Carrie Underwood's big year continues at 41st ACM Awards

"I'm not starting out where new artists start out."

Carrie Underwood clearly recognizes her good fortune: One year to the week she was named the fourth "American Idol," she could win four Academy of Country Music Awards.

Up for top female vocalist and top new female vocalist - as well as single record of the year and song of the year for "Jesus, Take the Wheel," for which she earned two CMT Music Awards last month - the young newcomer to Nashville will be a featured performer as CBS televises the 41st annual ACM Awards on Tuesday. Reba McEntire will mark her eighth stint as host of the show, originating from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Kelly Clarkson and Miranda Lambert also are scheduled to entertain during the three-hour broadcast.

Brad Paisley leads the nominees with six bids. Brooks & Dunn and Sugarland each have five, while Rascal Flatts is tied with Underwood with four nominations each. Big & Rich, Dolly Parton and Lee Ann Womack are all in the running for three of the honors.

"I feel so honored that people actually like the album," the soft-spoken Underwood says of "Some Hearts," her debut release. "I'm just so glad that people bought it, and that they're looking at what I'm doing."

She considers her ACM nominations "affirmation that we're doing the right thing. I needed that, and I think everyone who works with me needed that, too."

Nevertheless, Underwood still finds performing before other country artists a little unnerving.

"It's just so strange," she says, "because these are people I looked up to and still look up to, and I have to sing in front of them. It's difficult, because I'm afraid they're all looking at me like, 'Who's this chick?'

"I feel like I'm going to be the new kid on the block for a while, like people will still be making sure I deserve to be here. Everybody's been so nice, though, I have no reason to feel that way."

Getting a grip on her new fame has taken a while for Underwood, and she still isn't sure she's fully grasped it. She recalls that immediately after she won the Fox talent competition, "I had the 'American Idol' tour and did different specials, and of course, we were getting the album together. Then the album was released on the day of the CMAs (the Country Music Association Awards), so there was press everywhere. It was just a big, good, wonderful mess.

"It's basically a process of, 'Just hold on and get through it.' I realize how lucky I am that I get to do all these things, so it's just a matter of keeping everything in perspective."

Underwood intends to maintain that stance while touring as Chesney's opening act in coming months, but she still returns home as much as she can to Checotah, Okla. Even there, the trappings of sudden stardom are evident to her.

"You know, 99 out of 100 people are great about it, then there's that one person who kind of steps over the line a little bit," she says. "One lady tried to follow me home, and we tried to lose her, and it just became a mess. We don't even live in town, so it just became stalkerish. It really upset me."

If that's a price of fame, Underwood is generally willing to pay it.

"A lot of people might struggle for years before they actually get a record deal," she says. "I felt like I cheated a little bit, but everybody was like, 'I would never want to go through what you went through on "Idol."' I guess I just went a different way. I'm not doing any less. I just shoved all the stress into a few months. Everything is working out good."

'Academy of Country Music Awards'

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

Where: CBS (Channel 4)