Taylor Swift is tops at American Music Awards

The young country-pop singer adds five AMAs to her trophy collection. Michael Jackson receives four awards posthumously.

Not long after 19-year-old country-pop sensation Taylor Swift walked off with the Country Music Assn.'s biggest awards in Nashville, the American Music Awards handed her more trophies to add to her growing collection.

Swift, who came in with a field-leading six nominations, landed all but one of those, including the evening's top honor as artist of the year. She also was named favorite female pop-rock, country and adult contemporary artist. Her "Fearless" CD collected the favorite album trophy.

Michael Jackson was the evening's next big winner, taking four posthumous awards as favorite male pop-rock and soul-R&B artist, while his "Number Ones" hits collection won the favorite soul-R&B and pop-rock album awards.

The pop-rock album category was the only one in which Swift was nominated but did not win.

"There's no one that's ever been able to wow audiences quite like Michael," said Paula Abdul, former "American Idol" judge and onetime choreographer for Jackson, on Sunday, "and I don't think there will ever be someone as magical."

Swift had to skip the show at downtown L.A.'s Nokia Theatre because she was in London rehearsing, but she accepted her awards with enthusiasm by satellite from backstage at Wembley Arena.

"I will never be able to say how much I love you," she told her transatlantic audience.

American Music Awards: Three reasons to watch, three reasons to avoid

It's hard to imagine that this is finally happening. A music awards show without Kanye West and/or Taylor Swift will go down on Sunday night, and right here in our hometown.

The American Music Awards are set for a live Sunday night broadcast -- tape-delayed for the West Coast. Set to air at 8 p.m. on ABC, expect at least 20 music performances, and the occasional fan-voted award to be handed out at the gala at downtown's Nokia Theatre. 

In a tradition started last year by Pop & Hiss, here's three reasons to tune in, and three reasons one may be better off catching up on those episodes of "The Mentalist" you have on your DVR.

Reasons to watch:

1. Rihanna. Her "Russian Roulette" stands as one of the starkest, bravest, toughest singles to be released in 2009. The fact that it came from one of the world's biggest pop stars, and sounded more fit for a horror soundtrack than a dance floor, only added to its mystique. Even if it's not the song she'll be performing Sunday, it instantly catapulted Rihanna from a singles artist to a serious force to be reckoned with. 

2. Lady Gaga. In terms of unpredictable pop stars, no one, perhaps, can top one Mr. West. But the man who should have been Gaga's touring partner is a bit MIA at the moment, and likely won't grace an awards  show again until the Grammys, if they'll have him. But in the absence of Kanye, Gaga can be counted on for some sort of spectacle, even if her award-show speeches won't be quite as off the cuff. Her recent video for "Bad Romance" was a sci-fi-inspired explosion of arresting images, and her last major TV appearance -- a performance on "Saturday Night Live" -- featured the artist completely breaking down her hits.

3. Because the Bears are on. This doesn't really apply to those of us on the West Coast, where the American Music Awards will air later than the rest of the country, but there won't be anything broadcast on the gala that comes close to the train wreck that is the 2009 Chicago Bears. Heck, you can slap Adam Lambert, Carrie Underwood and 50 Cent together for a medley of Broadway hits of the '40s, and the three of them doing the foxtrot would make for more captivating television than the Chicago branch of the National Football League. 

Reasons to skip are after the jump.

Taylor Swift: Young, fearless and in control

The country-pop star wins Entertainer of the Year and three other prizes in a night dominated by up-and-comers.

In 1958, Johnny Cash released the song "Ballad of a Teenage Queen," the story of a pretty small-town girl who won Hollywood fame but gave it all up for the boy next door. In 2009 -- on Wednesday night, actually, in Nashville, at the annual Country Music Assn. Awards ceremony -- Taylor Swift updated and obliterated that story line.

The 19-year-old songwriter and universe-shifting star won in four categories, beating out mainstays such as Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban to claim country music for youth, femininity and pop. She also performed two numbers and was the subject of much running humor throughout the program, which found its spark whenever one of country's current batch of New Non-Traditionalists took the stage.

Swift started things out with a version of "Forever and Always" that was glitzy and high-concept -- and off-tune, a consistent characteristic of Swift's live outings that gave the lie to her one undeserved triumph, for best female vocalist. The prize should have gone to Carrie Underwood, country's most powerful young singer and the evening's co-host with Brad Paisley.

