When the 2000s were coming to an end, country music fans could see a new generation blooming on the horizon. While the 1970s brought audiences stars like Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, the 1990s ushered in names like Garth Brooks. But by the end of the 2000s, new marquee acts were rising.
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That’s just what we wanted to highlight here below. We wanted to dive into the country artists winning awards in the 2000s who were also helping to bring the genre into the 2010s and beyond. Indeed, these are three ACM winners from 2009 we still can’t get enough of now.
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood has a knack for attracting attention and accolades. Indeed, the former American Idol winner’s career quickly grew after she took home the top spot on the popular TV program. Then in 2009, after rising through the country ranks, the picturesque artist took home the coveted Entertainer of the Year award at the ACMs, beating out the likes of Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, George Strait, and Keith Urban. But she wasn’t done there. She also walked away that night with Top Female Vocalist of the Year, besting Miranda Lambert, Heidi Newfield, Lee Ann Womack, and Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift
Speaking of Taylor Swift, the biggest name in music today took home the award for Album of the Year for her 2008 LP, Fearless, at the 2009 ACM Awards. While today we know Swift as a multimedia star who has crossed several genres and even transcended music with her giant stardom, back then she was one of the rising stars in the country genre and the ACMs knew it.
Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley walked into the 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards with the most nominations with six. And he left the evening with the most trophies, too, taking home the awards for Top Male Vocalist of the Year, Video of the Year, and Vocal Event of the Year. Not a bad night for the country star, who burst onto the landscape in 1999 with his debut Who Needs Pictures. Then throughout the 2000s, Paisley dropped seven more LPs, on the way to four more in the 2010s.
Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images
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