Academy of Country Music Awards--A Country Music Fan's Take on the Show

I thought it would be fun to do a recap of the show, but something a little different. I welcome your comments below!

Overall, I thought the Academy of Country Music Awards show that aired Sunday, April 18, 2010 was put together pretty well. The speeches were kept to a minimum and the show seemed to end on time, not putting a rush on the very end of the show.

Reba McEntire did an excellent job of hosting the show once again. This was Reba's 12^th time hosting the event that brings together all the big stars in the country music field and fans. I thought Reba's wardrobe choices were very nice and classy and fitting for her, as well.

Reba is a wonderful entertainer and did a good job with the commentary provided to her. Most of the jokes went over well and she covered the ones that fell a bit short.

So, now that we have covered Reba, her wardrobe, and the jokes, let's move on.

I found one thing annoying and also rude. When Miranda Lambert was accepting her award for Album of the Year and she invited her producer of the album to also step up to the mike to speak, he was boo'd off the stage. This was just uncalled for and totally rude.

On another note, did anyone notice how tired Ronnie Dunn looked? Or is he possibly sick? Is this part of the reason they are quitting the business? The performance by Brooks and Dunn was good, but not their best by far. I thought Brooks had way more energy than I ever remember him having during live performances in the past. This just made Ronnie Dunn look all the more run down. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section on this one.

I thought it was fitting for Brooks and Dunn to win the Top Vocal Duo of the Year Award. These guys have been around for years and were great during their peak. This was a nice send off for them. They also hold the record for the most ACM's ever won at 27 awards.

I vote Toby Keith for best live performance. The song, "Cryin' for Me (Waymon's Song)" was very heartfelt and emotional. This song was written for one of Toby's friends and former band members that passed away recently, dying of cancer. Toby wrote the song, dedicated it to his friend, Wayman and is also donating 100% of the profits of all downloads of the song to cancer research. Click her to download Cryin' for Mefor only $1.29 from iTunes.

Did anyone else find that the show was rather refreshing without Taylor Swift winning any award? I like Taylor and think she is doing a good job, but the past award shows in the fall were a bit over the top in giving Swift the majority of the awards.

Speaking of Taylor Swift, her performance at the ACM's was pretty eye-catching. She sang as she floated along in a balloon above the crowd wearing a long evening gown. When she landed she stripped off the dress to reveal a black top and pants. This was a bit out of character for Taylor, but alas, she is growing up and is 20 now.

This brings me to the fact that Miranda Lambert was a big winner last night. Miranda won the awards for Top Video of the Year, Top Album of the Year and Top Female Artist of the Year. This was a bit of a surprise for some, but I had her pegged as being the upset here.

And Lady Antebellum also pulled off some nice wins. I was very happy to see that they were rewarded for a year of hard work. Lady A took home Single of the Year and Song of the Year for "Need You Now." They also won the award for Top Vocal Group of the Year beating out Brooks and Dunn and Rascal Flatts. What a nice change of pace!

How did you like Carrie Underwood's performances last night? I thought she did well in the opening number and her solo performance of "Temporary Home." I was a bit embarrassed by her short black mini dress in the opening performance. It was just TOO short! I hope you had a pair of shorts on underneath cause all those people sitting in the first row could probably see up your dress. Did your new wardrobe manager choose that outfit? You need to set her straight, you don't need to dress like a tramp! I found all of her other wardrobe selections to be gorgeous by the way.

Speaking of Carrie, she took home the "Entertainer of the Year Award" for a second consecutive year, becoming the first female to do so. Underwood was also awarded a Triple Crown trophy for winning Entertainer of the Year, Top Female Vocalist and Top New Female Vocalist.

My favorite presenter was Matthew McConaughey. He was hilarious in his commentary and what was with the boots he brought for Carrie Underwood? Does anyone else have a clue?

Well that's all that I can think of at the moment, and I'm sure I left some good stuff out but this is getting quite long, so I'll spare you.

Sources:

Personal observations from watching the Academy of Country Music Awards on CBS, Sunday, April 18, 2010