It’s that time of year: guitars, cowboy hats, and Southern accents ran abound at the 2010 CMA Awards Wednesday night. All of the snazzily dressed stars showed up for a night of performances and, of course, awards. For those of you who were unable to watch the CMAs this year, I’ve made a list of the top five moments that you missed.
1. Brad Paisley’s “Entertainer of the Year” acceptance speech—Before launching into his tirade of thanks, he took a moment to remember his late grandfather. It was easily the best acceptance speech of the night. Paisley credited his grandfather with getting him started on the road to country music stardom. He also spoke to the fans, who he said “are loyal to everyone in this room. It’s the most amazing fan base in the world.”
2. Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert winning “Male & Female Vocalist of the Year” (respectfully)—When Blake Shelton’s name got announced as the winner, fiancée Miranda Lambert was out of her seat before he was. It was a very feel-good moment watching the two hug because, let’s face it, who doesn’t think Blake and Miranda are an adorable country power-couple? He also had an emotional embrace with Reba McEntire which was more than touching. Miranda won her last of three CMA awards after performing in a tribute to Loretta Lynn. Her acceptance speech was also weepy, which instantly makes it more memorable.
3. Gwyneth Paltrow & Vince Gill’s performance of ‘Country Strong’—Gwyneth Paltrow can sing! I was apparently the only person to not know that she is starring in a movie by the same title, as well as sings everything in it. It was genuinely shocking and surprising in the best way possible. Her voice had an interesting tone, and she, with the help of Vince Gill, definitely held her own among Nashville’s elite. Is a crossover somewhere in the future?
4. Lady Antebellum’s performance of ‘Hello World’—Perhaps it’s just my taste in music, but a symphony accompaniment really is the best way to go. The unobtrusive accompaniment let the group’s vocal talent shine through. There are probably a lot that would say that the performance was boring, but if you can appreciate non-autotuned voices with real music, you would’ve liked the show. Lady Antebellum had a successful night, winning 2 awards at the show.
5. Reba McEntire’s performance of ‘If I Were a Boy’—Yes, Reba McEntire performed a Beyonce number. The two sound nothing alike, but I wouldn’t necessarily call that a bad thing. Whereas Beyonce amazed listeners with all her amazing vocal embellishments, Reba tugged at your heartstrings with understated simplicity. The performance lacked the bells and whistles, but she still got a standing ovation at the end. She clearly is doing something right. Oh, and will that woman ever age?!
There were so many more fantastic performances, acceptance speeches, and random hilarious moments that I had to stop at five. Hopefully you or someone you know remember to set your TiVo so you can watch and re-watch these and the other amazing moments from the CMA awards.