Struggling for her notes but not showing any concern about it, Swift made a flurry of arena-rock moves, shaking her long, gold tresses as if she were Robert Plant and sliding down a shiny pole in what seemed like a defiant nod toward her friend Miley Cyrus, who took guff for similar gyrations on this year's Teen Choice Awards. By the end of this production number, she owned the night. And she kept on owning it, right down to her tearful acceptance of the Entertainer of the Year prize, which she shared with her touring band and her fans, "and the shirts you made yourselves."

'I feel like I'm in a dream' -- Taylor Swift, CMA 2009 entertainer of the year

Taylor Swift was understandably flummoxed when I got her on the phone a few minutes after she became the youngest person ever, and the first female in nearly a decade, to be named entertainer of the year by the Country Music Assn.

"I am absolutely at a loss for words," she said, the sounds of celebration clattering in the background. "I feel like I’m in a dream. It honestly was one of those moments where my second-grade music teacher, my crew who puts that stage together and takes it down every night, all the fans in the meet-and-greet lines, all these faces came flashing through my mind.

"All I could think about was the fact that all my life, the entertainer of the year award was always such an unattainable thing, an unattainable dream. Then there I was walking up to the stage and it was happening. It took a while for it to sink in."

Because she won all four categories in which she had been nominated, I asked whether her win as female vocalist surprised her as much as it had the many who expected Carrie Underwood to repeat, or such widely lauded singers as Reba McEntire or Martina McBride to take the award.

"Absolutely," she said. "I was blown away by that. I cannot believe I have four CMA awards that I didn’t have before tonight. I was lucky to win the Horizon award two years ago, but this ... it's so overwhelming to me. Reba and Faith Hill were there, and after they announced the entertainer award we were all just hugging and crying; it was such a wonderful moment. I can’t even believe that this is happening. I’m stuttering."

I also was curious about what the reigning entertainer of the year, Kenny Chesney, told her as she went up to collect the entertainer award that had gone to him for four of the previous five years.

"He gives the most amazing amount of love out, and that's why everyone in country music loves him so much. He and I were texting earlier, and saying, 'I love you no matter what happens' to each other. It’s such a wonderful thing to be part of an industry where everyone genuinely roots for each other. Getting a hug from Kenny just before I went on stage was just so amazing."

Taylor Swift is youngest to ever win CMA's top award

The Country Music Assn. selects the 19-year-old as entertainer of the year over veteran male singers. She wins in all four categories she is nominated.

Country Music Assn. voters largely turned their back on tradition in anointing teenage country-pop star Taylor Swift and a whole slate of relative newcomers with most of its top honors at Wednesday's CMA Awards ceremony in Nashville.

The CMA bypassed long-serving veterans including George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban in selecting Swift the youngest recipient ever of its top honor, entertainer of the year, an award meant for the musician who exhibits the most impressive all-around performance during the preceding year.

By that criteria, it was hard to argue with their choice: The 19-year-old has sold more than 10 million albums in the three years since she released her debut, making her the biggest thing in country and pop music.

Swift won all four categories in which she was nominated, taking home trophies for album of the year, female vocalist and music video.

"Thank you for saying that you like my diary," Swift told voters, and by extension, fans, when she collected the best album prize for 2008's "Fearless."

CMA Awards 2009: All the performances, as they happen [UPDATED]

Pop & Hiss brings you instant reviews, typos and all, of all the performances at the Country Music Assn. Awards. It was a big night for Taylor Swift, who won entertainer of the year. She ended a three-year run from Kenny Chesney,

Related: CMA Awards 2009 Scorecard: Complete nominees and winners

Taylor Swift, "Forever & Always." Nashville is going straight to its A-list star, opening the show with pop music's most popular living singer at the moment. She'll have two songs tonight, and first up is "Forever & Always." To sum it up: The 2009 CMA Awards are off and running with a train wreck. The energy and excitement of Swift's MTV Video Music Awards performance, in which she was running through a subway, is completely lost. Beginning with a fake interview with Nancy O'Dell was cute, especially when Swift noted that "If guys don't want me to write bad songs about them, they shouldn't do bad things." But turning her "Forever & Always" into a chair-throwing angsty performance, complete with a stripper --  or fireman’s pole  (depending on your level of innocence) -- was ill-advised. She looked strained in trying to capture the anger of the song, awkwardly rolling on the floor and yanking at her hair. This is a D. But she has another performance in which to redeem herself.

