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2001
TNN & CMT Country Weekly Music Award Nominees And Winners
Written
By Rick Ellis, June 13th, 2001
Country music
is in trouble. It pains me as a fan to say this, but after a few
great years, the audience is drifting away. Record sales are down,
fewer radio stations are playing the music and as the industry consolidates,
the battlelines are being drawn between the traditional Nashville
country sound and the more mainstream pop element.
In many ways,
the core fan base for country music resembles the one for daytime
television. They're loyal--almost to being blind to the faults of
the stars. Both industries are very insular, with everyone knowing
each other and even the journalists buying into the company line.
But that unwillingness to change, that fear of expanding the audience
in nontraditional ways cripples the creativity and forces some of
the most talented folk into other venues. And while the remaining
group won't admit it--at least, not publicly--they end up both fearful
of losing the support of the remaining fans while longing to push
the envelope.
And there's
no better example of that then the "new" TNN & CMT
Country Weekly Music Awards.
While much has
been made of the fact that these awards are decided by fans, the
truth is that for many in the industry, they're looked upon as a
bit of a joke. In past years, the winners have been picked almost
with random abandon by fans. Billy Ray Cyrus swept the awards back
when it was called the "Music City Awards," and that was
in a year in which he couldn't get rid of his albums with a gun
and a couple of hostages.
So despite the
name change this year, the awards continue to be more of a statement
of fan sentiment and the strength of the individual fan organizations
than a reflection of what was good or bad about the past year.
This time around,
the big winner was Alan Jackson, who won six of the eight categories
in which he was nominated. In large part, the wins were a reflection
of the hard-core fans dissatisfaction with the pop trend in country
music. Jackson is a standard bearer for the "traditional"
country sound, and the fans responded to his very public cries for
a return to basics in the music.
The biggest
story of the evening might be the list of performers who weren't
there. Many of country music's biggest names were missing in action
or otherwise occupied. Garth Brooks, George Strait, the Dixie Chicks,
Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood and a host of others were nowhere
to be seen. And their absence said a lot about where this industry
is headed.
Entertainer
of the Year
Dixie Chicks
Faith Hill
Alan Jackson
Tim McGraw
George Strait -- Winner
Male
Artist of the Year
Alan Jackson -- Winner
Toby Keith
Tim McGraw
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Female
Artist of the Year
Faith Hill -- Winner
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Jo Dee Messina
Lee Ann Womack
The
Fast Track Award
Kenny Chesney -- Winner
Terri Clark
Sara Evans
Billy Gilman
SHeDAISY
The
Discovery Award
Jessica Andrews
Billy Gilman -- Winner
Montgomery Gentry
SHeDAISY
Phil Vassar
Group/Duo
of the Year
Alabama
Brooks & Dunn
Dixie Chicks -- Winner
Lonestar
Montgomery Gentry
The Impact Award
Dixie Chicks
Faith Hill
Alan Jackson
Reba McEntire
George Strait -- Winner
Collaborative
Event of the Year
Faith Hill & Tim McGraw -- "Let's Make Love"
Alan Jackson & George Strait -- "Murder on Music Row" -- Winner
John Michael Montgomery & Alison Krauss -- "The Little Girl"
Brad Paisley
& Chely Wright -- "Hard to Be a Husband/Hard to be a Wife"
Lee Ann Womack & Sons of the Desert -- "I Hope You Dance"
Album
of the Year - Award to Artist and Producer(s)
When Somebody Loves You -- Alan Jackson -- Winner
Producer: Keith Stegall
Greatest Hits -- Tim McGraw
Producers: Byron Gallimore, James Stroud, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill
Burn -- Jo Dee Messina
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw
Latest Greatest Straitest Hits -- George Strait
Producers: Tony Brown, George Strait
I Hope You Dance -- Lee Ann Womack
Producers: Mark Wright, Frank Liddell
Single
of the Year - Award to Artist and Producer(s)
"Let's Make Love" -- Faith Hill & Tim McGraw
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Faith Hill
"Murder on Music
Row" -- Alan Jackson & George Strait -- Winner
Producers: Tony Brown, George Strait
"How Do You
Like Me Now?!" -- Toby Keith
Producers: James Stroud, Toby Keith
"The Little
Girl" -- John Michael Montgomery
Producers: Buddy Cannon, Norro Wilson, John Michael Montgomery
"I Hope You
Dance" -- Lee Ann Womack
Producer: Mark Wright
CMT
Music Video of the Year - Award to Artist and Director
"Goodbye Earl" -- Dixie Chicks
Director: Evan Bernard
"Let's Make
Love" -- Faith Hill & Tim McGraw
Director: Lili Fini Zanuck
"www.memory"
-- Alan Jackson -- Winner
Director: Morgan Lawley
"I'll Be" -- Reba McEntire
Director: Deaton Flanigen
"I Hope You
Dance" -- Lee Ann Womack
Director: Gerry Wenner
Song
of the Year - Award to Artist and Writer(s)
"Let's Make Love" -- Faith Hill & Tim McGraw
Writers: Chris Lindsey, Marv Green, Bill Luther, Aimee Mayo
"Murder on Music
Row" -- Alan Jackson & George Strait -- Winner
Writers: Larry Cordle, Larry Shell
"How Do You
Like Me Now?!" -- Toby Keith
Writers: Toby Keith, Chuck Cannon
"The Little
Girl" -- John Michael Montgomery
Writer: Harley Allen
"I Hope You
Dance" -- Lee Ann Womack
Writers: Mark D. Sanders, Tia Sillers
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