Lady Antebellum, Jamey Johnson win early at CMAs

Brad Paisley performs at an outdoor show in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009. Paisley and Carrie Underwood will host the Country Music Association Awards show Wednesday, Nov. 11. [Agencies]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Darius Rucker became the first black singer to win new artist of the year at the Country Music Association Awards, joining Charley Pride as the only African-American to win a major individual award.

Rucker, whose first country album, "Learn to Live," sold more than 1 million copies, took the stage Wednesday night to wild cheers from the crowd and shouted, "What a year!"

"First of all, to the fans, thank y'all for accepting me," the jubilant Rucker said. "And I think most importantly, to country radio, you took a chance on a pop singer from Charleston, S.C. Thank you so much for that!"

Lady Antebellum won two awards, emerging as the early leader with two trophies after capturing the vocal group and single of the year categories. The win in vocal group ended Rascal Flatts' six-year dominance in that category.

"Rascal Flatts, you've inspired us for such a long time," Lady Antebellum singer Charles Kelly said. "Thank you so much for letting us be up here."

Jamey Johnson, along with James Otto and Lee Thomas Miller, won song of the year for "In Color."

"I never thought you guys would even let me come to things like this," said Johnson, the country bad boy with the scruffy beard, said jokingly as the audience at Sommet Center laughed.

The biggest question on the red carpet Wednesday evening was whether Taylor Swift — this year's top-selling music artist in all genres outside of Michael Jackson — can end Kenny Chesney's reign and become the first female solo artist to win the category since 1999.

"I think that you can't help but talk about Taylor Swift when you talk about modern country music," Otto said. "People talk about pop country or country pop. Whatever brings more fans to country music I'm all for."

Swift, who won video of the year for "Love Story" during the pre-telecast, vies with Zac Brown, George Strait and Johnson for four trophies. Brad Paisley is the leading nominee, up for the biggest awards of the evening, including entertainer, male vocalist and album of the year. He won event of the year for the duet "Start a Band" with Keith Urban, up for five awards.

While the entertainer of the year category has been fairly predictable the last five years, with Chesney winning four out of five times, there seems to be plenty of chatter around Swift, who can also end Carrie Underwood's streak. Swift is competing with her for female vocalist of the year, an award that Underwood has won three straight years.

While there seemed to be a groundswell of support for Swift, longtime watchers wonder whether she'll actually win entertainer of the year.

"Just watching the awards for so many years, I would be surprised if Taylor wins," Vince Gill said as he made his way up the red carpet with Daughtry. "I know people are probably speculating it's too early to win. But that's the beauty of having the ability to vote. You can't got wrong with any of them."

Swift was a favorite with the fans, though, kicking off the show with a playful version of her song, "Forever & Again," throwing a chair off a raised podium, sliding down a poll and dropping to her knees to the delighted cheers of the crowd.

It was the Zac Brown Band that set the room on fire, though, with their high-rev version of Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." The fan favorite had the crowd screaming throughout the performance.

Co-hosts Paisley and Underwood opened the show with a few new songs of their own, skewering Kanye West for his interruption of Swift's MTV Video Music Awards win — "Mama don't let your babies grow up to be Kanye" — and lamenting the break up of Brooks & Dunn.