“This is the defining moment of my life,” Luke Bryan said emotionally after winning Entertainer of the Year at last night’s (April 7) ACM Awards. “It means the world to me, and I will never take it for granted.” Securing the night’s top prize for the first time was one of numerous factors underlining his zooming career trajectory. It was also his first time co-hosting the show, held at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, with Blake Shelton. For the most part they made a funny, engaging pair, relying mainly on jabs at each other. (ex. Shelton: “You know what Motel 6 and Luke’s jeans have in common? There’s no ballroom.”)
Bryan’s Entertainer win proved his connection with music lovers who selected the fan-voted honor. His performance of “Crash My Party” was a spectacle of swirling green lights, and exemplified an evolving career with a step away from the hip-swiveling hit “Country Girl Shake It For Me.”
The Band Perry scored the night’s best performance, with a high-energy offering of new single “DONE.” Stark white lights contrasted the black stage set as Kimberly led Neil, Reid and band members through an expertly executed set of choreographed jumping, complete with shooting flames and falling sparks. Dressed in edgy black wardrobe, TBP showcased its rock ‘n’ roll chops flawlessly.

Emotional, authentic acceptance speeches make great television, and Bryan wasn’t the only winner fighting back tears. Miranda Lambert struggled to keep it together when accepting her fourth consecutive Female Vocalist trophy, recalling her recent experience at Shania Twain’s Vegas concert. “Last night a huge dream of mine came true,” she explained. “I went from a little girl singing in a hair brush to watching Shania Twain with Faith Hill and Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson. And I cried all night because I’ll never not be a fan of those beautiful women.”

She is quickly joining the ranks of country female icons she dearly admires—she now stands with Reba and Loretta Lynn as the only artists to win ACM Female Vocalist four or more times. In fact, Lambert was the top 2013 ACM winner overall, securing four trophies in three categories. Her hit “Over You” was named Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year, earning honors as artist and co-writer with hubby Shelton.
These wins for Female Vocalist and Song of the Year come on the heels of her wins in the same categories at the November 2012 CMA Awards. ACM honors for Album of the Year (Eric Church’s masterpiece Chief) and Duo of the Year (Thompson Square) also followed suit of the CMAs.
Quality songs are a key part of country music’s appeal, and Church and Shelton let their songs speak for themselves with stellar, stripped down performances. Church ditched his signature shades and ballcap during an acoustic offering of “Like Jesus Does,” which aired in black and white for at-home TV viewers. Shelton’s guitar-vocal take on “Sure Be Cool If You Did” worked well and stood out against the show’s other highly-produced numbers.
Shelton was one of several artists who scored multiple performance slots. He and Bryan opened the show with “Boys ‘Round Here,” a groovy rap with guests Sheryl Crow, Pistol Annies and Brad Paisley. Crow looked fantastic in a snug, gold-sequined number and her vocal was a great fit for the song, but hearing her sing about kickin’ up dust didn’t seem authentic. Throughout the evening, artist performance pairings reached outside country’s boundaries to include guitar slingers Paisley and John Mayer on “Beat This Summer,” which borrows a vibe from Kenny Chesney’s coastal playbook. Hunter Hayes and Stevie Wonder teamed for a medley of Wonder’s “Sir Duke” and Hayes’ “I Want Crazy.” Wonder returned with Bryan and Shelton for the show’s closing number, “Signed, Sealed Delivered I’m Yours.”
Elsewhere, Paisley tapped Hayes and Dierks Bentley for “Outstanding In Our Field.” Garth Brooks and George Strait shared the stage during a Dick Clark memorial tribute. Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban created a trifecta of star power during “Highway Don’t Care,” even if it is a somewhat weak song. The segment was a reminder of how far Swift has come since her debut hit “Tim McGraw.” Plus, Faith Hill looked fantastic when introducing them.
Even a few minimal production misteps didn’t mar the show’s quality. Kelly Clarkson’s “Don’t Rush” was as fresh as her bright blonde locks, despite the boring backdrop. Aldean’s “1994” was on the right track with video graphics circa 1994, but the time machine veered away from retro-cool during the voyage. It was also a missed opportunity for onstage collaboration. Little Big Town’s “Your Side of the Bed” is an excellent song by an excellent group, but the dancers suspended mid-air in front of a bed just didn’t fly onscreen.
Fans watch awards shows to see performances, so it wasn’t unusual that the show had been on for almost an hour before the first trophy was presented. Viewers had plenty to keep them tuned in— a varied showcase packed with hitmakers offering their individual brands of country music.
Chesney stuck to his specialty—beach-bound escapism—on “Pirate Flag.” Carrie Underwood showed her never-ending vocal power on “Two Black Cadillacs.” Lady Antebellum’s “Downtown” was vibey, cool, fun. Florida Georgia Line proved that “Cruise” is still one of the catchiest songs out there—no matter how many times you hear it. Strait was classic on current hit “Give It All We Got Tonight.” Lambert’s take on “Mama’s Broken Heart” was enhanced by a teal blue set of sparkling chandeliers meets parlor-sheik. Brantley Gilbert did his thing on “More Than Miles.” His fiancée Jana Kramer continued to stake ground as a rising talent with vocal finess and solid fashion sense. Jewel sang a medley of her classic “Hands” and “Fill a Heart,” an original song by Tori Kelly to raise awareness for ACM Lifting Lives® and ConAgra Foods’ Child Hunger Ends Here campaign.
This morning’s news reveals that the most important show review of all came through with a resounding thumbs-up. Year-over-year television ratings climbed, and a record breaking 1.1. million fans cast votes for the Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year categories combined.
See the complete list of winners.