The 53rd CMA Awards promised a celebration of women – and country music's biggest night delivered, according to The Tennessean.
Over the course of the evening, more than 40 women spanning generations in the genre took the stage to perform, accept or present awards.
Garth Brooks took the night’s top honor – Entertainer of the Year – for a record-breaking seventh time. Still, he used his platform to draw attention to the female artists in crowd.
Brooks said that if the award was being presented based on the night’s performances – co-host Reba McEntire would take the prize for her theatric performance of “Fancy.” He also pointed to Kelsea Ballerini’s stripped down delivery of her “Homecoming Queen,” saying it shrank the cavernous arena into a small, intimate space.
Kacy Musgraves and Luke Combs were the night’s top winners. The singers each took home two trophies.
— CMA Country Music (@CountryMusic) November 14, 2019
This year, for the first time, the CMA Awards show was hosted by three women. Carrie Underwood, who has co-hosted the CMA Awards for more than decade, was back again this year with new partners Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire.
The host trio kicked off the show with "Those Memories of You" before an onslaught of country music's leading women past and present.
Tanya Tucker dug into classic "Delta Dawn;" Gretchen Wilson kicked out "Redneck Woman;" The Highwomen paid tribute to Tammy Wynette with "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad" ... and that's not half of what viewers saw.
From there, women continued to dominate the show. Maren Morris, the night’s top nominee and expectant mom, tearfully accepted the trophy for Album of the Year for her 2019 release “GIRL.”
Blake Shelton won his first CMA award – Single of the Year, for “God’s Country” – since he took Male Vocalist of the Year in 2014.
Shelton’s fiddle player Jenee Fleenor, meanwhile, became the first woman to win Musician of the Year.
And rising star Ashley McBryde was named New Artist of the Year.
McBryde was part of one of the night’s more memorable performances – a collaboration with Ballerini, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Runaway June, Carly Pearce and Lindsay Ell on Little Big Town’s CMA Award-winning “Girl Crush.”
Parton, who made quippy jokes about everything from Porter Wagoner to the size of her clothing rack, put her humor on hold for her medley of inspirational songs. She welcomed for KING & COUNTRY to the CMA Awards to perform their popular duet “God Only Knows,” which ended with a sweet kiss on the hand from singer Joel Smallbone. Parton invited Zach Williams out next to sing their new duet "There Was Jesus" then closed with a solo performance of "Faith," a 2019 collaboration with Swedish duo Galantis.
— CMA Country Music (@CountryMusic) November 14, 2019
McEntire’s “Fancy” was one of the most elaborate presentations of the night. She started the song in a lavender satin gown, which she stripped off the reveal a slender, red sequined dress, which she removed a verse later to show a fitted, strappy sequined top and matching, flowing pants. McEntire held no guitar or microphone – she captivated the audience with her eyes and the dynamic, knowing way she worked the stage.
The men were named duo of the year later in the show. While Dan + Shay has won a Grammy, an ACM Award, a Billboard Award, a CMT Award and more, a CMA trophy had eluded them until tonight’s show.
Lil Nas X might have been the most surprised winner of the night. His record-breaking duet with Billy Ray Cyrus “Old Town Road” won vocal event of the year.
2019 CMA Awards winners:
Entertainer of the Year
➤Garth Brooks
Eric Church
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Album of the Year
Center Point Road, Thomas Rhett
Cry Pretty, Carrie Underwood
Dan + Shay, Dan + Shay
Desperate Man, Eric Church
➤Girl, Maren Morris
Musical Event of the Year
“All My Favorite People”- Maren Morris and Brothers Osborne
“Brand New Man” – Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs
“Dive Bar” – Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton
➤“Old Town Road (Remix)” – Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus
“What Happens In A Small Town” – Brantley Gilbert and Lindsay Ell
New Artist of the Year
Cody Johnson
Ashley McBryde
Midland
Carly Pearce
Morgan Wallen
Single of the Year
“Burning Man” – Dierks Bentley Feat. Brothers Osborne
Producers: Ross Copperman, Jon Randall, Arturo Buenahora, Jr.
Mix Engineer: F. Reid Shippen
“GIRL” – Maren Morris
Producer: Greg Kurstin
Mix Engineer: Greg Kurstin
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
Producer: Scott Hendricks
Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank
“Millionaire” – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
Mix Engineer: Vance Powell
“Speechless” – Dan + Shay
Producers: Dan Smyers, Scott Hendricks
Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano
Song of the Year
➤“Beautiful Crazy” – written by Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, and Rob Williford; recorded by Luke Combs
“GIRL” – written by Maren Morris, Sarah Aarons and Greg Kurstin; recorded by Maren Morris
“God’s Country” – written by Devin Dawson, Jordan Schmidt and Michael Hardy; recorded by Blake Shelton
“Rainbow” – written by Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally, and Kacey Musgraves; recorded by Kacey Musgraves
“Tequila” – written by Dan Smyers, Nicolle Galyon and Jordan Reynolds; recorded by Dan + Shay
Female Vocalist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
➤Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
Male Vocalist of the Year
Dierks Bentley
➤Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
Vocal Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Midland
➤Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Vocal Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
➤Dan+Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae
Musician of the Year
➤Jenee Fleenor
Paul Franklin
Mac McAnally
Illya Toshinsky
Derek Wells
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