CMA Awards 2013 Nominees: Who Will Win Female Vocalist of the Year?

A who's who of country music will grace the stage at the 47th Annual CMA Awards. Many are nominated in various categories in hopes of taking home the coveted award. Five women are nominated for the Female Vocalist of the Year Award, but only one will take home the ultimate prize.

The five nominees for Female Vocalist of the Year are: 

Carrie Underwood- Underwood has assumed the title of one of the current queens of country, and she is showing no signs of ending her reign. She is hosting the award show for the sixth consecutive year along with fellow country star Braid Paisley. Underwood has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide and has won five Grammys, and has received praise for her most recent album, "Blown Away." She co-wrote eight of the 14 songs on "Blown Away," including the first single, "Good Girl," which reached No. 1 on the country airplay charts, according to her website. The title track, which is nominated for a CMA for Music Video of the Year is cinematic and intense. "I got chills," she says of the first time she heard the song. "I remember where I was when I heard it and called my manager and said, 'Do not let anyone else have this song. It's my song' . . . It's such a visual song. You listen to it and you can see everything that is happening. It's so dramatic. I'm not a drama person, but when you can make a movie in song form in 3 ½ minutes, it's surreal." 

Kacey Musgraves- At only 25, Musgraves is becoming a staple on the country music charts. The Texas-born and bred singer-songwriter quickly became a hit with her quirky, honest lyrics about small town life to topical cultural issues. She now lives in Nashville, and recently released her album "Same Trailer Different Park" on Mercury Records, according to her website. Her album includes the hits "My House" and "Blowin' Smoke." She began singing on other artists' demos, and soon began a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell, then later scored a record deal. She is nominated for six CMA awards. 

Kelly Clarkson- Although Clarkson is usually thought of as a pop star, her Southern upbringing has informed her personal beliefs, which are imparted into her music. She released her hit album "Stronger" in 2011, which includes the empowering title track, and recently released her Christmas album, "Wrapped Up in Red." Clarkson is known for being a fighter, and says she is drawn toward songs about overcoming challenges on her website. "I think I gravitate toward songs with a defiant message because I always feel like I'm fighting just to be me," she says. "That's why I tend to write or choose songs about how just being you is okay. People associate me with break-up songs, but most of the time the song isn't even about a guy. I never write about one particular thing. I always relate the topic to different situations in my life, whether it's family, friends, or work. That's what makes the songs connect on a broader level." 

Miranda Lambert- Lambert, the reigning female country vocalist of the year, is nominated yet again. She recently released "Four the Record," which is a 14-song set that encompasses a range of musical styles and expressiveness. She has also won album of the year from ACMs for her second album, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," and from the CMAs and ACMs for her third album, "Revolution," according to her site. She also received a Grammy for "The House That Built Me." Lambert is also in the all-girl trio "The Pistol Annies" along with her friends Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley. The album, "Hell on Heels," debuted at No. 1 on the country sales chart. Lambert, who is married to country music star Blake Shelton, is nominated for five CMA awards. 

Taylor Swift- Although she is the youngest of the bunch at age 23, she has gained global superstardom and continues to gain popularity. She is a seven-time Grammy winner, and is the youngest winner in the history of the music industry's highest honor, the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, according to her website. She is the only female artist in music history to twice have an album (2012's "RED" and 2010's "Speak Now") hit the 1 million sales mark in its first week. "RED" topped the Billboard 200 Albums Chart for seven weeks. Taylor's first single from "RED,"  "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," set a new record for the biggest digital sales week ever for a song by a woman. She is nominated for six CMA awards. 

The CMA Awards will air live on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. on ABC.