Bill Engvall is a comedian and sitcom star. So hosting an awards show will be easy, right?

“I haven’t been really nervous about a gig in a long time,” said Engvall, host of the CMT awards at 8 tonight. “You don’t want to be the guy who made people say, ‘Oh, remember the year when Engvall did it? Ugh.’ ”

Engvall, 51, is looking forward to meeting nominees Def Leppard and is eager to reconnect with pals Trace Adkins and Brad Paisley.

Engvall’s TBS series, “The Bill Engvall Show,” begins its third season July 18. He’s taping a special for Comedy Central and is on a standup comedy tour (he’ll perform in Auburn Hills, Mich., on Oct. 24).

‘Idol’ hopefuls pour in

Seven thousand “American Idol” wannabes hoped to find their singing respected by judges as Season 9 auditions kicked off near Boston.

Braving rain and cold winds, contestants showed up at 3 a.m. Sunday to form a line the length of Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

Auditions for the popular Fox TV show will be held in six cities in the next several weeks, including Chicago.

Usher, wife splitting

R&B singer Usher, 30, filed for divorce from Tameka Foster Raymond less than two years after they wed.

Records on the Web site of Superior Court in Atlanta did not give details about the split.

The couple have two sons, Usher Raymond V, 18 months, and Naviyd Ely Raymond, 6 months.

NIN gigs over in U.S.

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor said their performance Sunday at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn., was their last in the country.

“It just dawned on me that this is our last show ever in the United States,” rocker Reznor said mid-set. “Don’t be sad. I’ll keep going. But I think I’m going to lose my ... mind if I keep doing this, and I have to stop.”

Train stops at No. 3

The top five movies from the weekend box office:

1. “The Hangover,” $32.8 million

2. “Up,” $30.8 million

3. “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3,” $23.4 million

4. “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” $9.6 million

5. “Land of the Lost,” $9 million

Happy birthday

Among celebrity birthdays today: Singer Eddie Levert of The O’Jays is 67. Actress Laurie Metcalf (“Roseanne”) is 54. Actor John Cho (“Harold and Kumar” movies) is 37. Actor Eddie Cibrian (“Third Watch”) is 36.