No award show is totally safe from some kind of mishap. There are bound to be awkward moments. From the snooze-fests to the ‘oh snap’ moments, let’s take a look at the CMA’s long history.
Charlie Rich Burns John Denver’s Award Ballot (1975)
Charlie Rich was assigned to announce the prestigious “Entertainer of the Year” award way back in 1975. But things turned weird when Rich burned the actual card after he announced John Denver’s name! Denver was a good sport for it because he just laughed it off while receiving the award.
Dolly Parton’s Wardrobe Malfunction (1978)
It was a total shocker to everybody when The Queen of Country‘s dress split right down the middle when she went on to accept her “Entertainer of the Year” award in 1978! Parton still, however, went on stage and borrowed a coat from Marianne Gordon to cover up the rip. She tried her best to joke about the mishap with “My daddy said that’s what I get for putting 50 pounds of mud in a five-pound bag.”
A Carrie Underwood Win Protest? (2009)
It seems like you really can’t please everybody. Back in 2009, Faith Hill seemingly became enraged after Carrie Underwood won Female Vocalist of the Year at the 40th CMA Awards. It was caught on camera when she mouthed the word “what?” after it was Underwood’s name that was unannounced and not hers. Reps of Hill said that it was a joke, but it was so much of a shocker Hill was placed in the negative spotlight after the awards show.
Tim Allen’s Joke Doesn’t Land (2012)
To be fair to the “Last Man Standing” star, he was only following Blake Shelton’s lead. Shelton made a somewhat naughty joke about his then-wife Miranda Lambert. However, the actor pushed the boundaries even more. But, he didn’t know they were both married!
Wait, What Did Diddy Just Say? (2013)
Okay, we understand that Sean Combs is really a titan in the music industry. He is known for being both a decorated artist and an accomplished record producer. But when he was at the 2013 CMA Awards with Kellie Picker, he went off-script with a totally shameless plug. At the introduction, no less! He said:
“I love all kinds of music, and that’s why I started my new music network called Revolt.”
The Whole “Duck Dynasty” Shenanigan (2013)
Now, this was a really awkward moment. During Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley’s opening, the cast of the hit show “Duck Dynasty” suddenly appeared on stage. And the weirdest part is, they started twerking like there’s no tomorrow! That is, by far, one of the most uncomfortable things I have seen in an award’s show. Ever.
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood Hosting Mishaps
Okay, so this is something I don’t completely understand. From Paisely’s bad political jokes in 2013 to their weird Ebola jokes, to their flat monologue all the way to their 2018 hostings, these two have their fair share of hosting shenanigans that were on-stage for everyone to see. Not to mention the year that Paisley dropped his pants mid-monologue. I’m just hoping I would see someone else on the next CMA Awards!
An Uncalculated Commercial Break (2016)
Now the Oak Ridge Boys are a beloved group and a cornerstone of country music. But during their performance of their hit song “Elvira” back in 2016, the boys were unceremoniously cut off short for the commercial break.
An FGL No-show? (2017)
Florida Georgia Line has always been turning heads, whether it be for good press or bad press for years. But their skip at the 2017 CMA Awards show had made heads turn so fast; it almost felt like everybody had a collective whiplash. It’s a good thing they showed up for this year’s show!
Was Maren Morris Overshadowed? (2017)
There have been several crossover performances between country and the other genres during the CMA’s. The past two crossovers have been a success too. Chris Stapleton nailed it with Justin Timberlake back in 2015 with their rendition of “Tennessee Whiskey,” and Beyonce and the Dixie Chicks rocked the whole stadium with their version of “Daddy Lessons.” But for this year’s mash-up, Maren Morris was notably overshadowed by former One Direction member Niall Horan.
Jason Aldean & Miranda Lambert Flat Performance (2018)
In the day and age where “A Star is Born” is under intense scrutiny and glory in the silver screens, this was paled in comparison. There was no connection. And frankly, the performance was just boring and lackluster.
Thomas Rhett’s Weird Brass Performance (2018)
The weird part about this performance is that this was a totally bad move for the genre-fluid Thomas Rhett. He should have let the audience hear the glory of the live band instead of the half-baked performance that we got.
Tags
Awkward Moments, CMA Awards