Taylor Swift dominates the 2009 Country Music Awards

2009 CMA Awards - Press Room

Last night was the Country Music Awards, and it ended up being Taylor Swift’s big night. Taylor took home four awards, including the top honor, entertainer of the year. Swift is the youngest entertainer of the year ever (at 19 years old) and the last woman to get the top prize since Shania Twain in 1999. The only bad thing? Taylor had to face lots of “jokes” about Kanye West. We get it. Kanye made her cry, and she’s been a class act about it thus far. Don’t push it, CMAs. Anyway, from what I saw, Taylor did not bring her boyfriend Taylor Lautner to the ceremony – he was in England, at the London premiere of New Moon. But Taylor did tweet about her wins, writing: “I have said ‘i love you’ to so many people tonight. I can’t stop hugging people. This is magical… Just wrapped up a cereal party with my mom and dad at the kitchen table. What a night.”

Other winners included Brad Paisley (who also co-hosted with Carrie Underwood, who got shut out – chuckle), Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Mac McAnally and Darius Rucker. Performers included some crossover stuff with Dave Matthews and Kid Rock. Here’s more coverage from People Magazine:

Taylor Swift opened the show with a winning performance – but the 19-year-old singer had to wait until the end of the Country Music Association Awards telecast Wednesday night to collect the biggest honor: entertainer of the year.

Sobbing as she took the stage of Nashville’s Sommet Center, Swift – the youngest-ever winner of the CMA’s top trophy – called her band to join her onstage. “I will never forget this moment because in this moment everything I have ever wanted has just happened to me,” she said.

It was a monumental night for Swift, who took home four awards in total, including album of the year for her smash hit Fearless and, in an upset, female vocalist of the year, beating out the night’s co-host, Carrie Underwood.

While Underwood was shut out this year, her co-host Brad Paisley had a good night. The singer was named male vocalist of the year for the third year in a row, while Sugarland was awarded vocal duo of the year for the third year running as well.

Lady Antebellum was another early winner. The group’s “I Run to You” was named single of the year, and the trio picked up vocal group of the year, effectively ending competitor Rascal Flatts’ six-year winning streak in that category. A gracious Charles Kelley paid tribute to the band in his acceptance speech: “Rascal Flatts you’ve inspired us for such a long time,” he said.

Darius Rucker got a warm welcome from the country community – the crossover artist won new artist of the year, an honor that last year went to Lady Antebellum. After a long list of acknowledgments, he recognized his audience: “To the fans, thank ya’ll for accepting me.”

It was a performance-heavy telecast, with rock stars like Dave Matthews and Kid Rock teaming up with Kenny Chesney and Jamey Johnson. Swift launched the evening with a spirited rendition of “Forever and Always,” about stormy relationships. The performance seemed to nod to the feverish attention paid to her dating life – she has been linked to Joe Jonas and, most recently, Taylor Lautner – and began with a taped interview between the 19-year-old singer and Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell.

“If guys don’t want me to write bad songs about them, then they shouldn’t do bad things,” Swift remarked in the taped segment, before the action cut away to the stage, where she threw furniture, slid down a poll and tossed her hair wildly.

Helming the three-hour telecast, Underwood and Paisley brought a sense of humor to the proceedings, poking fun at Kanye West (several times) through song and ribbing each other throughout the show.

[From People]

Sounds like a good night. Too bad I was watching USA’s NCIS marathon (Shalom Ziva!). So instead of doing my standard best and worst moments of the night, instead let’s just talk about how cute Taylor Swift is, and how she’s the next big thing. You know what’s going to happen next, right? They’re going to begin billing her as “America’s Sweetheart” and people will start pushing for her to have a big movie career. She’s already filmed a small part in the romantic comedy ensemble Valentine’s Day, out next year. Combine that with her stellar performance on Saturday Night Live, and Swift is the next big “It Girl” to hit Hollywood. Couldn’t have happened to a sweeter girl, in my opinion. I hope she keeps her head on straight.

2009 CMA Awards - Press Room

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30 Responses to “Taylor Swift dominates the 2009 Country Music Awards”

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  1. Firestarter says:

    Good for her! No one was there to steal the spotlight away from her moment, she looked lovely and I am glad to see her win awards that really mean something to her music. Moon Men be damned!

  2. Just a Poster says:

    She was adorable last night and quite gracious. And she had just a smidge of snark when she said something like “So glad to be around people who won’t run up on the stage” If anyone could pull off sweet-snark it is Taylor LOL

    Kaiser I can’t believe you forgot to mention her being on CSI! She was really good in that.

  3. snowball says:

    She’s so pretty and cutely self-conscious sometimes. And I want that hair!

