If you missed the Country Music Awards Wednesday night, you missed out on, well, not a whole lot, but there were a few moments worth joking about, and thankfully Twitter is around to be the peanut gallery every awards show needs. Most of the best parts seemed to take place outside of the show itself, with Sturgill Simpson busking outside the arena and several stars reading mean tweets on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The show itself opened with Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood taking a light jab at Donald Trump — and at the award show’s speech guidelines Paisley previously called “ridiculous” and “unfair” — with a “Before He Tweets” parody based on Underwood’s “Before He Cheats.”
Maybe next time he’ll think before he tweets 🎶 #cmaawards 😂 pic.twitter.com/EBZWW4Qy1Z
— Brooke Ashley Taylor (@BrookeRadio) November 9, 2017
Me watching carrie underwood and brad paisley roast trump at the #CMAAwards pic.twitter.com/A2nJJ4qc6g
— Heather🌙✨ (@hgunnz23) November 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/allabout_carrie/status/928430195715067904
A little part of me hopes Trump lashes out at Brad, Carrie, and the CMA Awards so Team Carrie can destroy him in tweets 💪
— Heather Lea 🏳️🌈🐴 (@vetmed11) November 9, 2017
And some enjoyed the opening for reasons other than the “before he tweets” parody:
https://twitter.com/andypatton/status/928428651389116416
We’re not going to embed the many comments from suspicious-looking accounts saying they’re going to boycott all country music now just like they’re boycotting the NFL. Those tweets are funny in a different, sadder way. Instead, let’s joke about everyone’s clothes.
https://twitter.com/JFree39/status/928447161637003264
https://twitter.com/TheChrisReid7/status/928451313956016129
People were glad to see that some folks from the ’90s were still performing at the CMAs:
When Alan Jackson actually comes out and sings but we all want him to sing more… #CMAawards pic.twitter.com/VVWXoUuoL8
— Jess (@Jay_LeeJohnson) November 9, 2017
Niall Horan, formerly of One Direction, performed, to the surprise of some who didn’t expect to see him going country after One Direction:
Niall coming out of 1d https://t.co/qPqzjgR4zm
— molly (@bffjoel) November 9, 2017
And some were confused about Taylor Swift being everywhere these days:
Taylor Swift just won a country music award in 2017….. pic.twitter.com/3dMUCl4oz7
— lindsay is going to paris!!! (@_lindslayyyyy) November 9, 2017
This one isn’t a joke or reaction, per se. We just wanted you to be aware this GIF of Garth Brooks now exists.
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR goes to… @garthbrooks #CMAawards pic.twitter.com/MIoEAOLCpY
— CMT (@CMT) November 9, 2017
Overall, people seemed to agree that Carrie Underwood was the best part:
Recap of the #CMAAwards – @carrieunderwood stole the entire show & deserves all the awards.
— Carrie Underwood Fan (@CUnews4Fans) November 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/taylorblair_08/status/928442702517161984
Yet again – still waiting for this to happen to me. #CMAawards pic.twitter.com/aPwBdUKiJ0
— Colton Bradford (@ColtonBradford) November 9, 2017
And some people loved how much the performers seemed to support each other:
My favorite thing about the #CMAAwards is seeing all of the artists in the crowd signing the songs of whoever is performing. They all know and love each other’s music and it’s so cool to see. It really is a family.
— Brandon Newberry (@bnewbs16) November 9, 2017
While others pined for the old days of country music artists not supporting each other quite so much…
At the #CMAawards in 1974, Johnny Cash punched a guy backstage just for looking at him the wrong way.
Tonight, Luke Bryan and Pink just followed each other on Snapchat.
— NotKennyRogers (@NotKennyRogers) November 9, 2017
I take it back. Carrie Underwood isn’t the best part. Johnny Cash is. Always and forever.