Chesney Cleans Up at ACMs
Kenny Chesney is having one hell of a month.
A week after scoring a new missus in the form of Ren?e Zellweger, the country star was named Entertainer of the Year Tuesday night at the 40th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
Despite the intense interest in the singer's career since his surprise marriage, he remained aw-shucks humble onstage as he accepted the award.
"I go on stage every night at 9:15, but our show starts at 2:30 in the afternoon because all the fans are out there in the parking lot, partying and got our music cranked up. And I want to thank ya'll," said Chesney, who was wearing a new wedding band to go with his ever-present black Stetson.
Chesney, who also won Entertainer of the Year honors in November at country music's other big shindig, the CMAs, said his new wife was working on a movie and unable to attend the ceremony. But that didn't stop tabloids from dispatching writers and paparazzi to the Las Vegas-based event--a new development for the Academy of Country Music Awards.
And most of the questions backstage were geared toward his newlywed status. The singer described the wife as "wonderful" and says his life now feels at "ease."
Having won Top New Vocalist and Top Male Vocalist in previous years, Chesney completed the Academy of Country Music's Triple Crown with the Entertainer of the Year win. Only six other acts have achieved the feat: Brooks & Dunn, Dixie Chicks, Mickey Gilley, Merle Haggard and Barbara Mandrell.
The red-hot Chesney may have beat out favorite Tim McGraw for Entertainer of the Year honors, but McGraw did not go home empty-handed.
Nominated for a leading six awards, McGraw won Top Single and Top Song honors Tuesday for his massive hit "Live Like You Were Dying." The singer, fresh off a Grammy win and wearing a sweatshirt underneath his sports coat, debuted the song last year at the 2004 ACMs.
Other top winners at the event, which has been doling out hardware to country's biggest names since 1965, included Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss, who nabbed two awards for their "Whiskey Lullaby." The duet won the duo Best Video and Best Vocal Event accolades. (Rick Shroder shared the Best Video trophy--the Silver Spoons and NYPD Blue alum directed the clip.)
Unsurprisingly, "Redneck Woman" Gretchen Wilson also took home a couple of awards. Wearing jeans and a revealing low-cut top and hoop earrings, Wilson bagged Top Female Vocalist and Top New Artist awards.
"For the last year I've just been wingin' it," Wilson said after her Top New Artist win in lieu of a prepared speech. "This means the world to me."
Keith Urban also had bookend wins, landing Top Male Vocalist honors to go along with a trophy for Album of the Year for Be Here.
Meanwhile, rodeo champ turned music star Chris LeDoux was honored posthumously with the Pioneer Award. Garth Brooks accepted the award on behalf of LeDoux's family. LeDoux, who died in March, joined an impressive list of previous winners, including Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Roy Rogers and Loretta Lynn.
The night was not huge on surprises--save a Toby Keith performance in front of U.S. troops via satellite from Baghdad ("Welcome to honkytonk university, ya'll. We're in Baghdad," he said) and an inexplicable appearance by Deuce Bigalow himself, Rob Schneider, as a presenter for Top Vocal Group.
Here's a complete roundup of the winners Tuesday at the 2005 Academy of Country Music Awards:
Entertainer: Kenny ChesneyMale Vocalist:Keith Urban
Female Vocalist: Gretchen Wilson
New Artist: Gretchen Wilson
Vocal Group: Rascal Flatts
Vocal Duo: Brooks & Dunn
Single:"Live Like You Were Dying," Tim McGraw
Song: "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim McGraw, writers Craig Wiseman and Tim Nichol
Album: Be Here, Keith Urban
Video: "Whiskey Lullaby," Brad Paisley (featuring Alison Krauss)
Humanitarian: Neal McCoy
Pioneer: Chris LeDoux
These awards were handed out off-air last week:
Jim Reeves Memorial Award: Charlie NagataniProducer: James Stroud
Audio Engineer: Ron "Snake" Reynolds
Bass Player: Glenn Worf
Fiddle Player: Stuart Duncan
Guitar Player: Brent Mason
Percussionist/Drummer: Lonnie Wilson
Piano/Keyboard Player: Steve Nathan
Specialty Instrument Player: Randy Scruggs (guitar)
Steel Guitar Player: Dan Dugmore
On-Air Personality: Tim & Willy, KNIX, Phoenix
Radio station: WIVK, Knoxville, Tennessee
Casino: Mandalay Bay Resort
Talent Buyer/Promoter: Brian O'Connell (Clear Channel Entertainment)
Nightclub: Buck Owens' Crystal Palace, Bakersfield, Calif.
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