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 Eric Church opened the live three-hour
broadcast from Nashville, which aired on ABC, with an a cappella
rendition of the hymn "Amazing Grace."
Church was joined by Keith Urban and Darius Rucker, who led a
roster of A-list country music stars including Lady Antebellum,
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Reba McEntire and Luke Bryan in a
stirring group performance of "Hold My Hand."
Veteran hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood took the reins,
with Underwood declaring, "This has been a year marked by
tragedy impacting countless lives, including so many in our
country music family."
Underwood referenced mass shootings in Las Vegas and Sutherland
Springs, Texas, fatal car attacks in New York and
Charlottesville, Virginia, and deadly storms that hit Texas,
Florida and Puerto Rico.
"Tonight," she proclaimed, "we're going to do what families do,
come together, pray together, cry together and sing together,
too."
Paisley then dedicated the 51st CMA Awards "to all those we've
lost, and to all of those who are still healing. We love you,
and we will never forget you."
Two hours into the show, the CMAs acted on that vow, ending a
segment memorializing country stars who died this year by
showing pictures and names of the 58 people killed by a gunman
in Las Vegas at a country music festival on Oct. 1.
Earlier the hosts lightened things up with banter about the
CMA's edicts on avoiding controversial subjects, before
launching into jokes about Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
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President Trump was not immune, lampooned for his cable news
watching and Twitter habits and his personal style as Paisley sang
"Before He Tweets," a take-off on Underwood's hit "Before He
Cheats."
He sang about Trump tweeting "from a gold-plated White House toilet
seat."
"It's fun to watch it that's for sure, 'til little Rocket Man starts
a nuclear war. Maybe next time he'll think before he tweets," which
drew cheers and applause, but fans' reaction on social media was
divided.
Country music legend Garth Brooks was among the big winners, taking
home the top award of Entertainer of the Year for a second straight
year.
"We're a family," Brooks said, echoing a sentiment repeated often
throughout the ceremony.
Female Vocalist of the Year went to Miranda Lambert while Chris
Stapleton was again named Male Vocalist of the Year.
Other honorees included Single of the Year, won by Urban for "Blue
Ain't Your Color," and Taylor Swift's "Better Man," which won Song
of the Year.
Jon Pardi won for New Artist, while Stapleton won Album of the Year
for “From a Room: Volume 1."
Little Big Town took Vocal Group of the Year and Brothers Osborne
were named Vocal Duo of the Year, both for a second consecutive
year.
(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
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