Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood Top American Country Awards

9:29 PM PST 12/5/2011 by knordyke

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Jason Aldean was the big winner at Monday night's American Country Awards in Las Vegas, taking home six awards, including artist of the year.

The singer, the night's top nominee with Zac Brown Band at eight, also nabbed album of the year for My Kinda Party, touring artist of the year and single of the year by a male artist for "My Kinda Party" at the fan-voted awards.

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Meanwhile, Carrie Underwood, who was last year's top winner with six of the Fender Telecaster trophies, won female artist of the year honors as well as music video and single of the year by a female artist for "Mama's Song."

Brad Paisley, who was not present at the ceremony, was named male artist of the year.

Blake Shelton won video of the year by a male artist for "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking." He dedicated the win to his father, who has "been having a pretty rough couple of weeks."  

Dick Shelton is the hospital with pneumonia.

American Idol winner Scotty McCreery was named new artist of the year.

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As expected, the show's focus was squarely on country music's youth movement, with twentysomethings taking in the early haul of Fender Telecaster trophies and performances slots. Chris Young was the show's early leader, earning breakthrough artist and single of the year for "Voices."  

Co-host Kristin Chenoweth, brought in to keep returning host Trace Adkins in line, added zing to the show. The diminutive Broadway star entered the MGM Grand Garden Arena in boxing gloves, a fighter's robe and impossibly tall high heels, tossing jabs at her 6-foot-6 counterpart while running circles around him.  

She then challenged him to a singing contest. After she required him to sing "Oklahoma," she dropped the robe to reveal an artificially enhanced posterior and launched into Adkins' hit "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk." Later, Adkins carried her on stage strapped to his chest in a baby carrier.  

The Associated Press contributed to this report.