The 44th Academy of Country Music Awards swung political, personal, playful and patriotic on Sunday and ultimately opted for popular in bestowing its top honor on “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood, naming her entertainer of the year over veteran male performers George Strait, Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban. “I’ve had a lot of good moments in the past four years,” the Oklahoma-born Underwood said at the climax of the three-hour event at the MGM Grand Arena, “but this one takes the cake.” The award was determined for the second year by popular vote during the show at CBS.com instead of being determined as it had been in past years by the performer who sold the most concert tickets during the previous 12 months, which would have given a fifth title to Chesney. But the ACM, in striving to boost ratings and make the event more interactive for fans, opened the voting for entertainer and new artist to the public. That helped TV-friendly faces such as Underwood and former “Dancing With the Stars”-turned-country singer Julianne Hough, who took home the new artist trophy. It was a big night as well for Internet-savvy teen phenom Taylor Swift, who sold more albums in 2008 than any other artist in any genre, passing 5 million. Her overwhelming success contributed to her sophomore album, “Fearless,” which has topped 3 million since its release in November, being named album of the year. The giddy singer and songwriter from Pennsylvania clapped her hands over her mouth and danced in her signature cowgirl boots upon learning she’d been chosen by the academy’s 4,000 voting members over Strait, Underwood, duo Montgomery Gentry and newcomer Jamey Johnson … The CBS telecast also looked to give more fans … to latch on to with a performance by Miley Cyrus, timed to plug the new “Hannah Montana” movie, even though the daughter of country singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus wasn’t nominated for any awards. Tough economic times coupled with strong sentiment over the war in Iraq figured into two of the night’s most powerful musical performances. John Rich, half of the duo Big & Rich, sang a solo version of his new single “Shuttin’ Detroit Down” that elicited cheers several times from the 11,000 fans in the MGM Grand Arena as he railed against federal bailouts to troubled corporations while family farms continue to fail by the thousands. U.S. troops got a salute from Trace Adkins as he was joined by the West Point Glee Club with a new song recognizing what soldiers have sacrificed from the Civil War through the ongoing fighting in Afghanistan. The ACM announced that proceeds from the downloadable version of the performance will go to Wounded Warrior, a Florida-based organization the helps injured troops once they return home. Jamey Johnson’s “In Color,” an homage to those who weathered the Depression, fought in World War II and sustained long-term marriages, was named song of the year. Johnson’s album “That Lonesome Song,” which has drawn comparisons to the work of Waylon Jennings and others of the ’70s country Outlaw movement, had been chosen 2008’s best by a poll of country music critics. Reba McEntire hosted the show for the 11th year.

While I do not consider myself a Country Music fan per se, I still have a small place in my heart for the genre due to my years spent living in Oklahoma. Down there, you can’t escape Country Music so it’s best to just enjoy it for what it is — emotionally driven, heartfelt songs that have a pretty good way of tearing at heartstrings in order to illicit a response. I’m not ashamed to admit that I have my fave songs. I am prolly Carrie Underwood’s biggest fan who doesn’t own any of her albums. I have a few tracks but I’m most impressed with her singing abilities overall. She is truly the best thing to come from American Idol since Kelly Clarkson. I’m so happy that she continues to enjoy so much success. She’s a woman who works hard for what she has, it’s great to see her being successful. Taylor Swift, as well, strikes me as a very talented girl. The thing that I prolly like most about Country Music is that it is a genre that’s really driven by talent. Many of the biggest Country Music stars can play instruments … which cannot be said for a lot of pop/rock or rap musicians.

While all eyes were on the Country Music stars on the red carpet, there were quite a few celebs who showed up at the awards that have nothing at all really to do with Country Music as a craft. As you can see above, Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves were in attendance and I understand that comedian Carrot Top was there as well. Additionally, new celeb couple Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jamie Kennedy chose the ACM Awards as their official coming out party as a couple:

I find it curious that they were both wearing all white … could they be trying to tell us something? The night wasn’t without it’s own drama as well … Tim McGraw ended up pulling out of performing on the show at the very last minute due to reported “problems” with production. See, even Country Music has their own divas. In any event, much congrats goes out to all the winners at this year’s ACM Awards!

