(Craig O'Neal) American country musician Taylor Swift performing live in 2007. (This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 License.)
Snapshots from the Media Room at CMA Awards: Taylor Swift
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NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Bob Doerschuk, Country Music Awards

Members of the press enjoyed unique glimpses into the reactions of winners and illustrious presenters at the 2009 CMA Awards.
Taylor Swift
In the end, the night belonged to Taylor Swift. Performing twice in the broadcast, once in a spectacular production number and once with intimate simplicity, and reaping in honors for Video, Album, Female Singer and Entertainer of the Year, she confirmed that the Age of Swift is well underway not only in Country Music but on the broader stage of popular culture.
When called to the stage to accept the Entertainer Award, she was nearly overcome with emotion, as were members of her family watching proudly from their seats. But by the time she'd come to the Media Stage, she was beaming if not ecstatic. In response to every reporter who greeted her before asking a question, she nearly shouted "Hi!" as if spying a long-lost friend. When confronted with an inquiry that was maybe a little too personal about her private life, she deflected with a guileless charm, responding to a Kanye West question with a long, smiling silence broken finally with her own question "I'm just excited to be at the CMA Awards. Aren't you excited?"
But on being asked about her ascension, at 19, into stellar company that included many of the queens of Country as her admirers, Swift responded with a rush of impressions. "It's honestly such an honor to know that Reba knows my name, and Barbara Mandrell and the people I've looked up to for so long," she said, breathless with near disbelief. "And Faith Hill, who has been my idol! It's really strange when you spend your whole life looking up to these women who stand onstage and know how to wow a crowd. And when you get to be around them and you realize that they really are as awesome as you thought they were, that's a unique and special moment. I'm so thankful to have experienced it with Reba, Faith, Shania and Barbara."
Then, the night still young, Swift shouted, "Thank you so much, you guys! You're awesome! Love you!" And after a few final leaps of uncontainable joy, she waved her farewell.
Read more of the CMA report from Bob Doerschuk: www.cmaawards.com/live_reports