Swift’s victories along with surprise wins from Lady Antebellum (Flatts are now left to do Wendy’s commercials?!) and Darius Rucker’s new artist win (great speech) signals a seismic shift in Country Music.  Is it the class of 2009?  It may be too early to tell but with the “departure” of Brooks and Dunn it feels a bit different.   Are things leaning too pop?  Can’t stop change.

The other surprise of the evening was, perhaps, that Zac Brown walked away empty handed after the best musical performance of the night.

Overall the best awards show in decades.

Other winners:

Musical Event – Paisley / Urban “Start a Band”

Male Vocalist – Brad Paisley

Song Of The Year – Jamey Johnson “In Color”

Single Of The Year – Lady Antebellum “I Run To You”

 Rucker surprises with at least two nominations and Taylor Swift could with the BIGGIE.

2009 CMA Nominees:

Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Keith Urban

Female Vocalist
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Darius Rucker
George Strait
Keith Urban

New Artist
Randy Houser
Jamey Johnson
Jake Owen
Darius Rucker
Zac Brown Band

Musical Event of the Year
“Cowgirls Don’t Cry” Brooks & Dunn ft. Reba McEntire
“Down The Road” Kenny Chesney (with Mac McAnally)
“Everything But Quits” Lee Ann Womack (duet with George Strait)
“I Told You So” Carrie Underwood ft. Randy Travis
“Old Enough” The Raconteurs ft. Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe

Vocal Group
Eagles
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Joey & Rory
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland

Single of the Year
(Award goes to artist and producer.)
“Chicken Fried”
Zac Brown Band
Producer: Keith Stegall
Atlantic Records

“I Run to You”
Lady Antebellum
Producers: Victoria Shaw and Paul Worley
Capitol Records Nashville

“In Color”
Jamey Johnson
Producers: The Kent Hardly Playboys
Mercury Nashville

“People Are Crazy”
Billy Currington
Producers: Carson Chamberlain and Billy Currington
Mercury Nashville

“Then”
Brad Paisley
Producers: Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois
Arista Nashville

 

Album of the Year
(Award goes to artist and producer.)
American Saturday Night
Brad Paisley
Producers: Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois
Arista Nashville

Defying Gravity
Keith Urban
Producers: Dann Huff and Keith Urban
Capitol Records Nashville

Fearless
Taylor Swift
Producers: Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift
Big Machine Records

Love on the Inside
Sugarland
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles
Mercury Nashville

That Lonesome Song
Jamey Johnson
Producers: The Kent Hardly Playboys
Mercury Nashville

 

Song of the Year
(Award goes to songwriters.)

“Chicken Fried”
Songwriters: Zac Brown and Wyatt Durette

“I Told You So”
Songwriter: Randy Travis

“In Color”
Songwriters: Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller and James Otto

“People Are Crazy”
Songwriters: Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones

“Then”
Songwriters: Brad Paisley, Chris DuBois and Ashley Gorley

 

Musical Event
(Award goes to each artist.)
“Cowgirls Don’t Cry”
Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire
Arista Nashville

“Down the Road”
Kenny Chesney (with Mac McAnally)
Blue Chair Records, BNA Records

“Everything But Quits”
Lee Ann Womack (duet with George Strait)
MCA Records

“I Told You So”
Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis
19 Recordings/Arista

“Old Enough”
The Raconteurs featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe
Third Man Records, Warner Bros. Records

 

Music Video
(Award goes to artist and director.)
“Boots On”
Randy Houser
Director: Eric Welch

“Love Story”
Taylor Swift
Director: Trey Fanjoy

“People Are Crazy”
Billy Currington
Directors: The Brads

“Start a Band”
Brad Paisley (duet with Keith Urban)
Directors: Jim Shea

“Troubadour”
George Strait
Director: Trey Fanjoy

 

Musician of the Year
Eddie Bayers — drums
Paul Franklin — steel guitar
Dann Huff — guitar
Brent Mason — guitar
Mac McAnally — guitar