2010 Academy of Country Music Awards: Highlights & Winners List

The 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards kicked off with Carrie Underwood singing "Traveling Band" with Brad Paisley jumping in on lead guitar, leading up to John Fogerty coming out to take his song over. Charlie Daniels came on stage to accompany on fiddle. It was an impressive start to the live country music award show.

Reba McEntire always does a great job hosting events. Reba thanked Tiger Woods and Jesse James for inspiring so much good country music this year.

Reba McEntire handed over the microphone to Cher... a bit of a surprise on a country night. Cher explained that she was raised on country music. She also said her dear friend Merle Haggard had approached her for a duet, but she could not wrap her head around "Haggard & Cher". Cher presented the winners of the award for Vocal Event of the Year, Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins with "Hillybilly Bone". They were joined on stage by Toby Keith.

On to the awards:

2010 ACM Entertainer of the Year:
Carrie Underwood WINNER
Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Brad PaisleyVocal Event of the Year
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Keith Urban
Zac Brown Band

2010 ACM Top Male Vocalist of the Year:
Brad Paisley WINNER
Kenny Chesney
Darius Rucker
George Strait
Keith Urban

2010 ACM Top Female Vocalist of the Year:
Miranda Lambert WINNER
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Lee Ann Womack

2010 ACM Top Vocal Group of the Year:
Lady Antebellum WINNER
Little Big Town
Randy Rogers Band
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band

2010 ACM Top Vocal Duo of the Year:
Brooks & Dunn WINNER
Joey + Rory
Montgomery Gentry
Steel Magnolia
Sugarland

2010 ACM Top New Solo Vocalist of the Year:(fan voted)
Luke Bryan WINNER
Jamey Johnson
Chris Young

2010 ACM Album of the Year:
Revolution - Miranda Lambert WINNER
American Saturday Night - Brad Paisley
Lady Antebellum - Lady Antebellum
Play On - Carrie Underwood
The Foundation - Zac Brown Band

2010 ACM Single Record of the year:
"Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum WINNER
"People Are" Crazy - Billy Currington
"Red Light" - David Nail
"Toes" - Zac Brown Band
"White Liar" - Miranda Lambert

2010 ACM Song of the Year:
"Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum WINNER
"Cowboy Casanova" - Carrie Underwood
"People Are Crazy" - Billy Currington
"White Liar" - Miranda Lambert
"You Belong With Me" - Taylor Swift

2010 ACM Vocal Event of the Year nominees:
"Hillbilly Bone" - Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins WINNER
"Honky Tonk Stomp" - Brooks & Dunn and Billy Gibbons
"I Told You So" - Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis
"I'm Alive" - Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews
"Seeing Stars" - Jack Ingram and Patty Griffin

2010 Home Depot Humanitarian Award: Montgomery Gentry (Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry)

The viewing audience chose "My Marie" for Brooks & Dunne to sign off their stage career...but the mics were off until the final verse. Maybe for the best. What we could hear was decent though. Upon winning the top vocal duo they said they were in therapy with Brett Favre trying to figure how to waffle on this (retirement).

I have to give out a few of my own awards. Best looking pair of jeans goes to Kenny Chesney. Weirdest intro goes to LLCool J for introducing Taylor Swift like he has been a lifelong fan. Oddly enough young Taylor Swift also wins for Most Energetic Performance of the night with her stage show for "Change" (started on a round platform circling the audience, ended falling into a mosh pit and carried off through the audience).

Carrie Underwood wins for Most Beautiful Performance. Looking like a princess singing through falling paper that looked like rose petals.

Weirdest Acceptance Speech goes to Miranda Lambert. After winning Album of the Year she turned the mic over to a producer (I think) and they immediately shut the lights off and his mic while the audience booed the abruptness of the director's decision.

Then there was Matthew McConaughey who told us that last year he and his 'lady' got lucky after the show and conceived their daughter. So much information. That's it for the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

Source: 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards : Aired Live on CBS 4/18/2010