7:50 p.m.: And we're out. Taylor Swift was already on the verge of stardom. Two wins at the Country Music Television Music Awards in Nashville, for video of the year and female video for her single “Our Song,” may not define her career, but it will provide a nice sales boost heading into next week.
More TV exposure can only help broaden Swift's already ardent fanbase. Same holds true for newcomer Kellie Pickler who took home three awards during Monday's CMT awards. Pickler won breakthrough video, tearjerker video and performance of the year for “I Wonder." Last year, Swift took home the breakthrough artist prize.
Male video of the year went to Trace Adkins' "I Got My Game On," which bested Brad Paisley's multi-nominated "Online." The latter, however, won for comedy video of the year. Group video of the year went to Rascal Flatts' "Take Me There," and Sugarland took home duo video of the year for its "Stay."
Click here for a complete list of winners.
Awards like the CMT Music Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards are less about the artists and more about the network patting itself on the back. By giving trophies out to videos that debuted largely on its station, the CMT Awards can bring on nominated artists to sing current or upcoming singles, and thereby offer a preview of its spring and summer programming.
The biggest news heading into the show was the hosting team of father/daughter Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus, and the pair managed to provide some of the more likable moments of the night, such as Miley turning down Barack Obama's bid to for her to be "Treasury secretary Hannah Montana" (5:04 p.m.), and Miley reminding pops that she's the one bringing in the money right now (5:20 p.m.).
The performance high-point came at 6:01 p.m., with Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, offering the lovely duet of "I Need You." The low point remains Brad Paisley's "I'm Still A Guy" (6:37 p.m.) his rant against something called "feminized men," and a song that opens with Bambi's antlers on the wall.
But if you didn't get enough, the Academy of Country Music Awards are set for May 18. We'll be here, so c'mon back.
7:32 p.m.: Papa Miley briefly loses track of the teleprompter as Miley looks on. The pair introduces Underwood to sing her "All-American Girl." Sporting a sparkling summer green dress, Underwood is still taking fashion tips from Disney's "Enchanted."
7:28 p.m.: Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit of the Wal-Marts Eagles introduce video of the year. Swift lost the Grammy best new artist trophy to Amy Winehouse, but there's no troubled British soul singers to steal her thunder in Nashvillle. Swift's "Our Song" wins top prize, her young Internet-heavy fanbase clearly mobilized to give her top award of the night. "I want to thank everyone on MySpace," Swift acknowledged.
7:20 p.m.: Chesney performing "Never Wanted Nothing More," another non-nominated song, but the song's mid-tempo violin sway is a lot better than, "Don't Blink," which sets up young adults for massive disappointment by making them think they'll actually marry their high school sweetheart.
7:14 p.m.: Still to come, Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood perform, and the winner for video of the year. Chuck Wicks leads us into another commercial. The final 30-minute stretch is heavy with commercials, so much so, the whole awards ceremony is starting to feel like a big ad for a new CMT show, "Can You Duet."
7:11 p.m.: Duo video of the year: "Stay," Sugarland.
7:05 p.m.: A plug for Toby Keith's upcoming film "Beer for My Horses" with screenwriter/comic/actor Rodney Carrington introducing his pal Keith, who sang his ode to tatted-up smoker girls, "She's A Hottie." In the song's final verse, a fan ran on stage, bringing some much-needed unpredictability to the awards.
6:55 p.m: Swift, wearing cowboy boots. The glittery guitar is absent, but the glittery eyeliner is present. She sings "Picture to Burn," another non-nominated song. Those in the office shout that her vocals are "pitchy," an undefinable word "American Idol" has suddenly made commonplace. But while this song isn't a keeper, a stronger vocalist wouldn't improve it -- a shame that "Idol" has made the acceptance of personality-free -- but note-perfect vocalists -- the norm.
6:51 p.m.: Nope, goes to Trace Adkins' "Seinfeld"-free "I Got My Game On."
6:49 p.m.: After a little skit about Papa Miley talking to her daughter about sex, we cut to Reba introducing male video of the year. Should be Paisley's Jason Alexander-directed "Online."
6:42 p.m.: Alison Krauss and Robert Plant win the award for the "wide open country video of the year," which goes to a video from outside the "country mainstream." Oddly enough, this song probably owes more to country traditions than most of the cuts that won tonight.
6:40 p.m. Papa Miley asking the crowd to chant "Where's Miley"? It's a bit much, but yeah, we've been wondering the same thing.
6:37 p.m.: Julianne Hough, Josh Turner and Sara Evans, introducing Brad Paisley, singing "I'm Still A Guy." Ugh, why not "Online"? That's his nominated song -- one which we can, ummm, relate to 'round these parts.
Instead, no, we get "I'm Still A Guy," which justifies shooting animals and looking at porn with a shrug -- 'eh, I'm a dude, sorry.' Cause, you know, these day's it's "hip now to be feminized." Hank Williams, Jr. guests, but we're taking a moment to stop working and see if Playboy has updated their blog today. What? Eh, sorry, just a guy.
6:24 p.m.: Miley and Papa Miley singing their "Ready, Set, "Don't Go." This is the much-hyped duet between the hosts (and the justification for having Papa Miley host with his daughter). Went out largely without any hitches, although Miley sounds significantly better when she can rock 'n' cheer lead rather than country croon. Her voice is better at slicing through some peppy guitars than it is carrying a note.
