CMT.com's Live Blog for the 2008 CMA Awards
November 2008.
America awaits with breathless anticipation one of the most meaningful events in its young history, the results of which will affect not only this generation but all generations to come.
It is a happening that is beyond important, beyond monumental. It is quite simply the single most significant moment that we as a people shall ever experience …and now that that damn election is out of the way, we can finally get to it! I’m talking about the CMT.com Watching Party and Live Blog for the 2008 CMA Awards! That’s right friends! No more partisanship. It’s just a big ol’ party and you’re invited! So come down and join us right here in Music City at the famed Paradise Park Trailer Resort in downtown Nashville as yours truly, the Bloated Baron of Blogging, Shane Caldwell, along with my faithful companions Jennifer Morrison and Brian Bayley, bring you all the dish, all the dirt and all the doin’s from this year’s CMA Awards. We’ll begin documenting this star-studded extravaganza at 7/6c with CMT’s Red Carpet Show and then it’s on to the Big Show at 8/7c. And just to make it more fun (and to take the pressure off of us), we’re inviting YOU, the fans to guest blog! That’s right! You say and we relay it. Your most personal inner thoughts posted for all the world to behold! You can brag about your favorite artist’s big win or rant about how they were robbed of their rightful place in history. You can also make predictions, prognostications or just make fun of what somebody is wearing.
And isn’t mocking the rich and successful the real fun of these awards shows, anyway? Just remember you have to be 21 and Over and reasonably sober. (Jen will be giving field sobriety tests at the door so practice saying your ABCs backwards while hopping on one leg.) And if you can’t join us at Paradise Park, join us online and we’ll post your comments right along with ours. Plus, there’s a rumor that some country stars may be joining us with their backstage comments as well. Yes, it’s a publicist’s nightmare and we’ll be the ones dreaming it. So let your freak flag fly this Wednesday night (Nov. 12) as we bring you the CMT.com Watching Party and Live Blog for the 2008 CMA Awards! Truly, a night to remember or at least a fairly harmless way to kill a few hours. Be there. Aloha!
©2008 Country Music Television, Inc., a Viacom company. A division of 
CMIL says:
We can’t wait till tonight!
www.countrymusicislove.com
Karen says:
Can’t wait until tonight. I know that Carrie and Brad will be amazing as co-hosts. I love both of them and I’m hoping Carrie takes home the Female Vocalist and Album trophies.
I’m a huge Underwood fan!!!!!
BRADdock says:
Is anyone else out there “OVER” Kenny Chesney? How ’bout someone else?
Mike Morey says:
Where is Toby Keith??? Why is he being shunned by the CMA’s?????
Amber says:
Wow!Im so excited for tonight. Brad Paisley is soooo cute and Carrie Underwood is an awesome singer so this is going to be exciting again!
joyce says:
So I’m contemplating turning off the awards show if the sound men don’t get thier butts in gear. T.V. brodcast has music too loud that you can’t hear the singers. This is well into the first hour of show. You’d think the price they are paid,they could get it together.
joyce says:
How come we are well into the first hour of brodcasting of the CMA awards show, and singers are drowned out by the music. For the price these sound tech’s are paid you’d think they could get it together for such a big event.
Kayla M. says:
I think the show & the singers have been great!! On the other hand the music for the singers is way too loud you cannot hear them sing over the music…& when you cannot hear Martina McBride sing you know you have a problem because that girl has some pipes!! :D
Mitch says:
Kid Rock doesn’t belong at the CMA’s. It is an embarrassment to see him performing there. I love my country music and there is nothing country about Kid Rock.
Dawn says:
The sound systems at the arena suck. They fade in and out and ruin everyone’s performances.
Mike says:
Kid Rock has a lot of country songs. That song is just an all around good song.
joyce says:
I so hear what your sying Kayla. Unfortunatly the sound, or lack there of bothered me so much I turned it off.How sad. I really wanted to enjoy the show:(
sherry says:
Who ever runs the sound in the show does a terrible job. You could barely hear Reba The backround for Darius Rucker sounded awful…. Taylor Swift song all you could hear was the banjo
john says:
the only real country singers left are alan jackson, george strait, and brad paisley… everyone else is worried about how they look, and when someone is gonna write them a song because they have nothing to talk about…. makes me SICK… how does rascal flatts win an award but JOHN PRINE hasn’t been invited… a man that wrote all his own songs and plays them with feeling… not out there lookin like a buncha crossdressers and making it look alright to wear make up and glitter…. WEIRDO’S… peace
Freida says:
Rascal Flatts is awesome. And who is John Prine anyway. I always look forward to these awards. The technical difficulties go along with live tv.
Al says:
where can i get brad p black tee with the white heart any ideas?
