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WANTMORECELEBRITY NEWS?For more on Nashville’s musiccelebrities, go to:Tennessean.com/music@TNMusicNews on Twitterwww.Facebook.com/TNMusicNews

CONTACT USSend news tips to Jim Myersat jtmyers@Tennessean.com,615-664-2227.

LAS VEGAS—On the red carpet beforethe American Country Awards in LasVegas, Trace Adkins swore he wouldn’ttote his tiny, Tony Award-winning co-host, Kristin Chenoweth, onto the stagein a Baby Bjorn like last year. Hebrought her out in a hot-pink baby slinginstead.

The co-hosts kept the mood playful inSin City — handing the sling over to LadyAntebellum’s Hillary Scott,who justannounced she is expecting her firstchild —while Luke Bryan took nineawards, the most of the evening.

Other big winners at the live showfromMandalay Bay Events Center in-cludedMiranda Lambertwith threeawards, including female single of theyear for “Over You.” She thanked hus-band Blake Shelton for co-writing thesong, and she said she’s Tivoing him on“The Voice” and hoped he was Tivoingher as well because they were featuredin competing television time slots onMonday night.

“Honey, we won an award and I’mreally excited,” she shouted out to himvia television. “Fans, thank you somuch.”

Carrie Underwood set a record, re-ceiving her 11th ACA award during theshow’s three-year history. This year,

Underwood took home the award forfemale artist of the year.

“It’s fan-voted, so it really means alot,” she said of the American CountryAwards, the only country music awardsshow that allows fans to vote for theirfavorite artists in various categories. “Ialready know I have awesome fans, butwhen they do something like this for me,it’s really awesome.”

Underwood also alluded to the hockeylockout with holiday time coming up withfamily and husbandMike Fisher.

“We can actually plan somethingnow,” she said.

Crowd-pleasing live performancesincluded Little Big Town’s confetti-swirled performance of “Tornado” andAdkins on stage with Lynyrd Skynyrd forthe band’s hit ‘What’s Your Name.” It hadmany of the stars on their feet, includingJason Aldean, who had just accepted hisaward for top touring act, and KeithUrban, who flashed the rock hand signalto the stage.

This is the third year for the Amer-ican Country Awards. The nominees foreach award category were determinedby four media measurement companies:BigChampagne (record sales and mediaconsumption); Great American Country(video airplay); Mediabase (radio air-play); Pollstar (touring data); and Nash-ville Songwriters Association Interna-tional.

Bryan, Underwood win big

Singer Luke Bryan performs Monday night during the 2012 American Country Awards at theMandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. MARK DAVIS / GETTY IMAGES

2012 AMERICAN COUNTRYAWARDSWINNERSARTISTSArtist of the YearLuke BryanArtist of the Year: MaleLuke BryanArtist of the Year: FemaleCarrie UnderwoodArtist of the Year: GroupLady AntebellumArtist of the Year: Breakthrough ArtistJake OwenArtist of the Year: New ArtistLauren AlainaALBUMAlbum of the YearLuke Bryan, “tailgates & tanlines”SINGLESSingle of the YearLuke Bryan, “I Don’t Want This Night To End”Single of the Year: MaleLuke Bryan, “I Don’t Want This Night To End”Single of the Year: FemaleMiranda Lambert, “Over You”Single of the Year: GroupLady Antebellum, “We Owned The Night”Single of the Year: New ArtistHunter Hayes, “Wanted”Single of the Year: Breakthrough ArtistBrantley Gilbert, “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do”Single of the Year: Vocal CollaborationBrad Paisley (Duet with Carrie Underwood),“Remind Me”TOURINGTouring Artist of the YearJason AldeanVIDEOSMusic Video of the YearLuke Bryan, “I Don’t Want This Night To End”Music Video of the Year: MaleLuke Bryan, “I Don’t Want This Night to End”Music Video of the Year: FemaleMiranda Lambert, “Over You”Music Video of the Year: Group or Collabora-tionLittle Big Town, “Pontoon”Music Video of the Year: New ArtistHunter Hayes, “Wanted”Song of the YearEric Church, “Springsteen” (Eric Church, JeffHyde and Ryan Tyndell)

By Jennifer JustusThe Tennessean

Tim McGraw andFaith Hill open theirSoul2Soul show.

Go to Tennessean.com/music to seea gallery and full

list of winners for theAmerican CountryAwards show, as well as areport and photo galleryfrom TimMcGraw andFaith Hill’s Soul2Soulseries at The Venetian inLas Vegas. Subscribers, goto Tennessean.com/activate to accessadditional digitalcontent.

LAS VEGAS—Anytime Shania Twaintakes the stage with her spunky strut,she commands attention. But in LasVegas, entrances amp up to include amotorcycle suspended in the air andeven cantering horses.

Twain kicked off her residency inLas Vegas on Dec. 1 at The Colosseumat Caesar’s Palace, and she’ll perform24 shows on the stage —where CelineDion and Rod Stewart also entertainaudiences — over the next two years.

On Sunday night, members of LadyAntebellum and Little Big Townwereamong those in attendance leading upto their appearances Monday on theAmerican Country Awards.

Throughout the show, Twain broughtto life past personas from her videos inVegas style. Remember the leopard-print hooded coat from “That Don’tImpress MeMuch”? Twain struts itacross stage with Salvador Dali-esquescenes and rolling hills of animal printon a projection screen behind her.

And the dancing cowboys from “IAin’t No Quitter” in 2004? Yes, she hasthose, too, during a portion of the showstaged inside a saloon in a Westerntown. In addition to four dancers, who

participate throughout the hour-and-a-half-long show, Twain has 10 people inher band and three backup singers.

There were lower-key momentsthroughout the night as well, such as acampfire scene in which she traded inher glitzier costumes (including asparkly cat suit and thigh-high boots)for shorts and an off-the-shoulder top.She spoke about growing up with DollyParton on 8-track, and she introducedher sister, Carrie Ann Brown, one ofher backup singers.

Later, she plucked seven fans fromthe audience — including two differentsets of friends who had seen her showmultiple times on their visits to LasVegas — to join her for sing-a-longs.

A highlight of the show came towardthe end, when she performed her bal-lads “Still the One” and “From ThisMoment,” filling the stage with billow-ing white fabric and string playersbehind her.

Ticket prices for Shania: Still TheOne range from $55 to $250, plus fees,and can be purchased by calling 1-800-745-3000 or visiting www.shaniainve-gas.com or www.thecolosseum.com.

— Jennifer Justus, The Tennessean

Shania Twain performs Dec. 1 at The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The showkicked off a two-year residency at Caesar’s. ERIC JAMISON / INVISION/AP

Twain ramps up the energyas she hits Las Vegas stage

Actress Rita Moreno is 81.

Singer David Gates ofBread is 72.

Actress Donna Mills is 70.

Singer Brenda Lee is 68.

Actress Linda Day Georgeis 68.

Actress Teri Garr is 65.

Actress Bess Armstrong is59.

Singer Jermaine Jackson is58.

Rapper-actor Mos Def is 39.

happybirthdayAssociated Press

Tuesday, December 11 and Wednesday, December 12, 2012

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