Wednesday night’s CMA Awards was filled with honky tonk legends and rising talent, but the ladies of the country genre (and beyond) were the real stars of the evening.
Country music’s biggest night had female empowerment at the helm of its program, from focusing less on red carpet questions like “Who are you wearing?” to allowing women the time and platform to showcase their talent and emotion.
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Relive some of the show’s highlights that shed light on the influence women have in music and the role they play in society. You’ll even hear a new track by Keith Urban that focuses on what it really means to “hit like a girl.”
Reba McEntire and Kelsea Ballerini:
Watching one of country music’s legends belt a heartfelt tune alongside one of the genre’s up-and-coming queens was a major highlight of the evening.
In Reba McEntire and Kelsea Ballerini’s duet of a stripped-down version of “Legends,” their vocal talents blended flawlessly and their poise and elegance wowed the crowd.
Their stellar performance left some fans speechless, while others took to social media to rave about the dynamic duo.
Later in the evening, McEntire presented Garth Brooks with the Entertainer of the Year award, but he praised her in his acceptance speech as the “entertainer of a lifetime.”
P!nk:
P!nk brought a little bit of pop to the country music awards show by performing her new single “Barbies.”
The song is an emotional ballad about the pain of growing up and seeing the negativity that comes with adult life. Throughout the stripped-down track, the singer tore at listener’s heartstrings and related to the struggles girls face on their journey to womanhood.
P!nk also brought her 6-year-old daughter Willow along as her plus one on the red carpet, and the mom of two has previously spoken out about her hopes for her daughter, who she admits was the victim of bullying in the past.
Carrie Underwood:
Perhaps the most memorable and emotional moment of the show was Carrie Underwood’s powerful tribute to those individuals the country music community lost in the last year, as well as those who were victims of the Las Vegas shooting.
The theatrics of Underwood’s performance were spell-binding with her glowing white ball gown and single spotlight, but her vocals on the gospel hymn “Softly and Tenderly” stunned the Nashville crowd to silence.
Airing the names and photos of Las Vegas shooting victims in the annual “In Memoriam” segment was an emotional moment for the country music community. The attack, which is considered the largest mass shooting in modern American history, happened during the Route 91 Harvest Festival during Jason Aldean’s set on Sunday, Oct. 1. It was the final day of the country music festival and tens of other singers had performed throughout the weekend.
When Underwood’s voice broke and she stopped to cry during the Las Vegas section of the slideshow, the emotion was palpable throughout Bridgestone Arena, where the show was held.
Miranda Lambert:
Oftentimes, artists who perform on awards shows either use their time to promote a new single of their own or are part of a scheduled tribute to a legendary artist. Miranda Lambert’s performance at the CMA Awards went against the grain, though, as she did neither.
Lambert wowed fans with a slow, traditional country ballad titled, “To Learn Her.” The song is from her 2016 album The Weight of These Wings, but it isn’t the artist’s latest single; she just wanted to play it during the show.
As always, the artist — known for her raw, emotional lyrics and sultry sound — won over the hearts of listeners. Doing it her own way clearly pays off for the singer as she took home the award for Female Vocalist of the Year.
Keith Urban’s new song:
Keith Urban took the stage to debut his new song titled “Female,” which includes some strong words about what it means to wear the badge of femininity.
Urban, who is married to actress Nicole Kidman and shares two daughters with her, is clearly outnumbered by women and used his musical talent to pay tribute to the strong, powerful ladies in his life. It’s also meant to better understand their struggles.
The song is surprisingly political in nature, too, as it was written shortly after the Harvey Weinstein scandal first broke. The song, Urban and the writers have said, is their response to women who have felt marginalized or undervalued.
Urban also took home the award for Single of the Year for “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”
