It’s a category where country artists are rarely nominated, let alone the winners.

But Zac Brown Band (Toes) won, beating out Keri Hilson, MGMT, Silversun Pickups and The Ting Tings (That’s Not My Name).

We should’ve seen a country victory coming, since Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert presented.

Zac Brown Band kept it fairly low key, thanking label, management, bookers, etc.

Here’s an unusual, if high profile, lineup at — of all places — the Schermerhorn Symphony Center: Kid Rock, Rolling Stones legendary axman Keith Richards, Barbara Mandrell, Melinda Doolittle, George Jones, Percy Sledge and Lee Ann Womack.

They were there for a very cool tribute to the Musicians Hall of Fame induction for the class of 2008: Booker T and the MGs, The Crickets, Duane Eddy, Al Kooper, The Memphis Horns, The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and Billy Sherrill.

Sure, the star power will be high for the CMA Awards show next month.

But check out who’s coming to Tuesday’s induction ceremony for the Musicians Hall of Fame.

Legendary Rolling Stones axman Keith Richards will be here.

So will Percy Sledge, George Jones, Barbara Mandrell, Phil Everly, Eddie Floyd, Melinda Doolittle, LeeAnn Womack and Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn.

They will be at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center to honore inductees Booker T and The MGs, The Crickets, Duane Eddy, Al Kooper, The Memphis Horns, The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and Billy Sherrill.

And yes, you can go — for $50 to $200. Just go to the Schermerhorn’s Web site to get the tix.

The best part about the Musicians Hall of Fame inductions is that they do a show where inductees rock.

This year’s show/inductees:

Booker T. and the MGs (which includes Nashville’s Steve “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” Cropper; The Memphis Horns; The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section; The Crickets; Al Kooper; and producer/songwriter/musician extraordinaire Billy Sherrill, who has worked lots with George Jones.

That show happens Oct. 28 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

Tix are $50 to $200, and you can get them through the Nashville Symphony Web site.

Oh, and is the Hotness scaring anyone else?

Some changes are happening for the annual Nashville riverfront Fourth of July bash, a.k.a. Nashville’s single largest annual one-day event.

First of all, Great American Country (GAC) won’t be cablecasting it live, so that means it doesn’t have to be all country music artists, as it has been for the last three years or so.

And bookers have taken advantage of that: Former Doobie Brother (and current Williamson County resident) Michael McDonald is on the lineup, and returning will be the Nashville Symphony.

The headliner remains a country act, one highly energetic Phil Vassar.

And this year’s show will be a little earlier.

The main musical presentation starts at 6:30 p.m., and the fireworks start at 9 p.m.

Check it out: Here’s Chad Smith, drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, hanging out last night with Ryan, one of the guys at Tootsie’s honky-tonk on Lower Broadway.

The Chili Peppers play at the GEC tonight, hitting the stage around 8:45 p.m. Red-hot duo Gnarls Barkley is expected on stage around 7:30 p.m.

You too can have some private time with Chad Smith. He’ll be at the Musician’s Hall of Fame, 301 6th Ave. S., near the GEC, around 3:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Seems Chad has an exhibit there and he’s going to donate some more items tomorrow. After that, he’s all yours.

He’ll do one autograph for each Nashville fan. It’ll cost ya $14.95 to get into the museum.

Why does Chad love Nashville so much? He’s in tight with the Dixie Chicks, played on their last album, Taking the Long Way Home, so he has done some recording here.

Interesting aside: That Chicks album is up against the Peppers’ Stadium Arcadium for best album at next month’s Grammy awards.

The Chili Peppers have a long history here in Nashville, starting in the early to mid ’80s when they played their first gig here at The Cannery, now rock club Mercy Lounge off 8th Avenue South.

Back then, the only station playing them in town was WRVU on Vandy’s campus.

The guys were on a club tour in the South, and they had a Thursday night open, and then club booker Bill Satterfield — now a News 2 assignment editor — got ‘em cheap.

The guys got a $1,200 guarantee. And fans got a deal, too. Tix were about $8. (FYI, Bob Mueller paid $70 for his 19-year-old daughter to go to tonight’s show.)

Back to the ’80s: The Chili Peppers ended up at what was then Mack’s Country Kitchen (now Ken’s Sushi) near Vandy’s campus.

Flea had so much fun at dinner, he went outside and did some handsprings along 21st Avenue, all the while insisting he and other band members were drug free.

As for the show itself, it was an overflow crowd, with fans driving from Knoxville, Memphis and Kentucky.

“People told me for years, that’s the best rock show they’d ever seen,” Bill says. “They knocked everyone’s brains out.”