Miranda Lambert, Lady A off to fast start at CMAs

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Crossover sensations Lady Antebellum were the big winners early at the Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday night as the trio's single "Need You Now" continued to shake up the genre.

Lady A won vocal group of the year and single of the year for the hit song about late-night hookups, while Miranda Lambert's "House That Built Me" was also an early winner, helping her kick off her 27th birthday in style.

"Thank you to my brother, Josh Kelley, for making me to move to Nashville six years ago, I love you," Lady A vocalist Charles Kelley said after his band took single of the year.

Charles Kelley made the journey with his good buddy Dave Haywood and the two met Hillary Scott a short time later. The rest has been nonstop success with their second album, "Need You Now," selling more than 3 million copies this year.

Lambert's "The House That Built Me" won video of the year and song of the year for songwriters Tom Douglas and Allan Shamblin. The tale of a family's hard-luck times mirrors Lambert's own upbringing and has resonated with fans and spurred her to nine nominations.

The Zac Brown Band won new artist of the year.

Hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood joined Keith Urban to kick off the show with "Songs Like This" before the hosts returned to poke lighthearted fun at the stars and current events.

"Nashville had a flood and it barely made news," they sang, "while up through the gulf came a bubbling crude."

They also made fun at Tiger Woods and Brett Favre, singing, "She caught Tiger with some tail it's plain to see, and Brett Favre has taken up photography."

Paisley could finally win the CMA's coveted entertainer of the year trophy Wednesday night — but he'll have to best another veteran and three relative upstart acts to make it happen. Paisley has been nominated for the award every year since 2005. Though he's won 13 CMAs since first being nominated in 2000, he's never won the biggest award.

But he faces tough competition from former winner Keith Urban, Lambert, Lady Antebellum and Zac Brown Band, the first act nominated for both entertainer of the year and new artist since Ricky Skaggs in 1982.

Lambert will be partying hard with fiance Blake Shelton, who also got off to a fast start with a win in the musical event category for "Hillbilly Bone" with Trace Adkins.

"That's how I like to start the night," Shelton said. "Now I can get drunk and relax."