5 Best Performances at the 50th Annual CMA Awards

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The talent during the CMA Awards last night was incredible, but I’m breaking down the top 5 best performances of the night for you.

If you missed the show, catch the full recap here.

Last night was a night to remember in country music. Icons and legends in this industry filled the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, celebrating this genre of twangy tunes. The talent was nothing short of spectacular and although ever performance was incredible, I’ve picked the top 5 that deserve recognition.

1. Dolly Parton Tribute

Carrie Underwood was joined on stage by Kacey Musgraves, Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Pentatonix, and Jennifer Nettles for a tribute to the Lifetime Achievement recipient, Dolly Parton. The combination of all of these voices completely stole the show as they sang bits of Parton’s best songs like “Jolene” and then finished it off with a beautiful rendition of “I Will Always Love you.” Dolly Parton is the first women to ever receive this award so it was fitting that five female icons in country music were there to celebrate.

2. Maren Morris

Maren Morris first started out in this inducts at the age of 11. Since then, she’s taken a back seat to fame and focused more on her songwriting. That was until she released Hero, an album that earned rave reviews. She performed “My Church” at the CMA Awards last night and her powerhouse of a voice proved that she belongs here. Immediately after her performance, she was gifted the New Performer of the Year award, something she deserved now more than ever. She thanked the crowd through tears, exclaiming, “I never thought as a songwriter I’d be standing here today.” But boy, was she wrong.

3. Beyonce Goes Country with The Dixie Chicks

It was the talk of Nashville yesterday that Beyonce was in town, but it wasn’t confirmed that she’d be performing until just before the CMA Awards began. To some, it was a complete shock, not expecting Queen Bey, herself, to be on stage at that arena. She was joined by The Dixie Chicks and the two artists combined “Daddy Lessons” with “Long Time Gone,” making for a memorable duet. Beyonce released Lemonade earlier this year and had a song with a country twang to it, “Daddy Lessons.” Although it never made it on the top country hits list, The Dixie Chicks decided to cover it, making it more known in this genre. Since then, they’ve been playing it on tour, and it seemed to have paid off. because here they are, on stage at the CMA Awards, performing it with Beyonce.

4. Alan Jackson and George Straight

Braid Paisley introduced this duo as “two of the best we’ve got,” and country music fans across the world couldn’t agree more. Alan Jackson and George Straight flaunted on stage and gave one hell of a performance of Jackson’s “Remember When.” While they were singing, the faces of country music’s past flashed on screen, bringing an audience to tears. Faces like Johnny Cash and George Jones filled the theater, reminding fans and artists where this all began. This rendition of Jackson’s song was beautifully done and was only made better by the addition of George Straight.

5. Forever Country

This performance was the opening number and immediately set the tone for the entire show- passionate, soulful, emotional. The award truly opened with a bang as stars, both young and old, filled the stage, singing renditions of popular country songs and “Forever Country.” Stars performing during this number included Charlie Daniels, Charley Pride, Dwight Yoakam, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Reba McEntire, Jeff Cook, and an array of others. What really pulled on the heart strings though was when Randy Travis came on stage and finished of his “Forever and Always, Amen” song by barely singing “amen.” Travis had recently suffered a stroke and has been recovering for it, trying to get his ability to walk and sing back. This special performance reduced to audience to tears and from there on out, they could tell this 50th anniversary was going to be a memorable one.

The CMA Awards are crucial to the country music industry. It’s a time for future stars to shine while older icons can cheer them on. This year was their 50th anniversary and the perfromances were worthy of such a title.

Next: 5 Memorable Moments From The 50th Annual CMA Awards

Looking forward to the performances 2017 has in store for us.