Sugarland [ tickets ] put the brakes on Brooks & Dunn [ tickets ]'s longstanding record of winning Vocal Duo of the Year at the 41st annual Country Music Association (CMA) awards last night (11/7) in Nashville.

"If we're standing up here, it's because we have this lofty view because we're standing on the shoulders of giants who've come before us," said Jennifer Nettles, who joins Kristian Bush in Sugarland. "Brooks & Dunn always rock it out and are always so deserving."

Brooks & Dunn had won Vocal Duo of the Year 14 times during the past 15 years.

The big prize, Entertainer of the Year, went to Kenny Chesney [ tickets ], who also won in 2005 and 2004. He stopped and hugged fellow nominees Keith Urban and George Strait [ tickets ] before accepting the prize.

"I can't believe that I get to stand on the stages that I stand on every summer and get to sing the songs that I sing," said Chesney, who attended the ceremony with his mother. "I love country music and I love doing what I do."

American Idol winner Carrie Underwood [ tickets ] dominated yet another awards show, scoring two awards at the podium: Female Vocalist of the Year, for the second consecutive year, and Single of the Year for "Before He Cheats." The latter is an award that goes to the performer as well as the producer.

"God has blessed me with so many wonderful things," she said. "If you told me a few years ago I had been nominated with the people I'm nominated with, I would have called you absolutely insane."

Brad Paisley [ tickets ] won two awards as well, for Male Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the Year for "Online," directed by Jason Alexander of "Seinfeld" fame. It was Paisley's first win and seventh nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year.

"I can't tell you what this means to me to win this," he said. "I always wanted to win this award at least once. This will do."

Seventeen-year-old Taylor Swift [ tickets ], who had a hit with the song "Tim McGraw," was given the Horizon Award, for best newcomer.

"I can't even believe that this is real. I want to thank God and my family for moving to Nashville so I could do this," Swift said. "This is definitely the highlight of my senior year."

For the sixth time, George Strait won Album of the Year, this time for "It Just Comes Natural."

"This was the one I was really hoping I could come up here for tonight," said Strait, whose songwriters won Song of the Year for "Give It Away." He and Paisley were nominated for five awards.

Nearly all the winners performed during the three-hour celebration of country music. Rascal Flatts [ tickets ] kicked off the show with a performance of "Still Feels Good" and then returned to the stage with actor Jamie Foxx for "She Goes All the Way." Paisley was joined by a marching band for his award-winning hit "Online." Nominee and former American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler cried during her rendition of "I Wonder."

Big & Rich dedicated their song "Loud" to the "king of bling," singer Porter Wagoner, who recently succumbed to lung cancer.

That wasn't Wagoner's only nod. Dwight Yoakam said, "He was a ground breaker and an incredible, dynamic vocalist until the very end."

A complete list of award winners is included below.

Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney

Male Vocalist of the Year
Brad Paisley

Female Vocalist of the Year
Carrie Underwood

Vocal Group of the Year
Rascal Flatts

Vocal Duo of the Year
Sugarland

Horizon Award
Taylor Swift

Album of the Year
"It Just Comes Natural"
George Strait
Produced by Tony Brown and George Strait
MCA Nashville

Single of the Year
"Before He Cheats"
Carrie Underwood
Produced by Mark Bright
19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records

Song of the Year
"Give It Away"
Bill Anderson/Buddy Cannon/Jamey Johnson
Sony/ATV Tree/EMI Blackwood/Run Slow Music

Musical Event of the Year
Tracy Lawrence, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
"Find Out Who Your Friends Are"
Rocky Comfort Records/CO5

Music Video of the Year
"Online"
Brad Paisley
Directed by Jason Alexander

Musician of the Year
Jerry Douglas (dobro)