2011 ACM Awards

On Sunday night the Acadamy of Country Music (ACM) handed out their awards for 2011.  This is the big event of the year for Country Music.  So many of you are wondering if they got it right this year.  I give them a C-.  Here is my review of the effort.  Remember, I try to assess the talent, while the ACM judges based on poularity.
Awards:

Vocal Event of the Year: “As She’s Walking Away” – Zac Brown Band ft. Alan Jackson - Good pick.  Zac Brown doesn't win enough awards.  This guitar band that can sing is one of the brightest spots in country music now.  It is also nice they were able to prop up an aging country boy singer who is on his last legs.

Video of the Year: “The House That Built Me” – Miranda Lambert - Stupid category, but if you have to pick a winner, why not this one.

Song of the Year: “The House That Built Me” – Miranda Lambert - How many times can one artist win an award for a single song.  The funny thing is that she won Album of the Year for "Revolution" during last year's ACM awards, and this song is on that album.  How many years do they allow a song to qualify for this award?


Single Record of the Year: “The House That Built Me” – Miranda Lambert - Okay, somebody tell me the difference between Song and Single of the year.  I think they are the same.


Album of the Year: “Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum - Interesting. Last year, Miranda won the album awards for "Revolution", while Lady Antebellum won the single awards for "Need You Now".  This year, they simply swapped awards.  Does this mean there isn't that much good new Country Music?  I think there is.  The academy just isn't trying hard enough.


Top New Artist: The Band Perry - Okay, these one hit (so far) wonders are interesting enough.  We will see if they can follow up their debut album with something that still sounds like Country Music.


Top New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year: The Band Perry - Again a double award for the same thing.  Stupid.

Top New Solo Vocalist of the Year: Eric Church - Who?


Top Vocal Group of the Year: Lady Antebellum - Over rated.  Lady Antebellum got a lot of air play on both pop and country stations this year.  That doesn't make them good, it only makes them popular.  Personally, I would love to never hear "Need you Now" ever again.  It was an over-played song on a mediocre album.


Top Vocal Duo of the Year: Sugarland - Who else now that Brooks and Dunn broke up?


Top Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert - Miranda is a great entertainer and song writer.  She has never been a great vocalist.


Top Male Vocalist of the Year: Brad Paisley - Three years straight.  I am good with this one.

Entertainer of the Year: Taylor Swift - It has been three years they removed the Entertainer of the Year tattoo from Pretty Boy Kenny.  I am glad they started spreading this award around, however I am not sure Taylor is the most deserving.

Performances:


Best of the night was a tie.  Keith Urban performed in the manner that makes him special - just himself, a guitar and a chair.  Forget the screaming electric guitars Keith.  Last night's performance is what sets you apart from the others.  Also great was the Zac Brown Band with Jame Taylor.  Although James sounded old and frail, their transtion from "Colder Weather" to "Sweet Baby James" was a highlight of the evening.  These guys (ZBB) don't get enough credit.

The only other performance that I can remember was Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland) with Rhianna.  Talk about a beat down.  I have never seen one artist turn a duet into a street fight that ends with Jennifer sitting on top and rubbing Rhianna's nose in the fact there is no vocal comparison between the two.  Jennifer was brilliant.  Rhianna was missing in action. Maybe she stepped backstage for a brief crying jag.  She was so out of place.  It was like comparing a professional singer to a grade school musician.  Oh wait, maybe that was exactly what it was.

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