Passing Out the Awards
Toby Keith, Faith Hill and Rascal Flatts took home trophies at the American Music Awards in 2006. Plus, Tim McGraw saw his Greatest Hits Volume 2 take the Country Album award, and Carrie Underwood won Best New Artist Award.
Tim McGraw took home the Favorite Male Artist Award at the People's Choice Awards.
At the Grammy Awards, Emmylou Harris received Best Female Vocalist, while Keith Urban took home the Best Male Vocalist Award. Best Duo/Group went to Alison Krauss + Union Station, as did the Instrumental Award, and Country Album Award for Lonely Runs Both Ways. Country Collaboration went to Faith and Tim for the song "Like We Never Loved at All," and Favorite Country Song went to the Dixie Chicks for "I Hope," while Best Bluegrass Album went to the Del McCoury Band's The Company We Keep CD.
At the CMT Video Awards, Keith Urban took home Video of the Year for "Better Life," while Kenny Chesney took home Male Video of the Year for "Who You'd Be Today." Carrie Underwood took home both the Female Video and Breakthrough Video, for "Jesus Take The Wheel." Brad Paisley & Dolly Parton took home the Most Inspiring Video for "When I Get Where I'm Going." Rascal Flatts took home the Group/Duo Video for "Sarabeth." Billy Currington took the Hottest Video for "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right." Sophie Muller took home the Director of the Year for filming Faith & Tim's "Like We Never Loved at All." Bon Jovi & Jennifer Nettles snagged the Collaborative Video for "Who Says You Can't Go Home," and Hank Williams Jr. received the Johnny Cash Visionary Award.
At the Academy of Country Music Awards Brad Paisley was a big winner, taking home three awards, for Vocal Event and Video of the Year, for "When I Get Where I'm Going" (with Dolly Parton), and Album of the Year for Time Well Wasted. Carrie Underwood took home Top New Female Artist, and Single of the Year for "Jesus Take the Wheel." Brooks & Dunn took home 1 1/2 awards, as the Duo picked up the Duo of the Year award, and Ronnie Dunn won for his part in writing the Song of the Year, "Believe." Sara Evans won her very first ACM Award for Female Vocalist, and Keith Urban took home the Male Vocalist Award. Jason Aldean took home Top New Male Vocalist, Rascal Flatts took home the ACM Group of the Year Award, and Kenny Chesney took home the Entertainer of the Year Award.
The CMA Awards came back to Nashville in 2006, and Brooks & Dunn not only hosted the show, but were big winners. They received awards for "Believe" for Video of the Year, Song of the Year (Ronnie Dunn, for co-writing with Craig Wiseman), and Single of the Year, as well as winning the Duo of the Year. Carrie Underwood took home the Horizon Award, and the Female Vocalist Award. There was a lot of controversey about Faith Hill's reaction on camera when Carrie's name was read as the winner of the Female Vocalist Award. Was she kidding or serious? Fans were in an outrage. Faith released a statement that it was just a joke. Rascal Flatts took home the Vocal Group Award, and Keith Urban took home the Male Vocalist Award. Keith had checked into rehab a couple weeks prior to the show, and wasn't in attendance, but had given Ronnie Dunn a note to read if he did win. He thanked his wife Nicole, and said that he looked forward to returning to music soon. Album of the Year went to Brad Paisley for Time Well Wasted. Brad also won for Musical Event for his song with Dolly Parton, "When I Get Where I'm Going." Lastly, Kenny Chesney took home the Entertainer of the Year Award, and George Strait, Sonny James and Harold Bradley were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Four Country Acts Land on the Top 25 Tours of 2006 List
Country Music was represented in the Top 25 Tour totals for all genres.
- Faith Hill and Tim McGraw's Soul 2 Soul II Tour coming in at No. 5 with nearly 89 million in gross ticket sales. The duo played 73 dates, selling out 54 shows, playing to 1.1 million fans.
- Kenny Chesney's Road and the Radio Tour came in at No. 8 with nearly 66 million in gross ticket sales. Kenny played 64 dates, selling out 58 shows, playing to 1.1 million fans.
- Rascal Flatts' Me and My Gang Tour came in at No. 12 with 46 million in gross ticket sales. The guys played 79 dates, selling out 64 shows, playing to 1 million fans.
- Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted Tour came in at No. 23 with nearly 28 million in gross ticket sales. Brad played 97 dates, selling out 33 shows, playing to nearly 700,000 fans.
Country Weddings
After denying they were anything but friends, Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman admitted they were engaged, and then flew to Australia to be married in June.
Little Big Town also saw two weddings this year. Two of the members, Jimi Westbrook and Karen Fairchild secretly tied the knot, then later in the year, Kimberly Roads married longtime friend Stephen Schlapman.
Rascal Flatts' Joe Don Rooney married Playboy model Tiffany Fallon
Country Divorces
While on the reality TV show, Dancing With The Stars Sara Evans made the announcement that she was filing for divorce, and dropping out of the competition to be with her children. Accusations flew from Sara and Craig, and it got really ugly. Hopefully, they can come to an amicable parting to spare their three young children.
Other Country stars to file for divorce in 2006 included Blake Shelton and Darryl Worley.
Final Goodbyes
- On February 2nd we lost Louise Scruggs, wife and manager of Earl Scruggs.
- On March 23rd, Cindy Walker, songwriter and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame passed away.
- Losing Buck Owens was a huge blow to country music. Buck passed away on March 25th. A month later, almost to the day, on April 24th, his former wife, Bonnie Owens passed away. She was also married at one time to Merle Haggard.
- On May 21st, Grand Ole Opry member Billy Walker passed away in a traffic accident in Alabama that also killed his wife, Bettie, and band members Charles Lilly Jr. and Daniel Patton.
- On September 30th, "Uncle" Josh Graves, Dobro player for Flatt & Scruggs' Foggy Mountain Boys passed away.
- Freddy Fender passed away on October 14th. He was best known for his hits, "Before the Next Teardroop Falls," and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights."
