CMA |
BRAD PAISLEY & CARRIE UNDERWOOD OPEN WITH A SONG OR THREE! Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood lived up to their promise not to pull any punches, starting the show by tweaking the Hank Williams, Jr. classic to “Are You Ready for an Awards Show?” However, Carrie was quick to nix it, due to recent ESPN drama, so the two tried their own take on “Family Tradition,” with a slight change to “Hank, why do you drink? Before an interview. Why do you roll smoke? Before an interview.” The song was interrupted, though, when Bocephus himself entered to a standing ovation and joined the two to finish the “All My Rowdy Friends” CMA Awards remix. Then, the co-hosts celebrated their fourth year hosting with gifts – Brad got the Faith Hill Barbie; Carrie, the Tim McGraw – and proceeded to have the dolls makeout with one another, while a blushing Faith and laughing Tim watched from the audience. To start the awards presentation, Brad and Carrie introduced Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet, who insisted on one more song, ala Randy Travis, “I’m Gonna Love You for 72 Days, Amen.” Then, using the forever bench mark set by Kim Kardashian’s 72-day marriage, the duo converted country marriages to “forevers” with Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert’s 179 day marriage adding up to almost two “forevers.”
- “Poor Faith,” was Brad’s comment after checking to see the Tim McGraw Barbie’s anatomical “correctness,” to which Faith Hill mouthed from the crowd, “I know!”
- “Read anything interesting lately?” Brad asked Carrie, as she held his book, Diary of a Player. She responded, “Nope.”
- Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry accepting the Song of the Year award for “If I Die Young, said, “It’s always felt like a song that was meant to be here – I feel like it would have been written with or without me.”
- Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles dedicated their Duo of the Year award, stating, “This is for the good folks in Indiana.”
- Jennifer Nettles also had a shout out during her Duo acceptance speech, “Gregg Allman, that was me who reached out and shook your hand on the red carpet.”
- Off-camera, Brad Paisley made sure to acknowledge fans while he was down in the crowd, prepping for his Eric Church introduction.
- Taylor Swift and Eric Church hugged in the audience during a commercial break.
- Miss Piggy “locking” Carrie Underwood in her dressing room, before Brad Paisley accidently copped a feel on the Muppet, who proceeded to lay him out with one shot. Carrie condoned the behavior saying to Miss Piggy, “I’ve always wanted to do that.”
- Little Justin Bieber (aka Little Jimmy Dickens in hipster clothes and a wig) announcing his new single will be “It Ain’t My Baby, Baby.”
- Blake Shelton’s Male Vocalist of the Year acceptance speech, “They’re spoiling me! I didn’t think y’all would let me get away with this two times.”
- “That was the Oscars, they were looking for a host,” Brad’s explanation to Carrie for taking a phone call on stage.
- “Seriously?” Miranda Lambert’s first words after receiving her Female Vocalist of the Year trophy. She finished up by looking at Blake and saying, “It’s gonna be a good night tonight, Baby!”
- Taylor Swift reading all the artists who joined her on stage during the Speak Now World Tour off of her arm during her acceptance speech. They included Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Hot Chelle Rae and many, many more.
