Country Music Awards Got Faith

Canada

Country Music Awards Got Faith

Thu., May. 6, 1999 8:30 AM PDT by Joal Ryan

Garth Brooks might be the entertainer of the 1990s, but the Wednesday night portion of it, at least, belonged to Faith Hill.

The Mississippi-born singer, who crossed over to the pop charts with the hit, "This Kiss," dominated the 34th Academy of Country Music Awards at Universal City, California. She took home four of the event's stylized hat trophies, including ones for best female vocalist and best single and video (both for "This Kiss").

Hill shared the Vocal Event of the Year honor with husband Tim McGraw for their duet, "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me." A very good evening for the Hill-McGraw household, McGraw also was named best male vocalist.

"As children watching the awards shows, those are the three awards you obviously wanted to so bad--top male, female and Entertainer of the Year," Hill told reporters backstage. "You saw yourself giving the acceptance speech, those are the ones you really strive for."

Living-legend Brooks, meanwhile, didn't do badly by himself--honored as both Entertainer of the Year and Artist of the Decade.

The singer/outfielder used his mike time to pay tribute to fellow crooners George Strait and Reba McEntire--"two artists in our industry that I think we have taken very much for granted."

The Dixie Chicks' best-selling debut Wide Open Spaces was named album of the year. The trio also took best group and best new group.

"Longevity is our biggest goal," Chick Martie Seidel said backstage. "We definitely want Wide Open Spaces to stand the test of time."

Shania Twain, another country/pop hybrid, was singled out for being the first female artist to release back-to-back 10-million selling albums. For her feat, the "You're the One I Want" diva was presented with the record industry's new diamond awards.

"Rhinestone Cowboy" Glen Campbell was honored with the ACM's Pioneer Award.

Here's a rundown of the night's major wins:

Artist of the Decade:Garth Brooks

Entertainer of the Year: Garth Brooks

Album: Wide Open Spaces, Dixie Chicks

Song: "Holes in the Floor of Heaven," Steve Wariner

Single: "This Kiss," Faith Hill

Male Vocalist: Tim McGraw

Female Vocalist: Faith Hill

Duet or Group: Dixie Chicks

New Male Vocalist: Mark Wills

New Female Vocalist: Jo Dee Messina

New Group or Duet: Dixie Chicks

Vocal Event of the Year: "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me," Faith Hill & Tim McGraw

Video:"This Kiss," Faith Hill

Instrumentalists: Glenn Worf (bass); Eddie Bayers (drums); Stuart Duncan (fiddle); Brent Mason (guitar); Matt Rollings (keyboard); Jerry Douglas (specialty instrument--dobro); and Paul Franklin (steel guitar).

Pioneer Award: Glen Campbell