There’s no denying that Miranda Lambert is a music award magnet.

Since busting through to the country mainstream in 2005, the sassy, sexy Texan has won about a third of the 80 major awards she’s been nominated for, including a Grammy and multiple wins from the Academy of Country Music.

Lambert, performing at the Nutter Center on tonight, recently answered some questions regarding her new tour, her love for animals and performing at the 55th annual Grammys, where she was also nominated for Best Country Album for her latest release, “Four the Record.”

Q: You’re currently on the Locked and Reloaded Tour with Dierks Bentley. What makes him a good fit for this tour?

A: “Dierks and I have been friends for a while, and we have had a lot of fun touring together in the past. I totally respect him as an artist and a person. We are known for our distinctive musical styles, but I think they are complementary and that our audiences have a lot in common, too. We are ready to bring Thomas Rhett along and come have a blast with our fans in Dayton.”

Q: Congratulations on the many recent award nominations, specifically your Grammy nod. What does the Grammy nomination mean to you and what are you looking forward to most about performing on that program?

A: “Thank you! Grammy nominations always feel so amazing because they show that my work was appreciated not just by the country music industry, but by the industry as a whole. So many superstars have performed on the show in the past, and it feels like you are part of history when you get to play it. I have been blessed enough to sing and win an award for my big milestone song, ‘The House That Built Me,’ on it, and now to get to perform on the Grammys again is incredible.”

Q: You’re still getting a lot of mileage out of “Four the Record,” but you’ve been on a cycle of releasing a new album every two years. When can fans expect a new release?

A: “My trio, Pistol Annies, just finished recording our second album, so definitely look for it in 2013. We can’t wait to share more of our tell-it-like-it-is stories that we’ve heard called ‘music for housewives.’ Angaleena (Presley), Ashley (Monroe) and I have been writing since ‘Hell on Heels’ came out in 2011, and we really kicked it into high gear this past fall. Throughout all my Pistol Annies’ writing, I have started writing a little for my new album, but there aren’t a lot of firm plans for it yet.”

Q: You recently partnered with Pedigree for a project to help find homes for shelter dogs. Why is this program important to you?

A: “I have been an animal lover my whole life, so I founded MuttNation Foundation in 2009 to raise funds for abandoned and abused animals. Animals offer unconditional love, but they can’t always take care of themselves. I have six rescue dogs and the two small ones (Delta & Cher) travel with me on the road, so it’s a cause that’s very dear to my heart. When Pedigree started their feeding project and expressed interest in a partnership, it seemed like a perfect fit. This program consists of Pedigree providing food to a nationally nominated animal shelter for a whole year. This has been shown to save shelters up to $100,000.”

Fast facts on Miranda Lambert

• Miranda Lambert was born in Longview, Texas, on Nov. 10, 1983.

• The songbird married Nashville hunk Blake Shelton in May 2011, adding them to the list of Country Music Power Couples that includes Faith Hill and Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.

• In 2003, the singer was a contestant on the television competition “Nashville Star.” Although she didn’t win, her third-place finish was enough to garner the attention of Epic Records. The major label signed her before the year was up.

• Lambert’s first three albums all debuted at number one. Her most recent album, “Four the Record,” failed to match that honor, debuting at Nov. 3 upon its release in November 2011.