Garth Brooks, who lost entertainer of the year at last year’s Country Music Association Awards when he returned to music after a 13-year break, won the top prize at the show Wednesday, where Beyonc? and the Dixie Chicks’ surprise duet performance was met with love and hate.
Brooks beat out Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban and last year’s winner, Luke Bryan.
“We are so damn lucky to part of this thing called country music,” Brooks yelled at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Taylor Swift presented Brooks the award, but she wasn’t the only pop star in the building: Beyonc? sang her twangy song “Daddy Lessons” on a night celebrating the CMA Awards’ 50th anniversary. It was the first time Beyonc?, a Houston native, performed at the country awards show. The performance also marked a return for the Dixie Chicks, who hadn’t attended the CMA Awards in some time.