NASHVILLE, TN. (Top40 Charts/ Big Machine Records) -
Taylor Swift won big at last night's 44th Annual Academy of Country
Music Awards, taking home THREE trophies, including the Album Of The Year Award, the most prestigious industry-awarded honor of the evening, for her triple-platinum-plus album Fearless. Taylor received TWO ACM awards for Fearless, as she was honored as both the album's artist and producer. 19-year-old Taylor is the youngest artist in history to win Album Of The Year.
Taylor was also awarded the Academy's Crystal Milestone Award, given for Outstanding Achievement in Country Music. Taylor was the 4th artist in history to receive this prestigious award - recipients in past years were Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. The Academy lauded Taylor for career achievements including selling more albums in 2008 than any other artist in any genre of music, the breakthrough success of her debut album (which spawned five Top 10 hits, more than any in history for a female artist's debut CD), and the worldwide crossover success of her No 1 single "Love Story." The Academy also cited Taylor's contribution to helping country music attract a younger audience.
Taylor wrote or co-wrote every song on the intensely personal Fearless, which is both Nashville's most critically acclaimed and biggest-selling album released last year.
"I put absolutely everything I have into this album," Swift said last night of Fearless. "These are songs I wrote in my bedroom. I worked on this album for two years, and I can't believe my name was called! Getting to write every song on an album and having it voted album of the year is an indescribable honor."
Taylor shares the Album of the Year producer honors with co-producer Nathan Chapman, with whom she has worked since she was 14. Scott Borchetta, the President and CEO of Taylor's record label, Big Machine Records, was honored as the executive producer of Fearless.
Taylor's performance on last night's show was nothing short of magical, considering her introduction was by way of her participation in a trick performed by master illusionist David Copperfield. After Taylor appeared on stage seemingly out of thin air, she took a seat at the grand piano and wowed the crowd with a poignant performance of one of Fearless' most emotional tracks, "You're Not Sorry." She also joined Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland and Carrie Underwood for an all-star show-opening medley performance.
Taylor kicks off her first-ever headlining tour, the TAYLOR SWIFT FEARLESS 2009 TOUR, on April 23rd in Evansville, Indiana. The tour runs through October, and all shows that have been put on sale have sold out within minutes, including an August show at New York's Madison Square Garden which recently sold out in one minute.
Tour information will be continually updated on www.taylorswift.com and www.myspace.com/taylorswift.
To hear music from Taylor Swift, log on to: www.taylorswift.com or www.myspace.com/taylorswift. To download photos of Taylor Swift, log on to: www.bigmachinerecords.com and click the Media tab.
