The "CMT Artist of the Year" (Tue., 9PM ET on CMT) is an opportunity for country music to honor those people who are making a difference in the industry and beyond. There's no real competition within the night, nor are there different categories. There are simply five deserve recipients and they are all "Artist of the Year."
This year's batch included Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney. But none of them had their awards handed to them by Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise like Brad Paisley did. It's too bad that Paisley's book "Diary of a Player" chronicles his childhood obsession with "Star Wars."
William Shatner read an excerpt from the book, but he faltered at the line "As an 8-year old in 1980, the most important item on my Christmas list was probably plastic and said 'Star Wars' on the packet." Shatner looked up and asked, "Not 'Star Trek'? It's like finding out your trusty Vulcan friend is really a backstabbing Romulan."
It was a memorable and star-studded night, and the kind of awards show where there truly are only winners.
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