Taylor Swift Wins Top Prize At ACMs

Steve Marcus photo

Taylor Swift took the top prize at the Academy of Country Music Awards for the first time on Sunday after being overshadowed at the Las Vegas ceremony by multiple winners Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum, according to a Reuters story.

The 21-year-old starlet was named entertainer of the year and was clearly stunned to hear her name called for the final award at the 46th annual event.

Leading nominee Lambert had already won four prizes and seemed poised to add a fifth to her collection. But entertainer of the year is decided by fans on the Internet and the enthusiastic young girls in Team Swift evidently took their voting duties more seriously.

"This is the first time that I've ever won this and I'm just losing my mind," said a tearful Swift, fresh from a tour of Europe and Asia. "The fact that this is from the fans makes it so beautiful ... You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Ever."

Swift, with four nominations in three categories, earlier premiered her new song "Mean," a defiant tune that labels as "pathetic" critics of her occasionally wayward vocal stylings.

Lambert was named top female vocalist for a second year, once again beating Swift. Her wistful tune "The House That Built Me" was honored for single, song and video of the year.

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THE WINNERS:

SONG OF THE YEAR: “The House That Built Me” – Miranda Lambert
TOP NEW VOCAL DUO: The Band Perry
TOP NEW SOLO VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Eric Church
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR: “The House That Built Me” – Miranda Lambert
TOP NEW ARTIST: The Band Perry
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
TOP VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR: Lady Antebellum
TOP VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR: Sugarland
TOP MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Brad Paisley
TOP FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Miranda Lambert
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR: Taylor Swift


The shocker -- and perhaps the most exciting performance of the evening -- came when Aerosmith's Steven Tyler showed up onstage to help Carrie Underwood sing her edgy single, "Undo It." Dressed in a white, floor-length coat, Tyler underscored his reputation as one of rock music's most charismatic performers while prompting Underwood to put some additional fire in her already-soaring vocals. They followed it up with Aerosmith's "Walk This Way."