The 2008 CMT Music Awards: 16 days to vote (and a blast from the past...)

Here's a sweet "vintage" photo, by request--Bucky Covington and Rocky Covington (on drums) cast a spell on the audience at Bucky's Hershey Park concert in May 2007. Click here to enjoy a gorgeous gallery of concert photos by the very kind Pizzi.

Bucky Covington's beautiful sunlit video for his debut hit "A Different World" is nominated for the USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year honors at the 2008 CMT Music Awards. All right--you knew that, but did you know that when (ahem!) Bucky takes this sweet prize, he'll be following in some very impressive footsteps? Here are some past winners of the coveted Breakthrough award:

2002--Way back when it all began, CMT's honors were called the Flameworthy Video Music Awards; Chris Cagle took the very first Breakthrough Video award home for "I Breathe In, I Breathe Out". (Some of those first categories sound pretty interesting--the "Fashion Plate" and "LOL" nods must have looked good on a resume...)

2003--Joe Nichols won the Breakthrough Video honors in the 2003 Flameworthys for his sweet classic "Brokenheartsville".

2004--Bucky's current tourmate Dierks Bentley won the Breakthrough Video award for that now-legendary "little white tank top"-enhanced "What Was I Thinkin'" video in 2004's Flame Worthy Video Music Awards.

2005--Gretchen Wilson takes home the Breakthrough Video prize for "Redneck Woman", and the name officially changes to the CMT Music Awards in 2005.

2006--The coveted "belt-buckle" trophy gets the spotlight in the new logo graphics for the 2006 CMT Music Awards, and Carrie Underwood becomes the first Idol graduate to take one home when "Jesus, take the Wheel" wins the Breakthrough Video award that year.

2007--Taylor Swift brings home the Breakthrough Video belt-buckle for her wistful "Tim McGraw" video at the 2007 CMT Music Awards.

2008--Ah, wild mystery...will Bucky Covington be the next bold-print name on this distinguished list? Only you and I can make that happen; register at CMT, vote now, recruit as many of your friends as you can, and repeat. Voting ends April 11, and seeing his big smile on that Curb Center stage on April 14th would be incredible. I can't think of a sweeter way to thank Bucky for all the fun, the music and the sheer joy he's given us these past two years.

More news later this morning--see you then!