The country stars were out in their finest for last night’s Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Kenny Chesney was declared Entertainer of the Year for the fourth year in a row, but he criticized organizers’ decision to base that award entirely on user votes online for the first time in the history of the awards. His speech focused on thanking his fans and record company, and he even made a joke thanking his parents for having sex to conceive him. Backstage he complained about the new way the award was given, perhaps suggesting that his hurt foot on stage helped him snag the award for the fourth year in a row:

“The entertainer of the year trophy is supposed to represent heart and passion and an amazing amount of sacrifice, commitment and focus.” He said his complaint is directed at the industry, not the fans – and that the method amounted to “complete disrespect” of the artists, saying the academy turned the award “into a sweepstakes to see who can push people’s buttons the hardest on the Internet.”

[From Kansas City.com]

Carrie Underwood won Best Female Vocalist for the second year in a row, saying in her acceptance speech “I know I don’t deserve it, but I’ll take it. Fans got me everything I have, and I owe everything to you.”

Rascal Flatts’ won Top Vocal Group for a sixth year in a row and Brooks & Dunn won Top Vocal Duo to make the award the 13th they’ve taken home in 13 years.

Here’s the full list of winners:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
* Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Rascal Flatts
George Strait
Keith Urban

TOP MALE VOCALIST
* Brad Paisley
Rodney Atkins
Kenny Chesney
George Strait
Keith Urban

TOP FEMALE VOCALIST
* Carrie Underwood
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
LeAnn Rimes
Taylor Swift

TOP VOCAL GROUP
* Rascal Flatts
Diamond Rio
Eagles
Emerson Drive
Little Big Town

TOP VOCAL DUO
* Brooks & Dunn
Big & Rich
Halfway To Hazard
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland

TOP NEW MALE VOCALIST
* Jack Ingram
Luke Bryan
Jake Owen

TOP NEW FEMALE VOCALIST
* Taylor Swift
Sarah Buxton
Kellie Pickler

TOP NEW DUO OR VOCAL GROUP
* Lady Antebellum
Carolina Rain
The Wreckers

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
* Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – Miranda Lambert
5th Gear – Brad Paisley
Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates – Kenny Chesney
If You’re Going Through Hell – Rodney Atkins
Taylor Swift – Taylor Swift

SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR
* Stay, Sugarland
Don’t Blink, Kenny Chesney
Famous In A Small Town, Miranda Lambert
Lost In This Moment, Big & Rich
Watching Airplanes, Gary Allan

SONG OF THE YEAR
* Stay, Sugarland
Don’t Blink, Kenny Chesney
Lost In This Moment, Big & Rich
Moments, Emerson Drive
Watching You, Rodney Atkins

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
* Online, Brad Paisley
Don’t Blink, Kenny Chesney
Lost In This Moment, Big & Rich
Stay, Sugarland
Watching You, Rodney Atkins

Performances
Carrie Underwood “Last Name”

George Strait and Kenny Chesney “Shift Work”

Taylor Swift “Should’ve Said No”

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood medley

Keith Urban “Tu Compania”

Rascal Flatts “Everyday”

Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley perform “Make the World Go Away,” a tribute to Eddy Arnold

Kellie Pickler “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful”

LeAnn Rimes “Family”

Awards
Kenny Chesney is Entertainer of The Year by public vote, Nicole Kidman looks mildly annoyed

Taylor Swift wins top new female vocalist:

And here are the photos, thanks to PRPhotos. Shown in order are: Carrie Underwood, LeAnn Rimes and Dean Sheremet, Jewel, Kelli Pickler, Karolina Kurkova, Julianne Hough, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, Brooks And Dunn, Brad Paisley, Jack Ingraham, Garth Brooks, Lady Antebellum, Tracey Lawrence, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, and Miranda Lambert.