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin, Wireimage; Source]

She may only be five months old, but Sunday Rose is already a frequent flyer. The baby girl, who has clocked up trips to England and Australia, this time joined doting parents Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban on a whistle-stop visit to Paris. The family of three enjoyed a quick tour of the city, with a visit to the Picasso exhibition held at the Grand Palais today. They are in the French capital while Nicole continues her promotional blitz ahead of the release of the epic outback romance, Australia.

I am just amazed at how big little Sunday Rose is already. It’s a shame that her hair hasn’t grown in yet but I’m sure it’ll be along any day now. This has to be one of the cutest families in Hollywood … and they sure do look happy all the time. I always knew that Nicole Kidman would be great with a baby of her own … she strikes me as a very cool mom. So glad to see the whole family lookin’ so happy together.

Sidebar: have any of y’all seen Australia yet? I haven’t been able to talk David in going to see it with me so I may have to see it back home in LA … is it worth the time/money?

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Erm, or do we think they look more creepy than cute?

[Photo credit: INFdaily]

Australia’s newest celebrity baby, Sunday Rose, looks like her father Keith Urban and has a “bit of a reddish tint” to her hair, her mother Nicole Kidman says. Kidman and Urban last night returned to Australia with Sunday Rose for their first trip back since the birth of their daughter in the US on July 7. The couple, who were greeted by a small group of media when they flew into Sydney on a private plane, today called a Sydney radio station to plead with journalists and photographers to back off while they show their new daughter their home town. The proud parents enthused about their love for their “little four-weeker”. “She looks like Keith. I think she does,” Kidman told the Kyle and Jackie O breakfast radio show on 2Day FM. “She’s got a little bit of hair, it’s a bit of a reddish tint.” Urban said being a new dad was an “awesome” feeling that only other dads could understand. “Anybody out there who’s got kids [knows] it’s just a certain kind of feeling that you can only experience when you do it,” he said. “She’s just awesome … cute little thing. I’m not looking forward to having to go on tour and having to leave.” Kidman said she had enjoyed a “surprisingly” smooth labour, with her husband, mother and sister by her side and she was now looking forward to introducing her little “doll” to the rest of her family. Kidman said her labour had been made easier by the presence of her mother, who is a nurse and midwife, and her sister, Antonia, who has had four children. “They say a lot of it [labour] has to do with how your sister and your mother gave birth, so luckily my sister’s had four children … and that was pretty easy for her too,” she said. “My mum was a nurse too and also she’s a midwife so we were surrounded … but we also had wonderful nurses at the hospital. “I’m embarrassed now. That’s too much information on a breakfast show.” The couple pleaded with photographers to let them introduce Sunday Rose to Sydney and her other three grandparents in peace. “Keith and I are both appealing to the press and stuff just to give us a little space so we can walk around Sydney and show the baby our town,” Kidman said. “She’s tiny. She’s like a doll, she’s like a little, little thing. Just [don't photograph] right in her face or in our faces because it’s scary for her.” Urban said he understood the media interest, but that people had to think about the effect it could have on their little girl. “I get it. I get the interest there is,” he said. “But at the same time it’s our little girl. Sometimes when people come right up in your face and you think: ‘Good God, would you do that to anybody else’s child?’ That’s all” … No photographs of Sunday have been released and Urban today confirmed the couple had no intention of selling any.

At least the couple seems reasonable about the whole matter of public interest. It seems clear that the couple plan to do everything they can to foil the paps as best they can but I think it’s reasonable for them to ask that photogs not get into their faces. Honestly, I do feel for celebs like these *sometimes* because I can appreciate that they think they want to live normal lives like everybody else … but they don’t live normal lives, they enjoy exorbitant lives of wealth and privilege. If they lived normal lives, the might not even be able to afford to jet off to OZ or other parts of the world at a moment’s notice, they wouldn’t be giving interviews and they wouldn’t have major motion pictures to promote. It’s a double-edged sword, public interest comes with the territory … but, really, this isn’t news to them.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

