television world, and I wouldn't be completely surprised for a win from Shelton. But I still think Bryan and Aldean are the front runners.

Vocal Group of the Year: My top two picks here are Little Big Town and Lady Antebellum. Lady Antebellum is a favorite among many country and pop fans, and they have won this category for the past three years. The success of Own the Night and the album's singles definitely puts them at the top of the game and ready for a possible fourth win. As much as I love Lady A, I would love to see the award go to Little Big Town this year. Sorry for sounding like a broken record by once again raving about Little Big Town, but this year they have certainly stepped up into the spotlight more than ever. Their summer hit "Pontoon"and subsequent album Tornado are enough to put LBT in the winner's category.

Entertainer of the Year: This honored award has been traded between Brad Paisley and Taylor Swift since 2009 with Swift being the reigning Entertainer of the Year. Both are up for the award again this year along with Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, and Jason Aldean. Again, the amount of talent and success that each of these artists brings makes for a difficult decision of who will be crowned the title. Then again, Taylor Swift has won every time she's been nominated for this category, and with her new album being all the buzz, the success of her most recent singles, and just simply the fact that she's the queen of country/pop, I have a feeling we may be witnessing her priceless look of surprise Thursday night.