  4. Shelly says:

    Oh I don’t know Firestarter…Carrie Underwood cut off Brad Paisley when he was congratulating Taylor on her Entertainer of the Year award and Wynonna Judd is trash talking her…..I think they are got jealous honestly. But I love Taylor and she deserves her awards and I’m glad to see how excited she was – she didn’t feel entitled at all and that’s quite refreshing in today’s “entertainment” world. Go Taylor!!!!!

  5. Just a Poster says:

    Shelly I agree, Carrie seemed a bit miffed. And I totally missed the Wynonna bit. Can you fill me in please.

    And what I really liked about Taylor last night (besides how she handled herself) was that she looked lovely. She looked like a beautiful 19 year old girl and not some trashy thing.

  6. Meghan says:

    I love that she had a cereal party with her parents after the show!

    If there is one person I’m happy about stealing the Entertainer of the Year award from Kenny Chesney, it is Taylor Swift. She’s so sweet, makes me forget that I am slightly jealous that she’s dating Taylor Lautner (okay, a lot jealous).

  7. gg says:

    I really like Taylor and she’s getting the good stuff she deserves.

    I’m not a fan of the marcelle wave hair though. Doesn’t work on long hair. She needs a little lift in the back and less makeup. imo. Other than that though, she’s a great role model so far for young girls.

    Oh, one more thing, Lady Antebellum??? lol, I have never, ever heard of a stupider band name in my life. What are they, they Colonial Lady Gaga? oy.

  8. hmm says:

    She may be a sweet girl but no way did she deserve vocalist of the year. And please can we stop with the Kanye references? He was rude but it didn’t rise to the level of importance it was given last night.

  9. wow says:

    Anyone remember when she had that reality show on MTV about following her as she tried to get a record deal. She’s come so far, and it’s nice seeing talent be rewarded without being subjected to flashing a crotch or boob.

    They should lay off the Kanye digs though. It was fine during her SNL monolague, but even before that it was starting to get old.

  10. Susan says:

    Taylor Swift is not Country! She sings Pop!

  11. Shelly says:

    Wynonna said it was too soon for Taylor to win the “of the year” award and now she has nowhere to go. She’s already at the top so she doesn’t have anything else to aim for. I think Wynonna’s a washed-up-has-been and she’s bitter that Taylor doesn’t have to ride anyone’s coat tails (like Wynonna did to her mother) to receive an award.

  12. Just a Poster says:

    Thanks for the scoop Shelly!

    I really liked Wynonna’s solo stuff.. too bad that her life got so messed up.

    What did her mother do to those girls? They both seem a wee bit messed up.

  13. atticus says:

    “just wrapped up a cereal party with my mom and dad at the kitchen table” LOVE IT – completely captures why she is so admirable. Her parents must be so, so proud of their daughter. She handles herself with class way beyond her years.

    @99 – “colonial lady gaga” – LOL!!! and I agree about her hair…she’s still lovely but I somehow don’t dig the hair.

  14. Rae says:

    I was really happy to see her win. I don’t think Entertainer of the Year has anything to do with how long you’ve been performing. She was definitely the hottest country star of the past year. I got fed up with the CMAs after Kenny Chesney kept winning year after year, when I didn’t think he deserved it. And Kaiser, The Dixie Chicks won in 2000. Carrie Underwood won the ACM Entertainer of the Year last year, so it will be interesting to see what happens there.

    I was so incredibly impressed with Sugarland’s performance last night. Jennifer Nettle’s voice is amazing. I always cringe though when someone wins an award and then they invite one of their competitors on stage to share it. Jennifer, Brooks & Dunn have one more of those things than you can imagine, they don’t need to share yours!

  15. stinabelle says:

    I am such a Taylor Swift fan. She’s classy, beautiful, sweet and real. Plus I listened to her whole album on the train the other day, and I actually really enjoyed it. Congrats, Taylor.

  16. Shelly says:

    Just a Poster – you’re welcome! :o)

  17. Lindsay says:

    This is what Wynonna said about Taylor winning Entertainer of the Year:

    “You want my honest comment? It’s too much too soon. Time is God’s way of keeping everything from happening at once. It’s just too much of a good thing too soon,” told Judd.

    Adding along to it, she says, “My thing is, being a home-school mom, I want kids to earn it, and I think some time … ‘cause mom and I rode in a car for the first year of our career to visit radio stations. There was a making of the star, there was a rising up, and the fans went with us.”

    Judd feels there isn’t too much to work from once you’ve received such high victory at a young age. “Now it’s over coffee breaks, the success, almost. You have to play catch up … It’s like the girl who wins an Oscar and she’s under 20. What do you do from here?”

