It's hard to call Blake Shelton the clear-cut favorite for the 2014 ACM Entertainer of the Year award, which shows just how competitive the category is this year. In any other year, an artist with a top tour, nominated album and high-profile television role would be a sure thing. This year, a man with a similar resume wasn't even nominated.

Blake Shelton Miranda Lambert
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Of course, Shelton is the star of NBC's 'The Voice' and country music's best liaison to the rest of the country and world. His new album 'Based on a True Story ...' was a critical and commercial smash -- very deserving of the ACM nod and the award, if he wins. It produced three No. 1s, including one double Platinum mega-collaboration with the Pistol Annies.

Somewhere in there, Shelton found time to pull off a very successful summer tour and still have time to enjoy a happy marriage to Miranda Lambert, despite what you read in the tabloids. Shelton is a country music superstar with a resume deserving of ACM EOTY votes. But fans will ultimately decide who's most deserving.

Below, you’ll find the highlights of Shelton’s ACM Entertainer of the Year campaign. Fans can vote for their favorite at VoteACM.com until the third hour of the live CBS Broadcast on April 6.

Blake Shelton Based on a True Story Cover
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The Music: 'Based on a True Story' is every bit as artistically satisfying as it is commercially. ‘Sure Be Cool if You Did,’ ‘Boys ‘Round Here’ and ‘Mine Would Be You’ were the three singles released during the ACM eligibility period, but others, like current single ‘Doin’ What She Likes’ and ‘My Eyes,’ are as good or better. The album is deep and sexy, Shelton's strongest to date and one of the best of 2013.

The Tour: The Ten Times Crazier Tour ran from July to October, selling out arenas and amphitheaters at every stop. Fans were coming to see him, as openers Jana Kramer and Easton Corbin aren't known for drawing thousands of fans on their own.

The Intangibles: Shelton's time on 'The Voice' has been great for his career and the format. His exchanges with Adam Levine are worth tuning in for weekly, and the singers he chooses usually win or finish near the top. Of the five EOTY nominees, this singer wins the social media award. Even though he's cooled slightly on Twitter, he'll still deliver a jaw-dropper every week or two.

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