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CMA Awards Show Highlights During the 2000s

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Taylor Swift wins Horizon Award at "The 41st Annual CMA Awards," on Wednesday, Nov. 7, live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on the ABC Television Network. Photographer: John Russell / CMA.

2007

• The 41st Annual CMA Awards were settled back in Nashville for their second year at the newly re-named Sommet Center. The live November 7 ABC television network broadcast featured James Denton, Sara Evans, LeAnn Rimes, Kate Walsh and Kimberly William-Paisley sharing segment hosting duties.

• The 2007 CMA Awards ranked behind only the Academy Awards and Grammy Awards during the 2007-2008 season for award shows among Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. With "The 41st Annual CMA Awards," ABC won Wednesday evening in both Total Viewers (16.0 million) and Adults 18-49 (5.4/1 4).

• Kenny Chesney took home his third consecutive Entertainer of the Year Award as well as his first Award in the Musical Event of the Year category, sharing the honor with Tracy Lawrence and Tim McGraw for "Find Out Who Your Friends Are." Carrie Underwood won her second consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year Award and added a Single of the Year Award for smash hit "Before He Cheats," produced by Mark Bright, while Rascal Flatts took home their fifth consecutive Vocal Group of the Year Award.

• Highlights of the evening included several emotional moments. Breaking a six consecutive year win streak by Brooks & Dunn, a stunned Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland accepted their first Vocal Duo of the Year Award by paying tribute to those that came before. "If we're standing up here and we have this lofty view, it's because we're standing on the shoulders of giants, those people who have come before us," said Nettles.

• Nominated seven times for Male Vocalist of the Year, Brad Paisley finally won his first Award in the category. "I can’t tell you what this means to me," Paisley said. "I have always wanted to win this award once. This will do."

• Seventeen-year-old Taylor Swift performed "Our Song" before winning her first CMA Award, the coveted Horizon Award. "I can’t even believe that this is real," the high school senior said. "I want to thank God and my family for moving to Nashville so I could do this. The fans – you have changed my life. This is definitely the highlight of my senior year!"

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