ACM Awards 2012: Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift win big in Las Vegas
Miranda Lambert accepts the award for album of the year for "Four the Record" at the Academy of Country Music Awards on April 1, 2012, in Las Vegas.
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AP
Updated 11:05 p.m. ET
(CBS/AP) LAS VEGAS - The Academy of Country Music Awards were a lot of country and a little bit rock 'n' roll on Sunday night, with appearances by rock band KISS and U2 singer Bono, a sexy performance by Carrie Underwood, two honors for both Miranda Lambert and Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson's hit duet, as well as big wins by Taylor Swift and Eli Young Band. Wearing a sexy black and magenta mini-dress, Underwood kicked off the night with "Good Girl," mixing country with a blast of rock.
Pictures: ACM Awards 2012 red carpet Pictures: ACM Awards 2012 show highlights Pictures: ACM Awards 2012 press room ACM Awards 2012 winners
Eli Young Band took home the first award of the evening scoring song of the year for "Crazy Girl." The quartet beat out country heavyweights, including Lady Antebellum and Kenny Chesney. "I have dreamed this moment my whole life and I can speak for the rest of these guys up here that they have, too," lead singer Mike Eli told the crowd.
The album of the year award went to Lambert for her 2011 release, "Four the Record." Lambert looked surprised upon hearing her name. "Seriously?" Lambert said when she hit the stage. She added, "Every record is amazing, and I'm so thrilled. I will never take this trophy for granted. My albums are my babies. It's what makes me wake up in the mornings."
Lambert also won her third consecutive female vocalist of the year award. Her husband, ACM host Blake Shelton, scored male vocalist of the year.
Taylor Swift won her second straight entertainer of the year trophy at the ACMs. She bested her all-male competitors, including four-time winner Kenny Chesney, along with Brad Paisley, Shelton and Aldean.
While accepting her award, Swift took a moment to say hello to Kevin McGuire and his family. McGuire, a high school football player and Swift fan who has cancer, was to have been Swift's date to the awards, but he was hospitalized and couldn't make it.
"He's not here but I promised him I would give him a shoutout," Swift said of the Somerdale, N.J., resident.
The members of KISS, sporting full makeup, almost looked out of place as the rockers announced Lady Antebellum as winners of vocal group of the year. The country trio thanked fans, family and country radio for the win.
The night's single record of the year went to Aldean and Clarkson for their hit duet, "Don't You Wanna Stay." The pair's collaboration also won vocal event of the year.
"I kind of thought it needed a female vocal on it and Kelly was the first name I threw out," Aldean told the audience when he hit the stage. "And I'm really glad I did because she came in and made a great song, and just took it to a great place."
Added Clarkson: "Thank y'all so much for welcoming me from the pop world!"
"American Idol" alum Scotty McCreery won the fan-voted new artist of the year honor.
"Two and a Half Men" star Ashton Kutcher took the stage to announce female vocalist of the year. Wearing a cowboy hat, the newly single actor showed off his singing skills by belting out part of George Strait's "I Cross My Heart" before announcing Lambert as the winner.
Some awards were handed out before the televised show on Sunday night, including Toby Keith's "Red Solo Cup," which scored video of the year. His rowdy live version of the song got the ACM audience members out of their seats Sunday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Husband and wife duo, Thompson Square, meanwhile, was given the vocal duo or the year award during a concert Saturday night, topping Sugarland.
Chesney went into the night with nine nominations, while Aldean had six.
The evening's co-hosts Shelton and Reba McEntire didn't waste any time before they started cracking jokes. In their opening, the pair called out everyone from Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney to Taylor Swift and Tim Tebow. Shelton questioned "rumors" about Swift going on a date with the NFL star. The humor continued through the night.
The awards ceremony was chock-full of performances by everyone from Lionel Richie and The Band Perry to Keith Urban and Sara Evans. Viewers didn't see an award announcement until more than a half-hour into the show.
Actor-comedian-banjo player Steve Martin joined Rascal Flatts on "Banjo" after a brief tribute to country pioneer Earl Scruggs, who died last week.
Martina McBride and Train's Pat Monahan teamed up to help New Jersey couple Christina Davidson and Frank Tucci get married on stage while they sang "Marry Me."
Among the stars who strutted on the red carpet included The Band Perry, Eli Young Band and Underwood, who arrived in a long strapless nude-colored dress with silver details. She said she kept stepping on the hem of her own dress. Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland described her custom Max Azria dress color as "watermelon Jolly Rancher."
Tell us: What did you think of the 2012 ACM Awards?
These country awards shows are crap and I refuse to watch them for the true sound of country music sadly died out years ago.I miss the days when you heard nothing but the cry of the steel gutiar and the fiddle and songs about love and loss.Makes me so angry when the greed of money and sound judgement by the Nashville country music industry destroyed the true sound and replaced it with that garbage that they have the gall to call country music.
George Strait and Alan Jackson had it so right in their song about the changes,this truly was "Murder On Music Row"
If you didn't watch it then you have no idea whther it was crap or not. Personally I enjoyed the show although for the life of me I can't figure out why KISS was on there.
Shelton's fake phone call re: his zipper was poor. Very childish and unprofessional, not funny at all. His "joke" about Randy Travis drinking was also terrible, it was not funny and showed no respect for Randy. The writers and/or Shelton were the joke.
Shelton's fake phone call re: his zipper was poor. Very childish and unprofessional, not funny at all. His "joke" about Randy Travis drinking was also terrible, it was not funny and showed no respect for Randy. The writers and/or Shelton were the joke.
KISS was the only good thing about the show. Country music, especially its newer artists, is dead to me. Bluegrass is the TRUE country music and that sucks most of the time.
I wish Reba McIntire would just retire, she's awful. It's pathetic to watch a woman who is nearly 60 years old pretending she's 25! Get a new host next year, Please!
Spoken like a person who is VERY jealous of how darn young Reba looks! LOL (jk jk) Everyone's entitled to his or her opinion, but I think Reba is great. I'm not a fan of much of her music, but she's always a delight and very classy.
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Updated 11:05 p.m. ET
(CBS/AP) LAS VEGAS - The Academy of Country Music Awards were a lot of country and a little bit rock 'n' roll on Sunday night, with appearances by rock band KISS and U2 singer Bono, a sexy performance by Carrie Underwood, two honors for both Miranda Lambert and Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson's hit duet, as well as big wins by Taylor Swift and Eli Young Band. Wearing a sexy black and magenta mini-dress, Underwood kicked off the night with "Good Girl," mixing country with a blast of rock.
Pictures: ACM Awards 2012 red carpet
George Strait and Alan Jackson had it so right in their song about the changes,this truly was "Murder On Music Row"