Brad Paisley Photo Courtesy of Arista Records

• The 38th Annual CMA Awards gave CBS its most watched and highest rated Tuesday in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 since November 2001, according to national Nielsen ratings. THE 38th ANNUAL CMA AWARDS, posted an 11.5/18 with 18.46m viewers, 7.3/17 in adults 25-54, 5.9/15 in adults 18-49 and 4.3/12 in adults 18-34. CBS was first in households, viewers and key demos from 8:00-11:00PM. CBS won every half-hour in households, viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25 54. More than 37 million viewers watched all or part of the 38th Annual CMA Awards.

• Kenny Chesney picked up his first two CMA Awards, receiving Entertainer of the Year and Album of the Year for When the Sun Goes Down.

• Kicking off the three-hour broadcast, Tim McGraw performed "How Bad Do You Want It?" He then won the CMA Award Single of the Year for his No. 1 hit "Live Like You Were Dying." The single also nabbed the Song of the Year Award for songwriters Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman.

• Hosts Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn picked up their 12th Vocal Duo of the Year Award.

• Shania Twain performed her hit, "Party for Two" with duet partner Billy Currington. Other collaborations during the broadcast included Alan Jackson with Patty Loveless performing "Monday Morning Church;" Toby Keith and his daughter Krystal on "Mockingbird"; and Jimmy Buffett with "parrotheads" Clint Black, Chesney, Jackson, Keith and George Strait.

• Martina McBride received her fourth Female Vocalist of the Year Award. This feat ties her with Reba for the most wins in this category.

• Keith Urban picked up his first Male Vocalist of the Year Award, while Rascal Flatts earned their second consecutive Vocal Group of the Year Award. Gretchen Wilson received the Horizon Award, her first CMA Award.

• "Whiskey Lullaby" picked up two CMA Awards for Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss, who performed the hit during the broadcast. The song won the Musical Event and Music Video of the Year Awards.

Gretchen Wilson Photo Courtesy of Sony Music Nashville

• "Country Music's Biggest Night™" took a trip outside of Nashville for the first time in history. The gala event, hosted for the second time by duo Brooks & Dunn, was broadcast live on CBS Television from Madison Square Garden in New York City. A week of events, dubbed "Country Takes NYC," led up to the Nov. 15 broadcast with special theme days that featured
artist and songwriter concerts; a "Broadway Meets Country" event; art gallery openings; sport events; and more.
2005

• "The 39th Annual CMA Awards" took a bite out of the Big Apple and the competition, giving the CBS Television network a nightly win in viewers and key demographics. The CMA Awards was first in households (11.1/17), viewers (17.73m), adults 18-49 (5.4/13) and adults 25-54 (6.7/15). "The 39th Annual CMA Awards" was Tuesday's No. 1 program in households,
viewers and adults 25-54. CBS Research estimates more than 36 million viewers watched all or part of the ceremony. CBS posted season high Tuesday deliveries in viewers and key demographics with the Network's best Tuesday ratings in adults 18-49 since May 10, 2005 and its best Tuesday performance in viewers and adults 25-54 since Nov. 9, 2004 (also the CMA Awards).

• Lee Ann Womack and Keith Urban were the big winners at the 2005 CMA Awards. Womack won Single, Album and Musical Event of the Year honors and Urban received his first Entertainer of the Year trophy and his second consecutive Male Vocalist of the Year Award. Gretchen Wilson won her first Female Vocalist of the Year Award and Dierks Bentley took home the Horizon Award. During the broadcast, Alabama, the late DeFord Bailey and Glen Campbell were formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

• Performance highlights included duets by Dolly Parton and Elton John; Willie Nelson and Paul Simon (accompanied by Norah Jones); and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland and Bon Jovi. Superstar Garth Brooks came out of retirement to perform "Good Ride Cowboy," his tribute to the late Chris LeDoux, live in Times Square. LeDoux posthumously received the CMA
Chairman's Award of Merit. CMA Board Chairman Kix Brooks presented the Award to two of LeDoux's children backstage.

2006

Music City threw its arms wide open to welcome back "Country Music’s Biggest Night™" when "The 40th Annual CMA Awards" broadcast live from the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Downtown Nashville on the ABC Television Network. Brooks & Dunn hosted the event for the third consecutive year.

• The evening’s hosts, Brooks & Dunn took home the crown for most wins, including Music Video and Single of the Year for "Believe," and their unprecedented fourteenth Vocal Duo of the Year Award. These three Awards bring Brooks & Dunn’s overall CMA Awards tally to 19, giving them the record for most CMA Award wins of any artist.

• "The 40th Annual CMA Awards" was first in households (9.9/15), total viewers (16.0 million) and adults 18-49 (5.4/13). ABC’s telecast of the Awards show generated the net’s largest audience and highest adults 8-49 performance since May 2006. An estimated 32.3 million viewers watched at least some portion of "The 40th Annual CMA Awards."