2011 CMT Awards!
Shania Twain spills, Biebs and Keith Urban gives chills?
[Jun. 10]
The CMT Music Awards was a night to remember for sure with a list of stars so savory you could just sop ‘em up with a biscuit. The list included Big and Rich, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Lee Brice, Colt Ford, Hunter Hayes, the JaneDear Girls, Thompson Square and CMT’s Next Superstar finalists Matt Mason and Steven Clawson (just to name a few) for perfromances on the Nationwide Insurance stage. In addition, the company bestowed the Nationwide Insurance On Your Side Award to country music’s best new live act as determined by the fans. Nominees were Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Colt Ford, The Band Perry and Josh Thompson. NASCAR driver and Nationwide Insurance customer Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed the winner, The Band Perry. The whole night was full of surprises for country music fans — and delighted anyone who already had a celebrity crush on Hollywood icons like Shania Twain, Gen Me star the Biebs, or Keith Urban. The 2011 CMT Music Awards show kicked off the night with a surprise duet between Wynonna Judd and Kid Rock but that’s not the only surprise the show had in store for us hard-core country fans. Shania Twain may have wanted to say, “I’m Outta Here!” after the fall she took coming on stage. One minute she was strutting her stuff and a second later she was sprawled, legs apart on the floor. Although Shania managed to pull herself up, the grimace on her face during her presentation left me with the impression that she really didn’t quite “Feel Like a Woman” after all that.
The Biebs [pop music singer and celebrity teen scene idol Justin Bieber] was even among those awarded a buckle this year. Yes, Justin Bieber won the Best Collaborative Video of the Year with Rascal Flatts. Perhaps someone might be generous enough to get him a belt to go along with that to help him keep those pants up.
I tell ya, the stars were out tonight and they must have driven their trucks to the show judging from most of the attire. Lots of black, tee shirts, ball caps and of course gotta love us some cowboy hats! Skinny jeans for the guys and mini skirts for the ladies seemed to be the trend tonight. Show ‘em if you got ‘em, right? It’s all about the entertainment. And hey when it’s country, it’s usually casual so no complaints from me.
Sheryl Crow’s duet with Kid Rock was one you didn’t want to miss either. Beautiful song and Sheryl looked gorgeous, she was all legs up there. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, especially during the finale where they came together for the dance. Crow’s little skirt was so short she practically threw her panties at Kid Rock. A wardrobe change later and she was out for a presentation in a floor length white gown apologizing to the audience for her little show. Pretty sure no apology was necessary.
And let’s not forget that wonderful camera shot of Keith Urban’s finer side. Much appreciation to Nicole Kidman for sharing her gorgeous husband this evening and give that camera man a raise for keeping our priorities in mind. It was a quick view from the back but one not easily forgotten.
Sugarland gave us a reason to “Stand Up” with their perfromance of the song as they came to the stage carrying what appeared to be a hand-written white flag with LOVE on it. The audience joined in too and waved miniature versions of the flag with little peace signs in the o’s.
But bringing it to a whole-nutha-level was Jason Aldean when he sang his hit “Dirt Road Anthem” with rapper Ludacris. Watching the rapper “swerving like George Jones” while he and Aldean closed the show was the mud on the tires this ‘ole country girl had been waiting for… and the most fun part of the evening?
Recognizing so many green celebrity faces perfroming on stage and in the audience.
Like Justin Bieber — who helped Larry King raise money to donate to American residents of New Orleans who were negatively impacted by the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Or Sugarland (the band) who have been helping raise money to aid Americans affected by the recent natural disaster storms across the country — both in the Deep South and America’s heartland.
Fan follow up and local chatter in the days following the 2011 CMT Music Awards included talk about both as parents realized their kids were rocking out to a green celebrity and kids realized their parents and the music they liked were actually pretty groovy.