Keith, Carrie Nab CMTs

04/11/2006 11:13 AM, E! Online


Nicole's man done good.

Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley were among the big winners of the CMT Awards Monday night, with the American Idol alum managing to snag the only multiple win of the fan-determined awards show that honors the best country music videos.

Underwood's inspirational single "Jesus Take the Wheel" took home honors for both Breakthrough Video and Best Female Video, with the reality show vet even managing to do something that Kelly Clarkson couldn't: Thank Simon.

"This is my very first acceptance speech, so I made a list," she said. "First of all, thank you fans for voting for me again. You have no idea what it means to me."

Underwood went on to thank everyone from God, fans, her fellow country idols, and of course American Idol.

"You don't know what it means to me to know I have that kind of support," she said. "Everybody in the country music industry has been awesome to me. My mind is just blown by how nice everyone has been and how everyone's opened their arms to me and just been so great."

The Jeff Foxworthy-hosted event features prizes chosen by fans through either the CMT Website or via text messaging, with voting continuing through the end of the show, when the biggest award of the night, for Video of the Year, went to Urban for the clip "Better Life." The country superstar closed the show with a performance featuring a displaced choir from the Gulf Coast, along with scenes of the still-devastated region.

"Thank you to everybody at home that voted for this," he said. "Thank you very, very much. I appreciate it. Everybody that couldn't make it here tonight, I want to dedicate this award to all you guys at home. I wish you were here in this party--because it is happening.

"We just wanted to present a better tone for 'Better Life,' and I had been down to New Orleans and was struck by a combination of things--how much has been done and how little has been done," Urban said backstage. "We just wanted to bring a little more awareness back to the cause down there."

Paisley, a triple nominee, also managed to nab an award for Most Inspiring Video for "When I Get Where I'm Going," a duet with Dolly Parton, but neither was in attendance to accept the award.

The ex-Mr. Renée Zellweger, Kenny Chesney, captured Best Male Video of the Year honors for "Who You'd Be Today."

"I think everyone has lost somebody before they were meant to, and...I did this video to help us all remember those people," he said while accepting the award. "I've got my own people that I did this song for."

But the night wasn't all country--there was a little rock 'n' roll.

Bon Jovi netted its first CMT win, for a duet with Sugarland frontwoman Jennifer Nettles. But the Jersey boys are currently on tour in Japan and weren't around to collect Best Collaborative Video.

With just nine prizes doled out, some of the biggest names in country walked away empty-handed.

Triple nominee Faith Hill, who performed her single "Lucky One" on the telecast, was shut out, as were fellow triple nominees Brooks & Dunn and Trace Adkins. (Hill's duet with hubby Tim McGraw, "Like We Never Loved at All," did net director Sophie Muller a trophy.)

The CMT Johnny Cash Visionary Award, recognizing an artist's "extraordinary musical vision, innovative and groundbreaking music videos and pioneering initiatives in entertainment," was awarded to Hank Williams Jr.

"You know what? I'm not any of those things," Williams said. "My father changed and molded country music. Johnny Cash changed and molded country music. Waylon Jennings changed and molded country music. I'm just a guy that's another carpenter in a long line, and there's a lot more new ones here tonight."