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NASHVILLE – At “The 47th Annual CMA Awards,”
Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton made history as
the first married couple to win top honors as CMA’s Female and Male Vocalists
of the Year four years in a row; with George Strait securing victory
in the coveted Entertainer of the Year category, which he last won in 1990.
“The 47th
Annual CMA Awards” was hosted for the sixth consecutive year by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast
live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on the ABC Television Network.
With his
third Entertainer of the Year Award, Strait tied Alabama and Alan Jackson with
three career victories; Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney continue to lead the totals with four each.
His hand
over his heart, Strait professed amazement. “Never in a million years!” he
said, smiling. “Thank you so much to the CMA. I mean, this blows me away. I
cannot believe it. With such powerful entertainers, I’m just thrilled to even
be nominated again.”
Reflecting on the fact that this year marks his final
tour, “The Cowboy Rides Away,” Strait mused, “I’m not totally quitting.
I’m just slowing down a bit. But I don’t know, this gets me fired up a bit.
Cowboy might be riding back in.”
Accepting her Female Vocalist of the
Year Award, Lambert said, “Well, hell! I really didn’t think this was going
to happen this year.” Then, smiling toward Shelton in the audience, she added,
“To my husband, I love you. Thank you for putting up with my crap!”
With her
victory, Lambert ties Reba for consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year wins with four.
Shelton
reciprocated shortly afterward, noting, “Not to just echo Miranda, but I really
swear I didn’t think this was going to happen this year. But it did!” He then
thanked a long list of associates and friends, including “Tree Paine, my publicist,
who is constantly cleaning up after me!”
This was Shelton’s fourth
Male Vocalist of the Year Award, putting him one step behind Vince Gill and Strait,
who lead in this category with five Awards each.
When announced as winner in the Album of the
Year category for Based on a True Story (along with producer Scott Hendricks) Shelton joked,
“My phone is blowing up all of a sudden. If there was one Award that would mean
the most to me tonight, it would be Album of the Year.”
Hendricks,
who had won once before for Album of the Year (Common Thread: The Songs
of the Eagles in 1994), added, “Thank you, God, for blessing me far beyond what I deserve.”
New Artist
of the Year Kacey Musgraves thanked her family, singling one out
for special appreciation. “My grandma’s in the audience tonight. She was my
booking agent when I was 10 years old,” she said, with a smile. “She didn’t
make me sign a contract or anything!”
It was also a good night for Florida Georgia
Line. The first-time nominees won CMA Awards for Single of the Year
and Vocal Duo of the Year.
Sean Combs joined Kellie Pickler to present the Vocal
Group of the Year Award to Little Big Town, who quickly noted the
unique experience of being called out by “Puffy and Pickle.” This marked the
quartet’s second consecutive year as recipients of this distinction.
None of
the Song of the Year nominees had won previously in this category. In accepting
their Award for writing the Lee Brice hit “I Drive Your Truck,” Jimmy Yeary spoke for his
co-writers Jessi Alexander and Connie Harrington in saying, “Jared
Monti gave his life in Afghanistan for his battalion, and his dad today still
drives his truck. We wrote this song about him, so thank you Jerry, for what you’ve
done for this country.”
“I was 10-years-old when I first saw the CMAs,”
Yeary added during a backstage press conference. ”And to be here, getting Song
of the Year, is unbelievable for me. Connie Harrington cried the whole time we
wrote this song; if she didn’t cry, we didn’t use the line.”
In the
first of two special presentations, an assembly of stars – Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Strait, and Keith Urban – came to the
stage. Each had at one time welcomed the then up-and-coming Taylor Swift to open for them
on tour. Collectively, they presented her with the CMA Pinnacle Award, which honors
artists who have achieved worldwide success and recognition that’s unique to Country Music.
Speaking
emotionally, Swift said, “To the CMA, you’re not only rewarding my hard work
and exhaustion, you’re also rewarding the hard work and exhaustion of my family
and my label, and anyone who works with me and most of all the fans who fill the
stadiums. I love you. On behalf of all of those people, thank you, thank you,
I love you. You make me feel so special right now.”
Kenny Rogers, inducted this
year into the Country Music Hall of Fame, was honored by performances of “Just
Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” by Rascal Flatts and
“The Gambler” by Darius Rucker before joining Jennifer Nettles in a performance
of “Islands in the Stream.” Afterwards, on receiving the Willie Nelson Lifetime
Achievement Award from Nettles, Rogers noted, “The Hall of Fame last week, and
then this week. I can’t wait to see what next week brings!”
In presentations
before the broadcast, Mac McAnally was named Musician of the Year. This
was his sixth consecutive win in that category, tying the record set previously by Mark O’Connor.
“There’s
a whole lot of people in the fine print of CDs and on the side of the stage, but
I’m really proud to be one of them,” said McAnally. “Thank y’all and thank
CMA for appreciating what we do.”
Earlier in the day, winners in two CMA
Award categories were announced live on “Good Morning America” with McGraw,
Swift, and Urban winning Musical Event and Music Video of the Year for “Highway Don’t Care.”
The
Winners of “The 47th Annual CMA Awards”:
Entertainer of the Year
George Strait
Female
Vocalist of the Year
Miranda Lambert
Male Vocalist of the Year
Blake Shelton
Vocal
Group of the Year
Little Big Town
Vocal Duo of the Year
Florida Georgia Line
New
Artist of the Year
Kacey Musgraves
Album of the Year
Based on a True Story
Blake Shelton
Produced by Scott Hendricks
Warner Bros
Song of the Year
(Award
goes to Songwriter(s))
“I Drive Your Truck”
Jessi Alexander,
Connie Harrington and Jimmy Yeary
Single of the Year
(Award
goes to Artist and Producer(s))
“Cruise”
Florida Georgia Line
Produced by Joey Moi
Republic Nashville
Musical
Event of the Year
(Award goes to each Artist)
“Highway Don’t Care”
Tim McGraw
(with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban)
Big Machine Records
Music
Video of the Year
(Award goes to Artist and Director)
“Highway Don’t Care”
Tim McGraw
with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban
Directed by Shane Drake
Musician of the Year
Mac McAnally (guitar) |