    I think it is great for Taylor but she does have a point. She has only been working for three years and opened for the other four nominees this year. Vocally she is not the strongest, I’ll be interested to see how long her career lasts and if her career outlasts the hype and her young and cute phase.

    Since 1967 only six other female acts have won entertainer of the year.
    * 1972: Loretta Lynn
    * 1978: Dolly Parton
    * 1980-1981: Barbara Mandrell
    * 1986: Reba McEntire
    * 1999: Shania Twain
    * 2000: Dixie Chicks
    * 2009: Taylor Swift

    Hmm- I agree the Kanye thing needs to be dropped.

  18. Jackie says:

    November 11, 2009: The day country music died

  19. ben says:

    whats wrong with her eyes

  20. Emily says:

    I can’t get over the name Mac McAnally. I’m immature, I know. Is it a band or a person? Either way, that name wins.

  21. original kate says:

    she bores me to tears.

  22. Iggles says:

    original kate – You’re not the only one 🙂 I think there’s way too much hype about this girl. The song she won an MTV award for was cute and all but definitely pop — not country.

    Though every since Shania Twain the lines between country and pop have been blurred so much that some acts/songs are nearly indistinguishable.

  23. la chica says:

    she’s a talented girl but let’s face it, Kanye is the best thing that ever happened to her career.

  24. Anita says:

    I am done with country music, well new country….I don’t like Weeny Chesney, but, at least he has done his “time”, is true country and liked by many…..George Strait….Taylor Swift…..PLEASE….Brad, Keith, George, Kenny…an insult to all of you….she is a flash in the pan and I hope she fade’s away….I can think of hundreds of country “STARS” that deserve every award she received more….Taylor’s big 3 number one hits, George 56, Keith & Brad 15 and Kenny 12….and the awards between these guys……Her music isn’t even country…I won’t watch the CMA’s anymore….she is an attempt, a marketing strategy to get the younger generation interested in country music….well, you know who has more money (and more insurance)…the older generation….

  25. For Sooth? says:

    OMG! Obviously a lot of the posters here don’t have ears. Did you hear her “sing” last night? She was horrendous. She is not country, she is pop and I thought her head was going to come off, she was doing the stripper hair swing so much.

    Wynonna was being kind. Wynonna and her mother worked their asses off getting their singing and harmony just right. Taylor has butt loads of work to do to get anywhere near the caliber of those two women, their outward appearances aside. Taylor’s off key singing getting accolades is an embarrassment for country music as a whole. If you heard Reba, Martina, Faith, Carrie and the woman in Sugarland sing you would have seen the ginormous contrast to what Taylor tried to sell as singing. She blew chunks and she actually hurt my ears on her second song. It was lucky she had the tween crowd singing with her to help drown out her many, many flats. This is the fourth live performance that I have seen where she couldn’t sing to save her life. Daddy must have some big bucks, that’s all I’ve gotta say. And the CMA crowd must have been thinking that the world was tipped upside down when she won. I don’t care how hard she works on the fine points of the staging and the costumes, et al., she doesn’t deserve all the awards if it is based on live performances and not based on how well the studio can use the auto tone.

    In closing (whew!), all I’ve gotta say is that it was a business decision pure and simple, bring in the tween money and new blood. It wasn’t talent based. If it was, then there are more stupid people in the world than I thought.

    Did you see Leeann Rimes?? She looked awful and it appeared she wasn’t getting a lot of love from the country community when she was up on stage. Just desserts for acting the fool with another woman’s husband.

  26. Jag says:

    She looked beautiful! Good for her, winning so much. And I want her hair, too, but in brown, please. 🙂

  27. mark says:

    @ shelly: Carrie being jealous? She can’t be and she shouldn’t be. She has won a number of awards. Awards which are more than swift’s. The fact that she won FVOTY is a big slap to country due to the fact that her vocals aren’t good. She can’t even sing well live. Album of the year maybe enough but FVOTY? c’mon!!!….She may win this time.. So stop saying silly things because you don’t know what you’re talking about!! How can someone be jealous of a singer’s very mediocre voice. TS, get lost!!!!!!

  28. Not this again says:

    Well, regardless of the finer points, at least the CMA’s went better then certain other music award ceremonies 😛

  29. John says:

    Taylor Swift cant hold a candle to the other women that have won entertainer of the year. She is not even in the same class.

    Since 1967 only six other female acts have won entertainer of the year.
    * 1972: Loretta Lynn
    * 1978: Dolly Parton
    * 1980-1981: Barbara Mandrell
    * 1986: Reba McEntire
    * 1999: Shania Twain
    * 2000: Dixie Chicks
    * 2009: Taylor Swift

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