A JOYOUS Nicole Kidman introduced her newborn daughter Sunday Rose to the baby’s Sydney family for the first time, after jetting home last night. The month-old bundle brought the Kidman clan together at the Aussie star’s Darling Point home, with her father Dr Antony Kidman rushing to meet his grandchild for the first time. In a carefully constructed and covert plan, Kidman and her singer husband Keith Urban slipped into Sydney under the cover of darkness – only to be greeted by a large media pack at the Kingsford Smith jet base. With daughter Sunday wrapped in white blankets and held tightly to her chest, a black-clad Kidman stepped from a private jet to the couple’s waiting silver Audi at around 7.30pm. Decoy cars helped to block the press in pursuit, while an aviation fuel tanker and luggage trailers were also strategically parked to limit vision to the jet and couple’s cars … It is believed Australia director Baz Luhrmann was among those to greet the Oscar-winner last night, before she begins final production on his epic outback feature film.

Click HERE to watch video of the family’s arrival. Not that you can really see anything but a grainy baby blanket (which could contain little Miss Sunday Rose, or a decoy made of squash) but I believe this is the first photographic evidence that the Kidman-Urban baby exists (if, in fact, she is wrapped in that blanket). The couple have yet to broker a deal to introduce their baby to the world in any magazines so they better get on that before someone manages to snap a pic and ruin their chances at the big bucks. Perhaps a plan is in the works already? In any event, releasing the photos themselves will go a long way in taking the bounty off the baby’s head. Looks like it’s game on in Oz.

[Source]

Nicole Kidman and her husband, Keith Urban, have welcomed their first child together, a daughter, born Monday morning in Nashville, PEOPLE has confirmed. The pregnancy was first announced in January. Kidman has two other children with her former husband Tom Cruise: Isabella, 15, and Connor, 13.

Thus far, there hasn’t been much information to come from the couple, the baby’s name has not been released. Nicole attended a 4th of July party on Friday night and then Keith’s concert on Saturday night (both in Nashville, TN) and this morning she birthed her baby. Much congrats to the happy couple!!! Further deets to come as available.

UPDATE: US Weekly has more information, including the baby’s name:

The actress welcomed a girl, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, Monday morning. The baby weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces. “Husband Keith was by Nicole’s side and mother and baby are very well,” the rep said. They are “delighted,” the rep added.

Sunday Rose! What a pretty name! Again, much congrats to the couple :)

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source, Source]

Keith Urban joined pal Kenny Chesney for a hometown concert in Nashville Saturday, and hinted to the crowd of nearly 50,000 that he expects to be a dad soon – very, very soon. “I’m going to dedicate a song to my very, very, very, very, VERY pregnant wife!” Urban said with a laugh, before singing his hit, “Better Half.” His real-life better half, Nicole Kidman, wasn’t far away. Kidman, dressed in a brown crinkled silk dress with her hair worn loose and curly, slipped backstage at Nashville’s LP Field just after Urban began his hour-long set. “Well, we’re home, Nashville,” a buoyant Urban yelled to the screaming crowd during the concert, before wishing them a happy Fourth of July, telling them, “We were blowing things up last night!” Urban and Kidman spent the previous evening at pal Ronnie Dunn’s house for the Brooks & Dunn singer’s annual July 4 party that featured a homemade fireworks show.

HMMM … do you suppose “homemade fireworks show” means “illegal fireworks show”? Anways, since I’m not a huge Keith Urban fan, I am not entirely sure that this tattoo is a new one or not but I do not recall hearing about it before so I’m gonna assume it’s at least newish. You gotta hand it to the man for risking to tattoo his wife’s name on his arm … isn’t there a long-standing curse that relationships don’t tend to last long after names are tattooed on each other’s bodies? Here’s hoping that Nicole and Keith can buck that trend. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Nicole Kidman and the state of her baby bump … it wasn’t all that big when last we saw her, mebbe she’s ballooned since then. In any event, pretty soon we’re gonna have babies popping out all over the place … Angelina Jolie is almost due, Gwen Stefani is almost due and now Nicole Kidman. Stand back, y’all … you don’t want to get anything on ya.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]