It’s your 2nd annual American Country Awards! They’re not the CMAs/ACMs, not yet the CMTs! Join us for our show discussion and red carpet pics. Videos to come too!
Attempting to rescue the show this year will be Scotty McCreery (who is nominated in the Favorite New Artist category and will perform), Lauren Alaina (who will appear), and an assortment of usual and unusual country suspects, including Miranda Lambert with her Pistol Annies, Eli Young Band, The Band Perry, former Nashville Star winner Chris Young, and Toby Keith singing the so-stupid-it-went-viral-and-made-Glee “Red Solo Cup”. Carrie Underwood is also up for 4 nominations.
Your cohosts are the 6’6″ Trace Adkins and the 4’11” Kristin Chenoweth. The over/under on height jokes is 20 million. So come on in and join in the fun! The show will air on FOX starting at 8 PM Eastern/7 Central.
I’ll be live blogging the first few minutes of the show until Windmills is available! Trace Adkins is host, and he takes the stage. She thinks we’re just fishin’ It’s a medley of his songs. Dancing girls and everything! Lots of shots of Carrie Underwood in the audience.
Trace Adkins takes the stage to do a little monologue. He says the network didn’t feel he “followed the rules” last year when he hosted, so they’re bringing in a co-host, Kristin Chenoweth. He presents her like she’s his opponent. She’s in boxing get-up. She’s cute as a button! Ha ha. Trace towers over her. But who doesn’t? She’s “four feet of fury”. Cheno challenges Trace to a “sing-off”. He’s confused. I guess he doesn’t watch Glee. He sings “Oklahoma”, “You’re very comfortable with those jazz hands” says Cheno. Cheno takes off her boxing robe to reveal a BADONKADONK as she sings “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk”.
Jordin Sparks and Josh Turner take the stage. Jordin asks him to sing one of his hits. He sings “Your Man”. Where’s Scotty McCreery? Smiling in the audience! CUTE. Jordin sings the last line. Jordin looks so pretty! Single of the Year by a Female Artist goes to Carrie Underwood for “Mama’s Song! Carrie thanks God for giving country music the best fans in the world!
Band Perry take the stage to sing “All Your Life”
The ACA Artist of the Decade, according to Mediabase #10 Keith Urban, #9 Brad Paisley, #8 Garth Brooks, #7 Rascal Flatts, #6 Brooks & Dunn, #5 Alan Jackson, #4 George Strait, #3 Kenny Chesney, #2 Tim McGraw, #1 Toby Keith.
Lauren Alaina and Bill Engvall present Song of the Year. Bill explains that they are giving out telecasters. Then he fake breaks the guitar. And then they fake fight! Single of the Year goes to Chris Young for “Voices”. Then he takes the stage to perform it.
Windmills here! In the spirit of country music acceptance speeches, I too would like to thank our maker: MJ! She is the wind beneath our wings.
Trace Adkins carries Kristen Chenoweth in one of those baby carrier thingies. Diaper jokes ensue. Hunter Hayes, some rodeo dude, and GAC personality Storme Warren arrive on stage. Storme Warren throws some shade at CMT, MTV, and VH1 because GAC plays more music videos. Hey, it’s true! Will Hoge sighting in the audience! Fun fact: Eli Young Band’s next single “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” is cowritten by Will Hoge (and Eric Paslay). Video Of The Year and Male Video Of The Year go to Blake Shelton. An uncharacteristically somber and sober Blake thanks the fans and gives a shout out to his dad “who’s been having a rough couple of weeks”. Awh! EDIT: Apparently Daddy Shelton is suffering from pneumonia. Get well soon, Daddy Shelton! Laughter is the best medicine and your son’s pretty good at that. Blake also wins Male Video Of The Year.
Speaking of Eli Young Band, here they are performing their platinum selling #1 hit “Crazy Girl”. A little wobbly on pitch and Mike Eli’s voice is a little small in the mix but I’m happy for these guys that they’ve broken through.
Ruh roh. Script changes from Kristen, enforced on Trace by some wrestler (EDIT: The Big Show). He introduces the guys from Pawn Stars. They present Album Of The Year to Jason Aldean who thanks his team and the fans and mentions how over a million fans came and saw him on the road in 2011. His wife is gorgeous.
Trace & Kristen are back, and there’s banter about feeling up moobs and looking down at boobs. Yeah.
They introduce Pistol Annies!!!! That angelic voice you hear on the left side of your screen is Ashley Monroe. In the middle playing guitar is Angeleena Presley and of course that’s Miranda Lambert is on the right side of the screen. They’re singing “Hell On Heels” and rocking the harmonies. Ashley Monroe has a ridiculously gorgeous voice. Say what you will about the ACAs (and I’ve said and will continue to say plenty) but they’re the 1st outfit to nominate Pistol Annies for anything (Grammy Awards, I’m looking at you for overlooking 2011’s best country album).
Next up, Rodney Carrington and JaneDear Girls present New Artist to SCOTTY MCCREERY!!!!!!!!! He’s out to perform a shortened version of “The Trouble With Girls”. A little sharp in spots at the beginning but he brings it home when he walks out into the catwalk. TTWG is a deceptively difficult song to sing because of the modulation. There are girls singing along, Carrie’s grooving along and looks really focused on his performance. Scotty thanks Jesus, thinks it’s cool his 1st award is “dadgum” Telecaster guitar. He thanks American Idol (good job Scotty!), his labels, management, and of course the fans who got him through American Idol and got him this award. Well done Scotty fans!
