Dixie Chicks dominate Country Music Awards

They now have racked up nine CMA wins since their blockbuster album, Wide Open Spaces, became the biggest-selling record ever by a country group.

In addition to "Entertainer," Dixie Chicks won "Album ofthe Year," "Music Video of the Year" and "Vocal Group of Year."

"Male Vocalist of the Year" went to Tim McGraw for the second year in the row. His wife, sultry singer Faith Hill, won "Female Vocalist of the Year."

"Single of the Year" went to Lee Ann Womack and the group Sons of the Desert for I Hope You Dance. That number also won "Song of the Year" for writers Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers.

"Vocal Duo of the Year" went to Montgomery Gentry, an act composed of Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry.

Newcomer Brad Paisley won the Horizon Award. His debut album, on which he played all acoustic and electric guitar parts and wrote or co-wrote every song, became a top seller early last year, scoring gold album status with the hit Who Needs Pictures.

Hargus Pig Robbins was named "Musician of the Year."

During the closing minutes of the show, Charley Pride and the late Faron Young were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The "Vocal Event of the Year" was won by George Strait and Alan Jackson for their duet Murder on Music Row, a tune that slams the country music industry for its pop-oriented productions.

Much of the talk backstage centred on the surprise win.

Although its writers, Larry Shell and Larry Cordle, maintained that they were serious about the theme, several performers including Strait said it was really written as a joke.

In a news conference preceding the show, which was hosted by Vince Gill, the Dixie Chicks admitted to wanting the Entertainer of the Year award "more than anything else!"