Okay, I’m here, and I’m connected…get ready cuz we’re runnin live at the CMT Awards!

• Taylor opens the show with a hilarious skit with Bill Engvall and a HYSTERICAL rap with T-Payne…

• Dierks Bentley is getting Sideways with the SHOW OPENER!!!!  Way to go Dierks!!!! He sounds and looks amazing!  Lots of white tank-tops in the audience…Not sure I’m totally loving the dancing around the stage.  Dierks is looking pretty proud, and he should…Great Performance.
• The stage at this year’s show is HUGE….appears to wrap around the entire arena…Country Girl is in row 2…
• Bill Engvall looks fabulous…sporting a suit w/out a tie.  He’s really funny….not always politically correct, but still funny….He even slipped a Jessica Simpson zinger in.
• Just showed a close-up of Zac Brown and Trace Adkins…could they look anymore uncomfortable.
• Bill just announced Taylor will be performing with Def Lepeord.
• USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year…”Chicken Fried” Zac Brown Band-  They seem surprised and extremely thankful….They need a bigger buckle to share with all of the guys.
• 5 Finalists for video of the year are :  Brad Paisley-Waitin on a Woman, Carrie Underwood-Just a Dream, Sugarland-All I Wanna Do, Taylor Swift-Love Story, Trace Adkins-You’re Gonna Miss This….VOTE NOW AT www.cmt.com or text the last name of the artist  to 8611
• Joey and Rory played out to the break…You can almost feel the love through the screen…Cheater Cheater was too brief.
• Woot Woot, Darius Rucker is on singing ‘Alright’… love that shuffle. He’s sounding great and really work that gigantic stage.  Darius got the crowd on their feet.
• Julianne Hough, Rodney Atkins, and Billy Currington present Duo Video of the Year (the acting is not good)…And the Winner is…Sugarland “All I Wanna do.”
• What is Jennifer Nettles wearing? She said Keith Urban told her he liked her odds…funny.
• Okay…delete Jennifer Nettles and insert Heidi Newfield….Elvira meets…umm….
• Lady Antebellum basically giving the audience a live version of their “Lookin For a Good Time” video. Sound pretty good…someone is off…Hillary is tugging at her ear monitor.
• Eric Church is taking us to commercial with “Love Your Love the Most.” Happy for him.  This is a big deal.
• Brad Paisley singing ‘Then’ love this song…sound is off…as it usually is at awards shows.
• T-Payne and Toby Keith…Did Toby really just say his rap name would be Long Dong Donkey??? Wow…
• Wide Open Country Video of the Year is…Kid Rock-”All Summer Long”…Kid Rock just said that he won due to creativity…What’s more creative than a stripper poll on a pontoon boat.
• Taylor Swift singing “You Belong With Me” she’s putting on quite a show….This girl is gonna be on tv and movies…no doubt…She sounds like….well…hmmm…Taylor.  On stage with her…cheerleaders, dancers…quite a production.
• Group Video of the Year…The Winner Is….Rascal Flatts “Every Day”
• Go Zach and Josh-Carter Twins taking us to commercial with a FABULOUS sounding “Heart Like Memphis”
• Keith Urban singing “Sweet Thing” and oh boy is he ever…Lovin this button down shirt thing he’s been doing.  Leave it to Keith to go up into the audience at an award show…Only him.
• Performance of the year goes to…. Alan Jackson, George Strait, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley “Country Boy” woot woot! You guys go Country Boys!  This makes me so stoked! Alan is a man of so few words.  I love it when guys like Dierks and Brad are standing on stage with their idols winning awards
• Justin Moore playing rockband with some fans singing Willy Nelson
• Shaune Johnson is a great actress…okay, not really
• Female Video of the Year goes to…Taylor Swift-Love Story…Hugged her brother.  She looks breathless…Hugged Shaune Johnson and looks like a giant.
• Sugarland is singing “Love Shack”   I’m not totally sure I get it….Enter B-52′s and confuse me even more.   Tin-Roof Rusted…not really the same as it once was…
• Jason Michael Carroll taking us to commercial sounding great singing “Where I’m From”
• Dierks is sitting next to his dog Jake…who is also wearing a pass on his neck…so cute…the cutest thing ever.

Courtesy of CMT

• Bill O’Rielly and Naomi Judd are presenting together…Two of the most opinionated people on the planet.  The way they were talking, I was expecting them to introduce Toby Keith or John Rich…instead we have Trace singing “You’re Gonna Miss This” Thank goodness…
• Bill Engvall is doing a great job of rippin on everyone equally…Lovin it!
• oh dear…dirty puppet talk…CMT has been officially taken over by MTV for the evening.
• Collaborative Video of the year…(please be Start a Band)…and the winner is….START A BAND!!!!  WTG Keith and Brad!!!!!  Cutest video ever!  Brad says “Rockband never got anyone a date” too funny.
• Rascal Flatts is singing “Summer Nights” …I know Country Girl is freakin out right now…even though she watched rehearsal last night
• Gloriana is ‘Wild at Heart” swooping us to commercial…sound pretty good.
• Kellie Pickler singing “Best Days of Your Life”  People, Kellie is BEAUTIFUL in person….stunning on the red carpet.  She’s sporting a tiny mirrored mini on stage now that only she could possibly pull off…
• Alison Krause and Ted Nugent…so strange.  Awkward…probably one of the most awkward exchanges ever. 
• Male Video of the Year is….Brad Paisley “Waitin on a Woman”  This is Brad’s Year….Can someone tell me what is up with Brad’s coat?  What is going on with it?  Brad just gave Andy Griffith a shout out…Smart guy, afterall, Andy is why he just won for this video.  Brad just twittered from stage!
• Where all you country girls at??? Jason Aldean rockin it out “She’s Country” joined by Keith Urban on stage…..wooohooo!!!! The best!  Keith is rockin his guitar and Bo-CEE-Fus shirt
• Eli Young Band-Always a Love Song…so wish they could just keep playing so those of us in the media room could have something pleasant to listen to while the commercials are playing.
• Dierks is so funny….Melissa Peterman singing “Sideways” so funny.  She a big fat wet one on Dierks…OMG, so funny….caught him totally off guard.
• Toby Keith singing ‘Got Love Her” ….always a bridesmaid never a bride.
• Joey and Rory are in here talkin to us bloggers…Rory is actually bloggin on www.countrymusicislove.com funny.
• Oh Martina-dug on Brad Paisley’s height….
• VIDEO OF THE YEAR…THE WINNER IS….Taylor Swift Love Story…She thanks Garth Brooks for being so great to his fans, and Shania for her theatrical videos….
• Taylor Swift and Def Leopard….The crowd is freaking out!!!!  This song is perfect for Taylor-lots of hair flippage.  Pour Some Sugar on Me….Hot…Sticky…Sweet….oh…Naughty Taylor
• Someone should tell Def Leopard that there is a certain age, and men should start wearing shirts under their vests…coats…etc…oh, and pants should NOT be that night…EVER.

This concludes the Taylor Swift Awards brought to you buy CMT….It’s been a joy blogging for y’all tonight.  I can’t wait to go  home and watch Keith play via DVR…Bill Engvall-you did a great job so hilarious!

Night Y’all!!!