3 of the Most Chaotic Moments From the CMAs in the Early 2000s

In 2006, the CMA Awards moved from CBS to ABC to appeal to a more mainstream audience. That it did, with dynamic performances of songs like Miranda Lambert’s “Kerosene” in 2005 and Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” in 2006. Following the move to ABC, shows became more of a production, and with that came increased mayhem. Here are some of our favorite chaotic moments from the CMAs in the early 2000s.

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That Time Kellie Pickler Broke Down Onstage (2007)

Kellie Pickler was nominated for the Horizon Award at the CMAs in 2007, which was later renamed New Artist of the Year. Pickler had planned to sing her song “I Wonder”, which speaks to her complicated relationship with her mother. What the ex-American Idol contestant wasn’t planning on was learning that her mother, who had abandoned her 12 years prior, had been speaking about Kellie in a recent interview. Pickler told People that it was that, combined with her recent decision to go off her medication, that caused her to have an emotional breakdown onstage. However, the moment worked in her favor, earning her a standing ovation that night.

Taylor Swift Performs “Forever & Always” (2009)

In 2009, Taylor Swift took home the award for Entertainer of the Year, and this performance proves that there really shouldn’t have been a debate on who won in that category. Her performance of “Forever & Always”, off her album Fearless, features hair-flipping, a young Swift sliding down what looks adjacent to a stripper pole, and a little bit of chair-throwing to even out the vibes. Swift was just 19 when she won that award, and based on the show she put on that night, it should have been obvious to everyone in the room that she was a superstar in the making. 

The Kanye West-Inspired Intro (2009)

Some (and by some, I mean practically everyone ever) might remember the moment when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs. A slightly lesser-known moment in pop culture is this one, when an 88-year-old Jimmy Dickens grabbed the mic from Carrie Underwood to poke fun at the Kanye debacle. Underwood was complimenting Brad Paisley for the job he did on his music video for “Welcome To The Future”. That’s when Dickens interjected with a hearty, “I’ll let you finish later,” followed by “I know you had a nice video, but Taylor Swift made the best video of all time!” The cherry on top of this moment was that Swift actually did win Music Video of the Year for “Love Story” that night.

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