Marty says:
Was Joe the Plumber in charge of the sound system?? It was the worst job. At the begining Intros you couldn’t hear Brad and almost every song had the first few words sung in silence. The songs were muffled, no tone, instruments were being played but not heard, it was so bad that I started watching UFC’s Ultimate Fighter on Spike during the songs. What they did to Reba during her song with B&D was a disgrace. It was appalling a bunch of fricking amatures running the boards. My other gripe is the dufus in dreadlocks with Kid Rock. If you are going to have a guest Kid then put them in from of a mike don’t give them a guitar without strings and let him play air band, hell he didn’t even have enough sense to move his hand along the neck. It may work on MTV but not here. This is Country Music have some respect!! Apple Pie and Four Wheel Drives!!
Lia McKinny says:
The 42nd CMA’s was the best one I think I’ve ever seen. Carrie & Brad did a great job hosting, and all the performances were really good. It was so enjoyable that it didn’t even seem like three hours.
Wendy says:
I am extremely disappointed that Keith Urban didn’t win an award. While I do like Kenny, he shouldn’t have won again for the 3rd year in a row.
I’m with BRADock about being ‘over’ Kenny.
With Keith being beyond deserving of an award, he difinitely deserved to win something.
All in all I did enjoy the CMA’s as I do every year.
Julie says:
Well I for one am sick of George Straight and Kenny Chesney taking all the awards.
It was good to see Brad get a couple and Carrie, Sugarland and Rascal Flatts are always deserving. Don’t get me wrong I like both George and Kenny but I think it is time for others in the industry to get an award.
Kenny is a good singer but really that is all he does is sing. He can’t really play the guitar he just strums it.
There are true musicians in country music and if you ask me to get Entertainer of the Year because you sold the most concert tickets is not fair. Yes he puts on a good show but I have been to some in California and they are so loud you can’t even enjoy the music…then there is all this Caribbean Island stuff its getting old. He needs to find other ways to entertain people.
A true Entertainer is someone that not only sings their songs, they write their own music, they play a multiple of instruments… ala Keith Urban & Barbara Mandrell.
Yes, many will say that Keith hasn’t made any new music lately which he hasn’t so he doesn’t deserve EOTY but that is the type of entertainer that deserves the award not someone who sells the most concert tickets because all he plays at is football stadiums that hold 70K people.
I once saw Keith Urban at the Reno, NV Hilton and it only sat about 2000 people and that was the best concert I have ever been too. He came out into the audience and he even brought a fan on stage to let him propose to his girlfriend and then he sang their favorite song to them and let them dance to it on stage. It was AWESOME.
Again, I like Kenny but I am sick of the Island music theme and the huge crowds. You can’t even hear the other groups that play before him sing because the acoustics are so bad and up so loud it ruins the experience.
I hope Keith comes out with a bang up new album which he is currently working on and takes many of the awards next year because he truly is a complete entertainer.
Julie
Amanda says:
I do believe, Sugarland should have won for Entertainer of the Year, however, I do believe there may be another power couple in the works??? Shania and Kenny maybe?? What do all you think? I loved the comment that he said she looked really good…Eat that MUTT, and hurry back Shania! Carrie and Brad did a good job, when Brad won for Male Vocalist and kissed Kimberly’s belly, Too Cute!
Rhonda says:
I thought the whole show was a terrible bust. It was boring and down right awful at times.
I thought CMA’s stood for COUNTRY music. I guess those days are over. They should rename the show COUNTRY POP, or COUNTRY ROCK.
Kinda like the line in the George Stait song…”they committed murder down on music row”.
Linda Robins says:
The sound is down on the vocals, cause most of these singers can not sing in tune. That is an old sound trick. If the vocals are bad, turn up the music.
They have to hide that fact.
These CMA votes are bought!
Come on you people REALLY think this was a good show. Do you work for CMA’s?
None of this is real. We need real talent in Country Music before more fans turn to rock for great “REAL” talent in music. Thank god for the Internet! The only source we fans really have to hear real talent!!!
Come on labels, sign someone with real talent!
To hear these so called “Artists” talk. None of them have any personality what so ever. Being “Cute” is not enough. Give me an ugly person who can sing and write anyday!
To hear Carrie Underwood after the show. She sounded like a rich girl that had way too much to drink at the after party! Plain embarrassing!
Bev says:
Disappointing show. Yes, everyone sounded out of tune and microphones were not on half the time. Kelly Pickler was the most pathetic, trashy looking and vocal was horrid. I am so tired of Billy Ray Cyrus; no talent riding on the coat tails of his teenage daughter. Where were the other “real” country singers? Toby Keith? Montgomery Gentry? Tim McGraw? Sara Evans?
Holly says:
My most favorite part of the night: James Otto (big smile)
I love him so much!!! God bless you and him always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee
gnger says:
Unfortunately, I was unable to watch the awards but found out Kenny won entertainer, again. I am so so so glad that Kenny won again, he so so so deserves it!!!!! I have been a fan of his since 1998 and love his music. His music has touched my soul and brought healng and has refreshed me. I wish him the best in his professional and personal life, so WAY TO GO, KENNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep up the work…..ginger in New York