The 2008 CMT Music Awards: 14 days to vote (and some videos you don't want to miss!)

Click the image to watch Bucky Covington's CMT Outsider videos at CMT.com.

Yes, Bucky Covington will be there at the Curb Event Center on April 14th to find out whether he'll be taking home that belt buckle trophy for "A Diffferent World" at the 2008 CMT Music Awards--but last year, he was there as your "tour guide" for a hilarious series of CMT Outsider web-only preview segments for the gala event. If you didn't get a chance to watch these, they're a must-see. Bucky (pre-album release) takes you inside and outside the Curb Center for a look at the preparations for the big day and has some interesting chats with people--and a few inanimate objects--along the way.

(Sweet irony: at one point in the first segment, Bucky shows off the CMT Music Awards mosh pit and says something along the lines of "this is probably the closest I'll ever get to that stage..." Words can't describe how happy we all are that he was absolutely wrong about that!)

Oh yeah, we're excited--and we'll be even more excited when he wins. Help make it happen-- register at CMT, vote now, and recruit friends, family members, neighbors and more. Voting ends April 11--that's just two weeks from today.

Bucky was a terrific online host last year, and Blake Shelton will be a terrific TV host for a sneak peek at the CMT Music Awards this year. Here's the press release about the April 5th Video of the Year special:

NASHVILLE – In anticipation of the 2008 CMT MUSIC AWARDS, COMEDY VIDEO OF THE YEAR nominee Blake Shelton gives fans a closer look at the eight videos nominated for VIDEO OF THE YEAR when he hosts the 2008 CMT MUSIC AWARDS VIDEO OF THE YEAR SPECIAL. Featuring appearances by Little Big Town and GONE COUNTRY’s Julio Iglesias Jr., as well as a surprise appearance (via telephone) by Reba McEntire, the 2008 CMT MUSIC AWARDS VIDEO OF THE YEAR SPECIAL premieres Saturday, April 5 at 11:00 p.m., ET/PT.

“When CMT asked me to host the 2008 CMT MUSIC AWARDS VIDEO OF THE YEAR SPECIAL, I gladly accepted, but what I didn’t know was they wanted my input on how to run the whole dang Awards Show,” said Shelton. “Watch the special and you’ll see some behind the scenes action that you would never expect to be happening – you won’t believe the conditions and restraints I had to work under.”

The eight videos nominated in the VIDEO OF THE YEAR category include Brad Paisley’s “Online”, Carrie Underwood’s “Wasted”; Kenny Chesney’s “Don’t Blink”; LeAnn Rimes’ “Nothin’ Better To Do”; Rascal Flatts’ “Take Me There”; Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You”; Sugarland’s “Stay”; Taylor Swift’s “Our Song”. The final four nominees for VIDEO OF THE YEAR will be announced at the beginning of the 2008 CMT MUSIC AWARDS airing live on Monday, April 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT*, and fans can vote at CMT.com, as well as via mobile phone, throughout the live broadcast (ET/CT only) to determine the final award of the night.

Hosted by Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus, the 2008 CMT MUSIC AWARDS air live from Nashville’s Curb Event Center at Belmont University on Monday, April 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT* on CMT and CMT.com. The 2008 CMT MUSIC AWARDS continues to be the genre’s only fan-voted awards. Fans can vote online at CMT.com through Friday, April 11 to determine the night’s winners.

More later this morning--Winnie