Kristin does a cute skit about Okie girls which has her heading straight to Carrie. Carrie laughs along. The Big Show and an ESPN reporter present Group/Duo Single Of The Year goes to Thompson Square for “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”. They also win Single By A New Artist and Music Video By A New Artist. Whaddya know, they’re right there to perform the song!
SCOTTY CENTERED AI PROMO!!!!! Covers his AI journey starting with “Babylockdemdoors” to a finals performance to Randy saying he could be a superstar to Scotty winning, then an after AI interview clip of Scotty talking about his modest expectations of how his debut album would do, then clips of Ellen talking about Scotty’s album debuting at #1, and ending with new auditions and the text “The incredible journey is about to begin again….”.
And we’re back. Kristin has gone all puppet on us and is now sitting on ventroloquist Trace Adkins’s lap. She says she’d rather be sitting on Blake Shelton’s lap. But he’s not available, dummy (LOLZ) because he’s up to perform “God Gave Me You”. He sounds quite good actually, and he sings with a lot of sincerity. His wife Miranda Lambert sings along. Awh!
Race car Kyle Busch presents Female Artist Of The Year to Carrie Underwood. She also wins Music Video Of The Year By A Female. Carrie says “You guys!” She thanks her fans, and gives a shoutout to her husband Mike “I miss you, I love you, baby.” Then she apologizes because his teammates are going to make fun of him now. LOLZ. She’s not really sorry, she loves it. She promises fans she’s got an amazing 2012 planned for them.
Kristin Chenoweth is up to perform “I Didn’t”. “What really tore us apart was a matter of religion. He thought he was God and I didn’t”. LOL! This is real country by way of Broadway. Kristen can really sing (though she sounds kind of strained tonight) and some of this song’s lyrics are pretty funny. The song’s a great match for her personality. Much better than the atrocity that was her original lead single “I Want Somebody (To B**** About)”.
Brad Paisley wins Male Artist Of The Year and introduces Alabama remotely. They’re performing a medley, starting with “Tennessee River” then straight into “If You’re Going To Play In Texas” into “Mountain Music” (which Brad sampled for his hit “Old Alabama”). They killed it up there vocally and instrumentally! Scotty is part of the huge and much deserved standing ovation. Alabama accepts the Greatest Hits Award from Trace Adkins. Randy Owen talks about how proud they are to share this award with their fans around the world, and how appreciative they are of the freedom to play their music thanks to the brave men & women around the world serving the US.
Another Idol promo shows us Scotty’s “babylockdemdoors” audition again and wonders if the next Scotty McCreery is among us. Sure enough, we’ve got a dude in a cowboy hat auditioning, but he’s butchering “Your Man” (yes, that’s what the song is really called). Cue the judges with those looks on their faces with Randy asking if somebody can call Scotty McCreery. It’s actually pretty funny. Idol, I think I’m ready for you again.
Miranda Lambert presents Artist Of The Year to Jason Aldean who also wins Touring Artist Of The Year (which Carrie was also up for), and 3 other ACAs: Single By A Male Artist Of The Year, Vocal Collaboration Of The Year and Vocal Collaboration Music Video Of The Year with Kelly Clarkson! He is very thankful to everybody and says this is definitely his “kinda party”.
The Artist Of The Decade based on airplay is Toby Keith who is up to perform “Red Solo Cup”. But not before Stephen Colbert congratulates him via video message and salutes him with a red solo cup. There’s a big party up on stage featuring cohosts Trace and Kristen and many more.
And, that’s the show. It actually ran better this time than last year, so that’s good. And, the love got spread around, which is easier when there are that many awards to give. On a final note, A+ grades to our Idol ladies who all looked gorgeous tonight, and Scotty looked quite handsome himself.
Winners List
Artist of the Year – Jason Aldean
Artist of the Year: Male – Brad Paisley
Artist of the Year: Female – Carrie Underwood
Artist of the Year: Group – Lady Antebellum
Artist of the Year: Breakthrough Artist – Chris Young
Artist of the Year: New Artist – Scotty McCreery
Album of the Year – Jason Aldean, “My Kinda Party”
Single of the Year – Chris Young, “Voices”
Single of the Year: Male – Jason Aldean, “My Kinda Party”
Single of the Year: Female – Carrie Underwood, “Mama’s Song”
Single of the Year: Group – Thompson Square, “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”
Single of the Year: New Artist- Thompson Square, “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”
Single of the Year: Vocal Collaboration – Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson, “Don’t You Wanna Stay”
Touring Artist of the Year- Jason Aldean
Music Video of the Year – Blake Shelton, “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking”
Music Video: Male – Blake Shelton, “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking”
Music Video: Female – Carrie Underwood, “Mama’s Song”
Music Video: Group or Collaboration – Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson, “Don’t You Wanna Stay”
Music Video: New Artist – Thompson Square, “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”
GREATEST HITS AWARD – Alabama
ARTIST OF THE DECADE AWARD – Toby Keith
