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The ACM Awards Fiddle While Tim McGraw Steams

The Academy of Country Music Awards have some obligation to be slightly edgier due to their Las Vegas location and “always a bridesmaid” relationship to the similarly acronymed CMAs, but other than the spectacle Jamie Foxx shouting out Barack Obama on stage, the show’s reason for existence wasn’t always apparent. The broadcast mostly stuck to its business of acknowledging musicians for their hard work selling lots and lots of records, with a few jokes (Willie Nelson and Michael Phelps are recording an album of Doobie Brothers covers! Hilarious!) and B-list celebrities thrown in for kicks.

The evening’s most interesting bit of news happened before the show, when Tim McGraw apparently stormed off the set after arguing with producers. Bad news for McGraw fans, but good news for Blake Shelton, who was McGraw’s last-minute replacement. Other than that and a somewhat unexpected win for Jamey Johnson’s “In Color” for song of the year, things ran smoothly. The Entertainer of the Year award went to Carrie Underwood, which is only the sixth time the award has been presented to a woman or women, but I’d think that this year that prize could have only gone to her or Taylor Swift, right?

On a side note, while Taylor Swift did take away the Album of the Year award (along with a bonus award I didn’t quite understand), Tennessean country writer Peter Cooper’s pre-ACM video blog noted that in previous years, Album of the Year nominees had to sell at least 300,000 copies to be eligible. However, this year that criteria only allowed for nine potential nominees, so the requirement was scrapped, allowing Jamey Johnson to be eligible. The award went to the best-selling album anyway, but at least they tried.

This year’s winners:

Entertainer of the Year: Carrie Underwood
Album of the Year: Fearless, Taylor Swift
Top Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley
Top Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood
Top Vocal Group: Rascal Flatts
Top Vocal Duo: Sugarland
Top New Artist: Julianne Hough
Single Record of the Year: “You’re Gonna Miss This”; Trace Adkins,
Song of the Year: “In Color”: Jamey Johnson
Video of the Year: “Waitin’ On A Woman”, Brad Paisley
Vocal Event of the Year: “Start A Band”: Brad Paisley and Keith Urban

Academy of Country Music [homepage]

 
By Dan Gibson at 11:30 AM on Mon Apr 6 2009
Posted to: , ,
  • Chris Molanphy

    The Entertainer of the Year award went to Carrie Underwood, which is only the sixth time the award has been presented to a woman or women, but I'd think that this year that prize could have only gone to her or Taylor Swift, right?


    I'm frankly surprised Swift wasn't the clear winner of this. Sure, Underwood had a great year, but it was more like a rerun of her stellar 2006 and 2007 than anything. Swift is completely upending the country business model and selling buttloads of records -- more than Carrie lately.


    I suppose Underwood is more consistent on country radio than Swift, which probably decided it, coupled with Underwood's wider acceptance by the Opryland old guard. Otherwise, it shoud've been Swift in a walk.

  • Chris N.

    The ACM even nominating a woman is an astoundingly rare occurrence.

  • sicksteanein

    Best joke of the night goes to Brad Paisley when he said "As you can see, the baby's been born" before the camera zoomed out to show the old dude beside him. Not sure who that was exactly, but the old guy's reaction of "Come on!" was priceless.

  • Chris N.

    The old dude was Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry star Little Jimmy Dickens.


    [tinyurl.com]

  • almostred

    @sicksteanein:


    That'd be Nashville legend and Opry member Little Jimmy "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your nose" Dickens, there youngster. Makes me pine for the days of Sheb Woolley, I tell you what.


    Anyway, serious question: I'm not particularly familiar with Taylor Swift, although I understand she's monstrously popular and has opened up the youth market for country music etc. etc. But I've seen her live on TV at least four times now, purely by chance, and each time I swear, the girl couldn't sing a note. Like seriously bad.


    Anyway, she's obviously easy on the eyes and I'm sure her albums are appropriately auto-tuned, so I'm not begrudging her any success. Lord knows she wouldn't be the first popstar for whom singing was an afterthought. But am I missing something? Did I catch her on some bad days? Can anyone direct me to a live video where she actually holds a tune for two consecutive notes?


    Also, her hair is too big for her tiny, tiny head.

  • Thierry

    Poor Miranda Lambert looked like she'd rather be anywhere other than in Vegas as she kept losing awards. The highlight for me had to be any shot of Jamey Johnson - the guy has an awesome beard and the scariest stare this side of Dave Stewart (the pitcher). Oh, and his album was also one of my favourites of the last year.

  • ObtuseIntolerant

    @almostred: It's got to be 75% Barbie factor, but she's also charming and she does apparently write her songs so there is a credibility factor.


    I am not a fan of hers, but I don't find her awful-awful. Just nothing to get all excited about beyond the superficial. Oh well.

  • sicksteanein

    @Chris N.: @almostred: Thanks guys. I enjoy my pop country and love seeing the awards shows just as a nice roundup of the year but have no idea when it comes to the history of the genre.


    But yeah, Taylor Swift just cannot sing live.

  • Anonymous

    The "baby" joke with Little Jimmy Dickens has a lot to do with the fact that he's around 5 feet tall, if that.

  • Chris N.

    He's 4' 11".

  • Anonymous

    @almostred:


    Taylor Swift actually has a decent live voice but suffers from stage fright.


    Here's some performances where she sounds pretty good.



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