ACM Awards: Carrie Underwood Steals the Show, Brad Paisley Wins the Most, and Taylor Swift Wins Album of the Year

ACM Awards Highlighted by Surprises

Saul Relative, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Apr 6, 2009 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

Brooks & Dunn, the most honored artist in ACM Awards history, started things off at the 44^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas with their rousing hit "Play Something Country." When Kix Brooks sang the words "Play Something Country," he would then introduce a country artist. Singing a few lines from one of their own songs were Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood. All the acts joined Brooks & Dunn for the finale. And then host Reba McEntire started the show.

She told a few jokes, a couple of pretty good ones, and got the crowd warmed up. And then they felt the need to pay for that big intro with a few minutes of commercials.

If anyone was keeping score, Carrie Underwood was up one to nothing over Taylor Swift in the best dressed department right from the get-go. Carrie was beautiful in a short white dress. Her parallel-banded neckpiece and long, dangling earrings, though, set her off. Taylor Swift was pretty in her little black dress, but it was more glitz and country music stage functional.

And then Kenny Chesney, reigning Entertainer of the Year, performed.

Jamey Johnson sang his Song of the Year "In Color." Looking every bit like a cross between a mad wrestler and a out-of-place biker, he growled his hit song, which was a surprising winner. If Jamey Johnson is the sound of new country music, then country music will do fine for the next few years.

Jamie Foxx was one of the highlights of the show. He went through a series of jokes about how things were changing in country music, like Darius Rucker. It's been a long time since Charlie Pride and Big Al Downing, so a joke about a black man on the country music charts was more than appropriate. He went on to joke about how rare it was for a black man to be at the ACM Awards, got some big laughs until he said it was like "finding a virgin in Hollywood." The audience groaned. Foxx said, "Hey, I didn't write 'em. I just read 'em."

But then he got serious. He said he loved country music, growing up in a small Texas town. Foxx said that he still remembers hearing that smooth country voice of George Strait. Announcing that the Artist of the Decade would have his own tribute show in May, Jamie Foxx then introduced George Strait, who brought the crowd to their feet and proved why he's still winning awards and nominated for Entertainer of the Year.

David Copperfield then made Taylor Swift "appear" for her number. She came down in an empty elevator. Really. Then Copperfield, decked out in a big black cowboy hat, waved his hands... and there she was.

After Taylor Swift's performance, Reba McEntire called her over. She then presented the 19-year-old with a special "Milestone" award for taking country music to a new generation.

Lady Antebellum and Lee Ann Womack performed next.

After Sugarland won the award for Duo of the Year, Kellie Pickler came out dressed in gold, looking like a mermaid (and not in a bad way). She introduced Keith Urban, who performed his latest single, "Kiss A Girl."

John Rich sang "They're Shuttin' Detroit Down," a number that has resonated with the plight of the typical blue-collar American. It nailed the exasperation felt by middle and lower class America with the Wall Street bankers and the bailout-pushing politicians.

Miley Cyrus sang "The Climb." And did a pretty good job, I might add.

Montgomery Gentry sang "One In Every Crowd." Now, that's a rip-roaring, drinking, fun song...

Carrie Underwood sang "I Told You So." And that dress that everybody said was some sort of "national secret"? Hard to tell why, except for its ridiculous immensity. It was probably kept secret because they feared an AIG-like uprising over the amount of fabric used in that red monstrosity. It must have cost thousands -- and that's before they tailored the waist and hemmed the bodice. It literally put Las Vegas in the red. It was the dress that ate Las Vegas. It looked as if it had partially eaten Carrie Underwood and was flowing off to the eat the rest of the city.

Martina McBride, who happens to have the #1 album this week on the Billboard Country Albums chart (#10 on the Billboard 200), announced the Male Vocalist of the Year. Brad Paisley, before thanking everyone for the award, told everyone that they had had the baby and pointed to his left. Country music legend Little Jimmy Dickens was sitting beside him. Funny guy, that Brad Paisley.

He would go on to win for Vocal Event of the Year and for Video of the Year as well.

Carrie Underwood won Female Vocalist of the Year for the third year in a row.

Trace Adkins and the West Point Glee Club sang a song, "Till The Last Shot's Fired," from which the proceeds go toward the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that helps in the rehabilitation of wounded American servicemen. Haunting and beautiful, the song traced the blood of American soldiers through history. The big guy nearly lost it on his last lines, but managed to sing it through. Maybe the best performance of the night.

Sugarland sang "What I'd Give" and Reba McEntire handed Jennifer Nettles, in what can only be described as by far the worst outfit of the night (stretched neck white t-shirt, unbuttoned too-small black lycra shirt, black tights with holes in them, and black high heels) a "Milestone" award for being the first female since Donna Fargo to do something.

Blake Shelton then sang "Maybe" from his new album.

Reba McEntire herself presented the Album of the Year, but had Blake Shelton read the winner. Taylor Swift did a little running-in-place dance with Kellie Pickler before she did a little running-in-place dance when she got up on stage to accept her award for "Fearless." She said that if you knew her and you talked to her for more than five minutes, she would probably write a song about you. Good to know. Want your life played on the radio? Have a relationship with her...

Reba McEntire sang her new single, "Strange."

Trace Adkins won Single of the Year for "You're Gonna Miss This." In his acceptance speech, Adkins said it was put on the "Greatest Hits" album for filler. He said that when he got the call that the song was going to be released as a single, he'd told them to go ahead, nobody would play it. He said, "Thanks. I'm an idiot."

Matthew McConaughey presented the Entertainer of the Year award. After telling a great story about "getting lucky" with a pair of white ostrich-skinned limited edition George Strait cowboy boots (a pick-up line) at a Dwight Yoakum concert when he was younger, he announced that Carrie Underwood, via the online vote for Entertainer of the Year, had won.

Kenny Chesney, who had won four years in a row, seems to have found out the hard way the power of "American Idol." Carrie Underwood was so surprised, she began crying and said, "I got nothing." After the laugh, she said, "Matthew, I want to see those boots." This got her another laugh. Then, possibly realizing that she currently has a boyfriend (think hard, Carrie: hockey player), she added, "Just kidding."

And that was it. Some surprises this year at the ACM Awards. But a great show...

And that Carrie Underwood / Taylor Swift fashion face-off people kept touting? Never happened. Carrie Underwood was the only one who changed clothes. But even if she hadn't changed, she would have won on the first try. Her first ensemble was mesmerizing. Taylor Swift either wore the same dress or all her dresses looked the same, giving Carrie Underwood the win by default (because of the first dress).

In the department that really mattered, the number of ACM Awards, they both walked away with two. It seems as if the world was given a good three-hour look at the future face of country music. It's young. It's blonde. And it is beautiful.

Winners at the 2009 ACM Awards

Entertainer of the Year: Carrie Underwood

Top Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley

Top Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood

Top Vocal Group: Rascal Flatts

Top Vocal Duo: Sugarland