Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Thompson Square, Toby Keith win big at CMA Awards
Tishomingo residents Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton accept the song of the year award during Thursday’s CMA Awards in Nashville, Tenn. Photo by Donn Jones/CMA.
It was a momentous night for two country music couples with Oklahoma ties at Thursday’s 46th Annual CMA Awards.
Tishomingo residents Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, who wed in 2011, scored four big wins between them, while Thompson Square – Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson and his wife Shawna – earned their first vocal duo trophy from the Country Music Association.
Before they sealed their win with a kiss, Shawna Thompson tearfully related that she used to practice her award acceptance speech with one of her grandmother’s Mason jars when she was about 5 years old.
Thompson Square – Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson and wife Shawna – accept the award for vocal duo of the year at Thursday’s CMA Awards in Nashville, Tenn. Photo by Donn Jones/CMA.
“This is awesome, man, one of the coolest things we’ve ever experienced, and being able to do it with your best friend, it’s awesome,” Keifer Thompson said.
It was a particularly emotional night for Shelton and Lambert, who made CMA Awards history and reaffirmed their standing as country music’s premier power couple.
Shelton, who has ascended to superstardom as a coach on NBC’s hit reality TV show “The Voice,” earned his first win in the top category, entertainer of the year. The Ada native upset multiplatinum country-pop powerhouse Taylor Swift, who was trying to become the first woman to win three CMA entertainer titles, as well as Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney.
“I don’t know how this happened. I freaking love it, though. I try to represent country music as best I can with everything I do,” said Shelton, who seemed genuinely dumbfounded as he accepted the award from his close friend and fellow Oklahoma native Reba McEntire.
While Swift was shut out, it was Shelton and Lambert making CMA history in multiple categories, including by notching their third straight male vocalist and female vocalist of the year titles.
But it was the couple’s historic and meaningful shared win in the song of the year category that became the highlight of the show. They won the trophy for penning the heartbreaking ballad “Over You” in honor of Shelton’s brother Richie, who died in a car accident 22 years ago.
After the couple exchanged a kiss, Lambert wept openly on stage as her husband related how his father, Dick, who died earlier this year, urged the couple to pen “Over You.”
“My dad always told me, `Son, you should write a song about your brother,”‘ Shelton said. “I lost my dad in January, and it’s so amazing to me that tonight, even after he’s gone, he’s still right. I just needed the right person to write this song with and the right person to sing it.”
Although three married couples have been previously nominated for CMA song of the year – Ed and Patsy Bruce for “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” in 1978, Sanger D. “Whitey” Shafer and Darlene Shafer for “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” in 1985, and “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” written by Whitey Shafer and his fourth wife Lydia Shafer in 1987 – Lambert and Shelton are the first to win the honor.
Norman resident Toby Keith proved you don’t have to be present to win a CMA Award. Keith, an outspoken objector of the Country Music Association’s awards process, received the music video of the year award for his viral smash “Red Solo Cup,” directed by Michael Salomon.
Keith spent Thursday night receiving an award much closer to home. He, former Oklahoma Gov. George Nigh and wife Donna Nigh received the 2012 JFK Community Service Awards from the Oklahoma City Knights of Columbus Council 1038 in a ceremony at the Devon Tower.
The Clinton native’s video of the year win and Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw’s victory in the musical event of the year category with their duet “Feel Like A Rock Star” were announced Thursday morning on “Good Morning America.” Mac McAnally earned his fifth musician of the year trophy before the broadcast.
Once the show started, first-time winners dominated when Shelton and Lambert weren’t cleaning up. Eric Church received the album of the year award for “Chief,” Little Big Town for single of the year for “Pontoon” and vocal group of the year and Hunter Hayes for new artist of the year. As producer of both “Chief” and “Pontoon,” Jay Joyce earned album and single of the year honors, also marking his initial CMA Award wins.
Shelton, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw performed a special tribute to country legend Willie Nelson, who joined them to sing “On the Road Again.” After, Paisley surprised Nelson with the first-ever CMA Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be renamed the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
Paisley and Checotah native Carrie Underwood co-hosted the CMA Awards for the fifth consecutive year. Along with Underwood’s many wardrobe changes, their most memorable moments included their “Gangnam Style” dance sequence, Paisley’s guitar tribute to the late Andy Griffith and their scheme with Little Jimmy Dickens to boost ratings by getting the very pregnant Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles to deliver her baby during the show.
Here are the 2012 CMA Awards winners:
Entertainer of the Year
Blake Shelton
Female Vocalist of the Year
Miranda Lambert
Male Vocalist of the Year
Blake Shelton
New Artist of the Year
Hunter Hayes
Vocal Group of the Year
Little Big Town
Vocal Duo of the Year
Thompson Square
Album of the Year
(Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))
Chief
Eric Church
Produced by Jay Joyce
EMI Records Nashville
Single of the Year
(Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))
“Pontoon”
Little Big Town
Produced by Jay Joyce
Capitol Records Nashville
Song of the Year
(Award goes to Songwriter(s))
“Over You”
Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton
Musical Event of the Year
(Award goes to each Artist)
“Feel Like a Rock Star”
Kenny Chesney
(duet with Tim McGraw)
Blue Chair Records/Columbia Nashville
Music Video of the Year
(Award goes to Artist and Director)
“Red Solo Cup”
Toby Keith
Directed by Michael Salomon
Musician of the Year
Mac McAnally – Guitar
-BAM
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