Carrie Underwood Wins Big at Country Music Awards

06 Jun, 2013

Carrie Underwood’s awesome week got off to a roaring start at the CMT Music Awards.

Underwood won top honor video of the year Wednesday night for “Blown Away,” capping the evening with an emotional tribute to Oklahoma tornado victims before taking the fan-voted award for the second year in a row. Miranda Lambert and Florida Georgia Line were the night’s top winners with two awards apiece.

“The good Lord has been very good to me – well, to all of us in this room – for a very long time,” Underwood told the crowd after the win.

Underwood – the top winner in CMT Awards history with 10 belt buckles, including four for video of the year – also is celebrating the opening of a Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit and five years with the Grand Ole Opry. She’ll close down the Country Music Association Festival on Sunday night. All of this comes less than two weeks after joining the Rolling Stones in Toronto on May 25 – the eighth anniversary of her win on “American Idol.”

It was “Idol” that gave Underwood her close relationship with fans, and they continue to show up for her.

“It’s crazy and it’s amazing and it’s all about the fans,” Underwood said backstage before leaning against the wall to chat with Lenny Kravitz. “It still blows my mind.”

The night belonged to Lambert and FGL before Underwood’s flourish at the finish.

The duo of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley won breakthrough video and duo video of the year on their breakthrough hit “Cruise,” then performed a remixed version of the song with rapper Nelly to close the show.

Much of the early focus of the show was on country’s biggest male star, Jason Aldean. Making his first appearance as an awards show co-host, he kicked off the show by playing “American Woman” with Kravitz, got hosting tips from an unlikely cast of characters that included Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire, Kelsey Grammer, Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco and Luke Bryan.

He also won collaborative video of the year for “The Only Way I Know” with Bryan and Church, who were among the top nominees coming into the show with Lambert.

Lady Antebellum won group video of the year for “Downtown” and took the stage with mother-to-be Hillary Scott about a month from her due date.

Lambert’s husband Blake Shelton won male video of the year for “Sure Be Cool If You Did” – an award presented by Lambert. Shelton was traveling due to his duties as a coach on TV’s “The Voice,” so Lambert accepted, shouting, “Honey, I’m drinking for two tonight.”

The CMT Awards are rarely focused on winners of the belt buckle trophy and Wednesday night was no different.

Underwood had the most poignant moment of the night with “See You Again,” her tribute to tornado victims in her home state.

AP

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