Taylor Swift wins BMI's country song award for 'Love Story'; Kristofferson named 'icon'

Taylor Swift added another honor to her growing list at Tuesday night's BMI Country Awards in Nashville. Her hit single "Love Story" was recognized as song of the year by the publishing rights society, and it might be an indicator of how things will go tonight for her at the Country Music Assn. Awards, where she's going in with four nominations, including the top honor, entertainer of the year.

Having interviewed Taylor several times since she put out her debut album in 2006, I'm certain the BMI award was especially meaningful for her, because every time we've spoken she's made it clear that of all the facets of her still-unfolding career in music, songwriting is the thing she prizes the most.

You could hear it in her comment upon being handed the award: "I just want to say thank you to every songwriter and every loved one of a songwriter, thank you, because you are the reason I wanted to try Nashville," she said. "You are all my heroes."

As for songwriting heroes, there was a big one there with Swift in the house Tuesday night: Kris Kristofferson. The 73-year-old writer of "Sunday Morning Coming Down," "Me and Bobby McGee," "For the Good Times," "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and so many others was given BMI's icon award.

The ever-humble singer, songwriter and actor said that the whole thing made him squirm, and that his longtime pal Willie Nelson, who paid tribute to him along with Vince Gill and Patty Griffin, told him beforehand how much he was going to relish making Kristofferson uncomfortable. Nonetheless, he said "I'm awfully grateful that what I love to do means enough to other people that I'm able to do it."  

-- Randy Lewis

Top photo: Taylor Swift at Staples Center in May. Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

Bottom photo: Kris Kristofferson in a recording studio in West Los Angeles in March. Credit: Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times

The CMA Awards: They're important -- really

Wednesday night's Country Music Assn. Awards are a model of consistency. A look at the nominees for male and female vocalist of the year reveals that eight of the 10 in the running are holdovers from last year. As for the show's top prize in the entertainer of the year field, four of the last five years the trophy has gone to Kenny Chesney.

Change to the Nashville music community does not happen overnight. But sales certainly do, and the CMAs pack a mighty wallop. 

The CMAs had a massive effect on last year's pop chart, according to figures released earlier this year by Nielsen SoundScan. In the week following the awards show, genre sales were up more than 80% in three of the last seven years.

Last year, country sales were up 89%, thanks, of course, to the sensation known as Taylor Swift. Her "Fearless" was released during the week of the CMA Awards, and it went on to sell 592,000 copies in its opening frame. With a little boost from Swift, overall album sales -- country and non-country -- were up 27%.

The Country Music Assn. Awards: To boldly go . . .

This similarity has been noticed in the past, but the 2009 Country Music Assn. Awards more clearly spell it out. With a new design that makes it look as if the CMA Award, which just happens to resemble the Starfleet logo, were coming out of warp speed, Wednesday's ceremony may as well be advertising the impending home video release of this year's "Star Trek" reboot.

At left is an earlier teaser poster for J.J. Abrams' 2009 edition of "Star Trek." At right is the cover of the CMA program, which comes complete with the bright, flashing-light-like sheen that Abrams brought to the franchise this summer. Watch Wednesday as fast-rising cadet Taylor Swift is pitted against Nashville royalty such as Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley for entertainer of the year.

It's not the first time county awards have crossed paths with "Star Trek." Fan may recall the opening of this year's Country Music Television Awards, which placed Swift in "Trek" gear:

Taylor Swift's 'Saturday Night Live' promos come with and without Kanye jokes

Days before she begins her blessed award-season run with an appearance at next week's Country Music Assn. Awards, country darling Taylor Swift will make a stop in New York to host "Saturday Night Live." NBC has posted Swift's teasers for the show, which come complete with the requisite Kanye West joke.

Here's hoping that means it's out of everyone's system. Swift will pulling a double shift on this weekend's "Saturday Night Live," playing host and musical guest.

Next Wednesday, Swift will compete for entertainer of the year at the CMA Awards. The prize has gone to Kenny Chesney four of the past five years, but Swift is the undisputed country star of 2008-2009, and Pop & Hiss wouldn't bet against her. She set a Billboard record this week, scoring eight cuts on the single's chart, the most ever in a single week by a female artist.

--Todd Martens

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