NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton continued their reigns as Country Music's Female and Male Vocalists of the Year at "The 46th Annual CMA Awards," with Shelton also securing his first victory in the coveted Entertainer of the Year category.
Lambert and Shelton made history by winning Female and Male Vocalist of the Year for the third consecutive year. Shelton and Lambert also won Song of the Year for "Over You." Although three married couples have been previously nominated for CMA Song of the Year Awards honors – 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 take the prize.
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First-time CMA Awards winners include Eric Church for Album of the Year Chief, Little Big Town for Vocal Group and Single of the Year ("Pontoon"), Hunter Hayes for New Artist of the Year, and Thompson Square for Vocal Duo of the Year. As producer of both Chief and "Pontoon," Jay Joyce was awarded for Album and Single of the Year, also marking his debut as a CMA Award winner.
In presentations made before the broadcast, Mac McAnally earned his fifth Musician of the Year victory.
Earlier on Thursday, two CMA Awards were presented live on ABC's "Good Morning America" from Times Square in New York. Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw won Musical Event of the Year for "Feel Like a Rock Star." CMA Music Video of the Year honors went to Toby Keith and director Michael Salomon for "Red Solo Cup."
In a special tribute to Country Music Hall of Fame member Willie Nelson, Lady Antebellum performed "You Were Always on My Mind" and "Crazy," then Shelton, Keith Urban, and Nelson's longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael joined on "Whiskey River." Faith Hill and McGraw followed in a duet appearance, singing "Good Hearted Woman." Nelson joined them all, strapped on his trademark guitar "Trigger" and sang "On the Road Again." Paisley then surprised Nelson with the first-ever CMA Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be renamed the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
A couple of familiar voices in San Antonio also received an award. Randy Carroll and Jamie Martin, the morning duo on country music station KJ97, were awarded the prestigious Broadcast Award for Large Market Personality of the Year.
The CMA Awards was hosted for the fifth time by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on ABC.