ARLINGTON, Texas — Taylor Swift may have left country for pop – but she had a memorable moment at Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards.
The singer was one of seven recipients of the 50th Anniversary Milestone Award, and a video package highlighting her career and success played before her mother, who recently announced she is battling cancer, presented her daughter with the award.
ACM WINNERS
A select list of winners from Sunday night’s Academy of Country Music Awards in Arlington, Texas:
Entertainer of the year: Luke Bryan
Album of the year: “Platinum,” Miranda Lambert
Female vocalist of the year: Miranda Lambert
Male vocalist of the year: Jason Aldean
Vocal group of the year: Little Big Town
Song of the year: “Automatic,” Miranda Lambert
Single record of the year: “I Don’t Dance,” Lee Brice
New artist of the year: Cole Swindell
Vocal duo of the year: Florida Georgia Line
Music video of the year: “Drunk On A Plane,” Dierks Bentley
Vocal event of the year: “This Is How We Roll,” Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line
“I am a very proud mom,” said Andrea Swift, who also called her daughter “brave enough to explore her musical curiosity.”
The former country singer, who sat next to her father, Scott Swift, danced along in typical form at the ACM Awards, especially when Miranda Lambert and Martina McBride performed.
Lambert, the night’s top nominee with eight, won album of the year for “Platinum,” female vocalist of the year and song of the year for “Automatic.”
“I love all of those albums so much – I have them all,” said Lambert, who beat out Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church and Little Big Town for the honor.
Lambert also accepted a 50th Anniversary Milestone Award, given to her by Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara (Lambert wrote a song for their new film, “Hot Pursuit”).
Other recipients of the anniversary honor included Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney and George Strait.
Luke Bryan took the entertainer of the year award.
Florida Georgia Line were behind Lambert with two wins for vocal duo of the year and vocal event of the year, shared with Luke Bryan for “This Is How We Roll.” The duo sang the groove “Sippin’ on Fire” surrounded by a ring of fire on stage. And Brooks’ performance of “All American Kind” included U.S. soldiers standing proudly.
The ACMs, celebrating their 50th anniversary in a new location, the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, kicked off paying tribute to veteran Merle Haggard.
Little Big Town had one of the night’s top performances when they slowed things down with their recent hit, the semi-controversial “Girl Crush.” They won vocal group of the year, and Cole Swindell won new artist of the year.
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