Nominations were announced Wednesday night for the 2010 Grammy’s and Kenny Chesney earned a nod in the Best Country Collaboration With Vocals category for his duet “Down The Road” with Mac McAnally. A humbling experience, Chesney is happy to see the “simple” song honored:

“Once I knew I’d found a place to do ‘Down The Road,’ I knew I wanted to capture the essence of what Mac was writing about… because it’s a quiet song about the way love grows in small towns,” Chesney explains. “It was less is more; but when you’ve got Mac McAnally singing with you, what else do you really need? And Mac was gracious enough to come in and be a part of this song on my record.”

“Some things are just magic and you know it,” says Chesney. “I knew the first time I heard Mac sing this on his Simple Life record… the same place I heard ‘Back Where I Come From.’ It gets inside and lets you understood everything about life you don’t even realize…

“So it makes sense the Grammy people – who’re from all musical genres – would recognize this song and the heart Mac brings. For a little record like this – as big as country radio can be – to spend a couple weeks at the top of the charts, it touched people. So I’m honored to share this with my friend.”

“I’m blessed by the wonderful friends I’ve found through music and how generously they’ve shared their talent, songs and lives with me,” Chesney explains. “When something like a Grammy nomination happens for something that was just an honor, I can only feel humbled – and grateful.”