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The 35th Annual CMA Awards Wednesday, November 7th, 2001 To view the information and photos from CMA Awards 2002, please CLICK HERE
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'O
BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?' WINS TWO The soundtrack to the hit movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? was the big winner at "The 35th Annual CMA Awards" broadcast live on the CBS Television Network. The triple Platinum-selling soundtrack picked up Album of the Year as well as Single of the Year for "I am A Man of Constant Sorrow." Producer T. Bone Burnett attributed the album's success to people who love music. "This was real people singing real music," Burnett said backstage, "and I think people responded to that." After having been nominated for the category four years in a row, Tim McGraw won his first Entertainer of the Year Award. McGraw, who with wife Faith Hill is expecting their third child, thanked all of his supporters and said of his career thus far, "I never thought I would enjoy myself this much." More than 40 of Country Music's most popular entertainers appeared on the three hour broadcast that was packed with 25 music performances - the most in CMA Awards history. Brooks & Dunn followed their show-opening patriotic anthem, "Only In America" with their ninth win for Vocal Duo of the Year. Lonestar picked up their first award for Vocal Group of the Year after performing "I'm Already There." Earlier in the day, the group was presented with the International Artist Achievement Award, which recognizes global impact. Lee Ann Womack and Toby Keith each won their first CMA Awards in the Female and Male Vocalist of the Year categories respectively. A surprised Womack commented, "I really didn't think I was going to win it this year. I thought it passed me by." Patriotism and tribute were the prominent themes of the evening. Images of New York City's victims and heroes were featured onscreen behind Diamond Rio as they sang "One More Day." There was not a dry eye in the house after Alan Jackson sang "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)," his moving personal reflection capturing America's emotions since September 11th. The Dixie Chicks performed "Traveling Soldier," which follows a young man in the army who was shipped off to war.
This year's CMA Awards show was filled with "firsts" as superstar Garth Brooks and Country legend George Jones performed their long-awaited duet "Beer Run." Also, pop star Sheryl Crow joined legend Willie Nelson on "Be There for You," which will be on Nelson's new album of collaborations called The Great Divide. As far as awards, 24 artists won their first ever CMA Award, including Hall of Famers Buck Owens and Bill Anderson who won Vocal Event of the Year for "Too Country," a collaboration that featured Brad Paisley with fellow Hall of Famer Jones. Country Music Hall of Fame president Marty Stuart introduced a segment dedicated to the 12 luminaries who were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in a ceremony held on October 4. The 2001 inductees included Bill Anderson, the Delmore Brothers, the Everly Brothers, Don Gibson, Homer and Jethro, Waylon Jennings, the Jordanaires, Don Law, the Louvin Brothers, Ken Nelson, Sam Phillips, and Webb Pierce. Newcomer keith urban became the first Australian to win a CMA Award since Olivia Newton-John won for Female Vocalist in 1974 when he picked up the Horizon Award. Cradling his statue, urban gushed, "this is beyond anything I can explain. I have been watching the CMA Awards since I was a kid and you can't imagine how this feels." Top-nominated artist Sara Evans (along with director Peter Zavadil) took home her first CMA Award winning Music Video of the Year for her Wizard of Oz inspired video "Born to Fly." Multi-faceted performer Reba McEntire, who has been busy this year with movies, a starring role on Broadway, and a hit television sitcom, went back to her roots of song with her new single "I'm A Survivor," off of her third greatest hits album. Celebrating his 10th year as host of the CMA Awards, Vince Gill joked that some people might start to ask, "hasn't he hosted this show every year?" Gill later took to the stage to perform the Single of the Year, "I am A Man of Constant Sorrow" with Dan Tyminski, Alison Krauss and Union Station. A chorus of Country Music's brightest stars joined together to close out the show with a rendition of "America the Beautiful." Winners of the 35th Annual CMA Awards were voted on by the nearly 6,000 professional members of the Country Music Association. CMA Awards balloting is officiated by the international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
"The CMA Awards" became the first music awards special to be carried on network television in 1968. Since then, the program has consistently earned top ratings and is traditionally one of the highest-rated specials in the television season. This year, CBS moved the broadcast to the competitive November sweeps period. The CMA Awards are produced by Walter C. Miller, directed by Paul Miller and scripted by Donald K. Epstein. A stereo-radio simulcast of the Awards was satellite delivered by MJI Broadcasting.
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