Big night for country music with boost from Beyonce

Garth Brooks, who lost entertainer of the year at last year’s Country Music Association Awards when he returned to music after a 13-year break, won the top prize at the show Wednesday, where Beyonce and the Dixie Chicks’ surprise duet performance was met with love and hate.

Brooks beat out Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban and last year’s winner, Luke Bryan.

“We are so damn lucky to part of this thing called country music,” Brooks yelled loudly at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Taylor Swift presented Brooks the award, but she wasn’t the only pop star in the building: Beyonce sang her twangy song “Daddy Lessons” on a night celebrating the CMA Awards’ 50th anniversary. It was the first time Beyonce, a Houston native, performed at the country awards show. The performance also marked a return for the Dixie Chicks, who hadn’t attended the CMA Awards in some time.

“Everybody get on your feet. Put your hands together,” Beyonce told the crowd.

Faith Hill sang along, Trisha Yearwood clapped and Miranda Lambert moved side to side during the song, which the Dixie Chicks have also covered at their live shows.

Beyonce and the trio’s appearance, though, wasn’t cheered by everyone: On social media some fans tweeted angrily about the performance — some country music fans have disliked Dixie Chicks since band member Natalie Maines criticized former U.S. President George W. Bush over a decade ago.

The night featured a number of other memorable performances, too: A mix of classic and contemporary country stars kicked off the show with 12 performances to celebrate its milestone anniversary, which included Randy Travis, Vince Gill, Charley Pride, Roy Clark, Alabama, Charlie Daniels, Ricky Skaggs, Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam and Merle Haggard’s youngest son, Ben.

Dolly Parton, who earned the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, was honored by Reba, Underwood, Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles and Kacey Musgraves, who all sang a rousing rendition of “I Will Always Love You.”

“I would have cried, but I didn’t want to mess up my eyelashes,” said Parton, sporting a bright yellow dress.

Chris Stapleton, who won big at last year’s show, was the night’s top winner with two: He took home male vocalist and music video of the year.

Underwood won female vocalist of the year, ending Lambert’s six-year consecutive winning streak since 2010. Brothers Osborne surprised the arena by beating Florida Georgia Line for vocal duo of the year, and Maren Morris took home the new artist of the year award.

Other winners included Eric Church’s “Mr. Misunderstood” for album of the year and “Humble and Kind” for song of the year.

And of course, there was what people wore and what the scene in Nashville looked like.