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Kenny Chesney takes top honor at ACM Awards
Kenny Chesney --who wed actress Renee Zellweger earlier this month--was crowned Entertainer of the Year during Tuesday night's (5/17) 40th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
By winning the award, Chesney--a previous winner of the ACM Awards for Top New Vocalist and Top Male Vocalist--becomes one of only six artists to earn the Academy of Country Music's Triple Crown distinction, which salutes artists who have scored wins in all three categories. He joins previous Triple Crown winners Brooks & Dunn, Dixie Chicks, Mickey Gilley, Merle Haggard and Barbara Mandrell, according to the Academy.
Keith Urban and Gretchen Wilson scored the night's other top individual honors, picking up wins for Top Male Vocalist and Top Female Vocalist, respectively; Urban also scored an Album of the Year win for "Be Here," and Wilson took home an additional trophy for Top New Artist.
Other two-fisted winners included Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss for their duet "Whiskey Lullaby," which won in the Vocal Event of the Year and Video of the Year categories; and Tim McGraw, whose "Live Like You Were Dying" won in the Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories.
Rascal Flatts took Top Vocal Group for the third consecutive year, and Brooks & Dunn picked up Top Vocal Duo for the fifth consecutive year.
This year's Pioneer Award went to late country singer and former pro-rodeo champ Chris LeDoux, who died in March at age 56; Garth Brooks, who helped launch LeDoux's major-label career, was on hand to accept the award on LeDoux's behalf.
Neal McCoy won the 4th annual ACM/Home Depot Humanitarian Award; the fan-voted honor "salutes an artist or group in the country music industry who is committed to serving others, has a generosity of spirit and a dedication to helping build the dreams of those in need," according to a press release.
Wilson opened the show by performing "Here for the Party," the title track off her multi-platinum debut.
Veteran singer George Strait, who was among those scheduled to perform during the ceremony, had to back out due to a throat infection, according to a message posted at his website.
The complete list of winners:
Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Top Male Vocalist
Keith Urban
Top Female Vocalist
Gretchen Wilson
Top New Artist
Gretchen Wilson
Top Vocal Group
Rascal Flatts
Top Vocal Duo
Brooks & Dunn
Single Record of the Year
"Live Like You Were Dying," Tim McGraw (Producers: Tim McGraw, Byron Gallimore, Darran Smith)
Song of the Year
"Live Like You Were Dying,"Tim McGraw (Writers: Craig Wiseman & Tim Nichols)
Album of the Year
"Be Here," Keith Urban (Producers: Dann Huff & Keith Urban)
Vocal Event of the Year
"Whiskey Lullaby," Brad Paisley (Featuring Alison Krauss) (Produced By: Frank Rogers)
Video of the Year
"Whiskey Lullaby," Brad Paisley (Featuring Alison Krauss) (Producer: Don Lepore; Director: Rick Schroder)