6:15 p.m.: Blake Shelton and girlfriend Miranda Lambert present collaborative video of the year to Bon Jovi and LeAnn Rimes' "Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore." The pair bested Garth Brooks/Huey Lewis, as well as Hill/McGraw. So Jewel, Bon Jovi and even Huey Lewis? Anyone else going country to resurrect their career?
6:13 p.m.: Jackson performs his drinking song "Good Times," which suddenly kind of sounds like "Workin' for A Living."
6:10 p.m.: Jason Aldean and Snoop Dogg introducing Alan Jackson. Was the crowd booing or saying "Snooop?" It didn't look like Snoop could tell, either.
6:05 p.m.: Taylor Swift, winning female video of the year for "Our Song," completely robbing Miranda Lambert. She spent a couple minutes repeating that she didn't believe she won the fan-voted award. Maybe not nabbing a Grammy really did a number to her confidence.
6:01 p.m: Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, dueting with "I Need You." Hey, this one is nominated, and it's by far the strongest performance of the night thus far, with its light guitar melody trailing behind both of their voices. Yet no matter how many times I hear this song, I can't decide if needing someone "like a needle needs a vein" is a good thing. Like needing someone like your gums need Novocaine.
5:56 p.m.: Paula Abdul, realizing the CMT Music Awards are beginning to look a lot like an "American Idol" reunion. But don't get cocky Abdul, Judd is taking credit for Archuleta (see 4:31 p.m.)
5:45 p.m.: Tom Arnold and Jewel! Two people everyone forgot about. They make some bad jokes about country hats being the "country toupee," and get to Sugarland and Little Big Town for their pleasant "Life In a Northern Town."
It's another song that isn't nominated tonight, but is moving up the charts, and that's more important. You've heard it before. The song with the "Hey ma ma ma" chorus (country's 2007 answer to "Lion Sleeps Tonight"). But without Pickler around to perform "I Wonder," and Sugarland not performing "Stay," this might be a tear-free evening.
5:41 p.m.: Buddy Jewel's "Started Loving You." Nope, never mind, car commercial instead.
5:37 p.m.: Rascal Flatts singing "Bob That Head." They're wearing shoes. Swift hasn't started a trend yet. But where's Rimes and her prison crew when you need them? This song needs to be locked up.
5:32 p.m.: Taylor Swift, walking barefoot ("My shoes were killing me"), and holder her high heels in her left hand as she gives the breakthrough video of the year award to: Kellie Pickler's "I Wonder." Pickler gives a high-pitched shout-out to Nashville machine "American Idol."
While Bucky doesn't get a full song sing, Pickler is allowed to go as long as she wants. So much so she has to ask be have the cameras turned off: "Am I off the air?"
5:27 p.m.: LeAnn Rimes performing "Nothing Better to Do," in a skimpy prison uniform with nylons and garters. The band was barely visible, as she had about dozen prison ladies blocking their view with some choreographed dance moves.
5:22 p.m. Video of the year finalists announced: Brad Paisley's "Online," "Kenny Chesney's "Don't Blink," Sugarland's "Stay" and Taylor Swift's "Our Song."
Nice moment: It's a fan-voted award, and Miley was pretending to text in her choice. When Papa Miley asked her to stop, claiming he paid her cell phone bill, Miley said, "Who you kidding? I pay yours." Well played, CMT Music Awards, well played.
5:17 p.m.: Bucky Covington performing "A Different World." From "Hannah Montana" to "American Idol." That was fast. But poor Bucky, CMT went to a commercial break before the chorus. Sorry, Bucky, those allergy pill commercials bring in more dough.
5:13 p.m.: Martina McBride giving group video of the year to Rascal Flatts, "Take Me There," for those keeping score.
5:11 p.m.: Papa Miley joking: "You're just using Miley to get to me." At least dad seems to know it's the other way around. But as a reminder of Papa Miley's country cred, we get a bit of "Achy Breaky Heart."
Miley makes the same face half of those watching just made as they remember they own that song somewhere.
5:04 p.m. Getting out the country vote! The CMTs opened with Trace Adkins, John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama all begging for Miley tickets. We called that one!
And while this will be a non-partisan live-blog, Obama had the best line of the opening: "Four words: Treasury secretary Hannah Montana."
Hmmm, I already think that's part of Disney's 20-year Miley Cyrus plan.
4:56 p.m.: So ... Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus (Papa Miley, for the rest of the night) co-hosting these awards. This means more for Miley and her transition from a kids' star to adulthood, or for adding some life to Papa Miley's "Home at Last" album, and in future singles/releases?
4:49 p.m.: The CMTs are getting political! Or so CNN told us earlier, as the presidential candidates are expected to make an appearance.
4:43 p.m.: Underwood's "Some Hearts" was just revealed to be the 'most-played' country music album on online subscription service site Rhapsody (sorry, Taylor). In honor of this distinction, Underwood was awarded a Sonos Digital Music System. Always a delight when multi-million selling artists take home a free stereo system.
4:31 p.m.: Naomi Judd, gushing over "American Idol's" David Archuleta. Judd talked about voting for an even younger Archuletta when she was a judge on "Star Search."
4:29 p.m.: Live-blogging the CMT Music Awards has begun. Sort of. So far, thanks to CMT's pre-show, we've learned that Carrie Underwood will be performing "All-American Girl," a song that was recognized in a grand total of zero categories tonight. Look out CMT Music Awards 2009! But expect either her "So Small" or "Wasted" to bring home some award tonight, since, you know, she's at the awards.
Photo courtesy WireImage
