As if Lambert didn’t have enough to celebrate, her fiancé Blake Shelton won two awards of his own, including Male Vocalist, in an upset over Paisley, George Strait, Keith Urban and Dierks Bentley. The Zac Brown Band was named New Artist of the Year, and Sugarland got the Vocal Duo award.
Taylor Swift, the reigning Entertainer of the Year, lost to Lambert in the only category for which she was nominated, and which she’d won last year, Female Vocalist. Her footprint on the show would’ve been much bigger, of course, had her new blockbuster Speak Now been released before the end of the eligibility period, which ran from last July 1 to June 30.
Among the show highlights was a tribute to Loretta Lynn, which included an introduction by Sissy Spacek, who played Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter. Lynn joined Lambert and Sheryl Crow to perform “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” reprising their duet on the just-released Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn.
Kelly Clarkson joined Jason Aldean for an operatically over-the-top duet on Aldean’s power ballad “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” which “turned into some oddly orchestrated '80s hair metal tune,” according to Todd Marten in Pop & Hiss. Keith Urban came across like a classic-rock guitar hero on “Put You in a Song,” bringing a dazzling smile to Nicole Kidman’s face. And Gwyneth Paltrow did a solid job in her public debut as a country singer (although her guitar-strumming technique still needs work; maybe Vince Gill can give her some pointers), belting out the title song from her upcoming film Country Strong.
The show was co-hosted by Paisley and Carrie Underwood, yet another Sony artist.
THE NEW UMG
Gosh, we hope there are more press releases.
TIKTOK BANNED!
Unless the Senate manages to make this whole thing go away, that is.
THE NEW HUGE COUNTRY ACT
No, not that one.
TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN PLAYLIST
Now 100% unlicensed!
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