The 44th Annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards became the Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert Engagement Party Wednesday evening as the couple took home five 2010 CMA Awards. Lambert went up to the podium one extra time when the award for Song of the Year went to the songwriters of her hit, “The House That Built Me.” Not a bad haul from 13 nominations in seven categories. But her trophy case will be a little larger than his, and that was as it should have been, since Blake Shelton wouldn’t have wanted to upstage his fiancee, who was doubling as a birthday girl.
As Lambert celebrated her 27th birthday and country music fans helped celebrate her engagement to Shelton, the “White Liar” singer won the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Award, the Video of the Year (for “The House That Built Me”), and Album of the Year (“Revolution”). Her fiance won a match to her Vocalist trophy, winning Male Vocalist of the Year and the Musical Event of the Year award (for “Hillbilly Bone,” which featured Trace Adkins).
Brad Paisley, who lost the Male Vocalist award for the first time in four years, hosted the CMA Awards with Carrie Underwood. The two even sung a small ditty to Shelton and Lambert, reworking George Jones and Tammy Wynette’s “Golden Ring” into an amusing lambasting of Blake Shelton’s engagement dallying and the smallness of the ring. Underwood, who was nominated for two awards, would go home empty-handed when the night was over, but Paisley picked up the biggest award of all, winning the Entertainer of the Year award for the first time.
Lady Antebellum, who was nominated for five awards, won for Vocal Group of the Year and Single of the Year (for “Need You Now,” their enormous crossover hit). Zac Brown Band, up for four awards, took home the New Artist Award. Sugarland, celebrating the release of their fourth album, walked away winners of the the only award they were nominated for — Vocal Duo of the Year.
Country artists weren’t the only entertainers in Nashville for the awards. Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow was there to sing her song from her upcoming country-flavored movie, “Country Strong.” Kid Rock showed up to sing “Free” from his new album, “Born Free,” which would hit stores two days later. Sheryl Crow led a country all-star tribute to country great Loretta Lynn. And American Idol‘s first winner, Kelly Clarkson, made an appearance to sing her hit duet with Jason Aldean, whose latest album, “My Kinda Party,” bowed in at #2 on the Billboard 200 this week.
And what would the CMA Awards be without a slew of country performances? Taylor Swift, whose latest album spent its second week as the #1 album in the nation, performed “Back To December.” Zac Brown Band performed “As She’s Walking Away” with country great Alan Jackson. The legendary George Strait showed up to sing “The Breath You Take.” And Kenny Chesney, surprisingly not nominated for Entertainer of the Year (a four-time winner), sang a sentimental ode to football, “The Boys Of Fall.”
Not to be left out of what appeared to be a show built around them, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert found time to perform in between their trips to the stage to pick up their awards.
******
In a separate ceremony, music legend Mac McAnally won the Musician of the Year award.
******
2010 CMA Awards Nominations and Winners List (winners in bold)
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
* Brad Paisley
Lady Antebellum
Miranda Lambert
Keith Urban
Zac Brown Band
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
* Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
* Blake Shelton
Dierks Bentley
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Keith Urban
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
* Zac Brown Band
Luke Bryan
Easton Corbin
Jerrod Niemann
Chris Young
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
* Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
* Sugarland
Brooks & Dunn
Joey + Rory
Montgomery Gentry
Steel Magnolia
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
* ‘Need You Now’, Lady Antebellum
‘A Little More Country Than That’, Easton Corbin
‘Hillbilly Bone’, Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins
‘The House That Built Me’, Miranda Lambert
‘White Liar’, Miranda Lambert
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
* ‘The House That Built Me’, Miranda Lambert
‘Hillbilly Bone’, Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins
‘Need You Now’, Lady Antebellum
‘Water’, Brad Paisley
‘White Liar’, Miranda Lambert
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
* “Revolution” by Miranda Lambert
“Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum,
“Play On” by Carrie Underwood
“Twang” by George Strait
“Up On the Ridge” by Dierks Bentley
SONG OF THE YEAR
* The House That Built Me
A Little More Country Than That
Need You Now
Toes
White Liar
MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
* “Hillbilly Bone” Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins
“Bad Angel” Dierks Bentley featuring Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson
“Can’t You See” Zac Brown Band featuring Kid Rock
“I’m Alive” Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews
“Till The End” Alan Jackson with Lee Ann Womack
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
* Mac McAnally — Guitar
Paul Frankin — Steel Guitar
Dann Huff — Guitar
Brent Mason — Guitar
Randy Scruggs — Guitar
******
Source:
“CMA Awards Nominees,” CMAAwards.com
