Luxe Life Blog
Photos: Luke Bryan rules the night at the 2012 American Country Awards
Luke Bryan at the 2012 American Country Awards at Mandalay Bay on Monday, Dec. 10, 2012.
Photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage/DeniseTruscello.net
Travel to Las Vegas, and you pray for at least a couple of 21’s at blackjack or similar. You don’t expect to hit the jackpot seven times! But that’s exactly what Luke Bryan did in winning nearly everything at Monday’s 3rd Annual American Country Awards at Mandalay Bay Events Center and broadcast on Fox.
Last year, it was Jason Aldean who broke the bank with his string of seven successes. This time, it was cool hand Luke with the most, including the coveted Artist of the Year, plus, Male Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Single of the Year and Music Video of the Year, among others.
“I am rendered speechless,” he managed to blurt out backstage. “I don’t know how to formulate a series of words that can truly tell how appreciative I am.”
Luke Bryan - from YouTube.com
“American Idol” Season 3 winner Carrie Underwood extended her winning streak with Female Artist of the Year and Single of the Year Vocal Collaboration with Brad Paisley on “Remind Me.” That totaled 11 ACA wins since 2010, the most honors of any artist.
She joked that with the NHL canceling another 109 games in the players feud, she’d get more time with hubby Mike Fisher of the Nashville Predators once the superstar singer-songwriter’s 55-city tour ends.
Lady Antebellum won for Artist of the Year: Group and Single of the Year: Group, which, added with their five previous awards, makes them the group with the most ever.
Carrie Underwood - from YouTube.com
The show’s results are determined solely by fan voting, and this year’s new touring category was won by Jason Aldean. More curious, though, was Jake Owen’s win for Breakthrough Artist of the Year. He said backstage that in 2009, he won a similar award, but then vanished from the country music scene, returning this past year to pick up his career for a second go-round.
As expected, it was a night of superstars, but also surprises and odd occurrences. Perhaps the oddest of all was the farewell from 6-foot-6 host Trace Adkins squeezed into a holiday elf outfit with his 4-foot-11 co-host Kristin Chenoweth as a female Santa. Trace’s holiday hooker line was mild in comparison to her remark earlier when wearing a Honey Boo Boo costume when she laughed that her underwear had vanished up her butt.
Rio headliners Penn & Teller mystified by taking Trace’s 10-gallon Stetson (I’ve never seen him bare-headed) and putting in five photo cards of the nominees before using his own static electricity in a comb to wave above the hat and pull out the winner’s name, Miranda Lambert’s “Over You” for Single of the Year. She also won Video of the Year and Most Played Female Radio Track.
Other presenters included rodeo champ Trevor Brazile, Mirage headliner comic Ron White with his funny mother, San Francisco Giants players Brandon Belt and Barry Zito and Las Vegas regular and pinup Carmen Electra, although their connection to country music and the awards remains unknown.
It was a music spectacular perfect for Las Vegas at the midpoint of the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center. Now to find Luke, hit the casino and stay on that winning streak!
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.
Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.
Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.
Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.
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