Luke Bryan Wins Big at American Country Awards
Luke Bryan had another good night at the American Country Awards, taking home the artist of the year prize last night, eight months after winning the top award at the Academy of Country Music. He also won touring artist of the year, adding three more trophies to the nine he scored at last year’s show. “It’s been the most amazing year of my life,” Bryan said, according to The Associated Press. “It started amazingly and it’s ending amazingly.”
Florida Georgia Line is Excited For the American Music Awards
Country duo Florida Georgia Line took home the most trophies at the fan-voted awards show, winning six, including New Artist and Single of the Year for “Cruise.” Blake Shelton also went home happy with four wins, including Album of the Year for Based on a True Story . . .
Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban won three trophies as a team for their collaboration “Highway Don’t Care.” The track won Group Music Video of the year and Vocal Collaboration Single of the Year, and its writers, Mark Irwin, Josh Kear, Brad Warren and Brett Warren, took home the prize for Song of the Year. Swift also received the organization’s first worldwide touring award; she accepted the honor, presented by Olivia Newton John, through a taped speech from her tour in Sydney, Australia.
Miranda Lambert scored two awards, for Female Artist of the Year and Female Single of the Year for “Mama’s Broken Heart.” Lady Antebellum won Duo or Group Artist of the Year as well as Duo or Group Single of the Year for “Downtown.”
The show, hosted by Trace Adkins and NASCAR racer Danica Patrick at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, included a tribute to Patsy Cline, with a tearful LeAnn Rimes singing a medley of the late country star’s hits.