Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert Lead ACM Award Winners List
The Academy of Country Music Awards took place last night (Sunday, April 1), and what a nonstop, jam-packed show it turned out to be. Check out the winners, and see even more details about the show (and what went on backstage) on our live blog.
Big winners of the night included Taylor Swift (Entertainer of the Year), Miranda Lambert (she won twice for Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year), Blake Shelton (Male Vocalist of the Year), Lady Antebellum (Vocal Group), Thompson Square (Vocal Duo), Eli Young Band (Song of the Year), and Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson (Single of the Year). Aldean and Clarkson also nabbed Vocal Event of the Year for the same song, "Don't You Wanna Stay."
The full list of ACM Award winners is below.
Blake Shelton and Reba hosted the event, and right from the start it was clear they weren't holding back.
Reba: "Well Blake, did you party last night?"
Blake: "I don't remember, I was two drinks over my limit. And four drinks less than Randy Travis." (Oops, were those boos? That didn't go over well. Too soon?)
Blake: "Blake Shelton has become a household name."
Reba: "Well so has Preparation H."
The show actually kicked off first with a live performance by Carrie Underwood of her new single, "Good Girl." It was one of many memorable, high-energy performances during the three-hour show.
Other performances included Chris Young, The Band Perry, Zac Brown Band, Keith Urban, Little Big Town (with the Clark County Children's Choir), Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts and Steve Martin, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton and Lionel Richie, and... well, you get the idea. It was a massive, music-filled night to be reckoned with.
And the presenters were, in some cases, not what you'd expect. Take for instance KISS — yes, the rock band, who appeared on stage in full makeup to present the Vocal Group of the Year award to winners Lady Antebellum (who themselves were a bit stunned by the context — "This is crazy," they said when reaching the stage to accept).
Successful music groups "need that thing that we have," KISS said, "chemistry. These [nominated] groups have that."
Along with veterans (Blake, Miranda, Lady A), the show gave airtime to some of country's hottest newcomers, including 18-year-old Scotty McCreery and 20-year-old Hunter Hayes. Keep your eyes on both those guys in the years (or maybe only months) to come.
Two categories were based in part on fan votes this year. One of them was New Artist of the Year, and McCreery won it (beating out Brantley Gilbert and Hunter Hayes). The other was Entertainer of the Year, which went to Taylor Swift.
The show had some additional highlights including a message from U2's Bono, who introduced Dierks Bentley's performance of his song "Home."
And then, one of the most anticipated performances of the night, the song "Marry Me," a duet between Martina McBride and Train's Pat Monahan. To make the sentiment of the song come true, a couple was literally married on stage during the song's performance. It was one of the most touching moments of the night — or, frankly, of any broadcast awards show to date.
The night wrapped up with another much-anticipated duet, this time between Lionel Richie and Blake Shelton, performing their version of Richie's song "You Are."
The list of 2012 ACM Award winners:
Entertainer of the Year
• WINNER: Taylor Swift
Male Vocalist of the Year
• WINNER: Blake Shelton
Female Vocalist of the Year
• WINNER: Miranda Lambert
Vocal Duo of the Year
• WINNER: Thompson Square
Vocal Group of the Year
• WINNER: Lady Antebellum
New Artist of the Year
• WINNER: Scotty McCreery
Album of the Year
• WINNER: Four The Record – Miranda Lambert (RCA);
Produced by: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf
Single Record of the Year
• WINNER: Don't You Wanna Stay – Jason Aldean With Kelly Clarkson (Broken Bow Records);
Produced by: Michael Knox
Song of the Year
• WINNER: Crazy Girl – Eli Young Band; composers: Lee Brice, Liz Rose
Video of the Year
• WINNER: Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith;
Producer: Mark Kalbfeld; director: Michael Salomon
Vocal Event of the Year
• WINNER: Don't You Wanna Stay – Jason Aldean With Kelly Clarkson (Broken Bow Records); produced by Michael Knox
- Kurt Wolff, CBS Local
