OLD-SCHOOL TRUMPS NEW-SCHOOL AT CMA AWARDS

Taylor Swift may be getting all the critical acclaim these days, but it was Carrie Underwood who took home the award for Best Female Vocalist at last night’s CMA Awards in Nashville. Not only that, but Rascal Flatts beat out the Eagles in the Vocal Group category, as the Music Row establishment showed who’s still in charge of mainstream country. The lone exception found Robert Plant improbably working his way through the crowd of big hats, as he and partner Alison Krauss won the award for Musical Event of the Year with “Gone, Gone, Gone” from Raising Sand.

More surreal still was the appearance of Lil Wayne, who was seen strumming a guitar behind Kid Rock on “All Summer Long.” And Swift provided a bit of a wrinkle herself, performing her new single “Love Story,” about which the N.Y. Times’ John Pareles noted that “despite its fiddle and banjo could easily be an emo rocker.”

George Strait, Brad Paisley and Sugarland snagged two trophies apiece, with Strait becoming the most honored artist in CMA history by virtue of winning Single of the Year for “I Saw God Today” and Album of the Year for Troubadour, his second win in a row in that category. He has now amassed 22 awards.

A night after performing two songs—and showing off his guitar chops—on Dancing With the Stars, Paisley co-hosted the show with Underwood, and topped off his big week by scoring Male Vocalist for the second year in a row and Video of the Year for “Waitin' on a Woman” (featuring the iconic Andy Griffith).

Chesney remains the biggest star in country music, getting Entertainer of the Year for the fourth time consecutive year.

The Winners
Entertainer of the Year: Kenny Chesney
Male Vocalist of the Year: Brad Paisley
Female Vocalist of the Year: Carrie Underwood
Vocal Group of the Year: Rascal Flatts
Vocal Duo of the Year: Sugarland
New Artist of the Year: Lady Antebellum
Album of the Year: George Strait, Troubadour
Single of the Year: Strait, “I Saw God Today”
Song of the Year: Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, “Stay”
Musical Event of the Year: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, “Gone, Gone, Gone”
Music Video of the Year: Paisley, “Waitin’ on a Woman”
Musician of the Year: Mac McAnally