tvnewsgazette

Kenny Chesney won the Academy of Country Music Awards’ Reba McEntire. Entertainer of the Year title for the fourth straight time Monday night on CBS, hosted by

But the show wasn’t without its controversy. This was the first year that fans decided online who would win the Entertainer of the Year’s coveted award, instead of ACM industry members, as in the show’s 43-year history.

After the show, Chesney said backstage that he though fans should be included, but the Entertainer of the Year award should be picked how it has been in the past.

His complaint was that online the award had turned “into a sweepstakes to see who can push people’s buttons the hardest on the Internet.”

Was he still deserving of the award: Yes.

Other winners at the ACMS were:

Top male vocalist: Brad Paisley
Top female vocalist: Carrie Underwood
Top vocal group: Rascal Flatts
Top vocal duo: Brooks & Dunn
Top new male vocalist: Jack Ingram
Top new female vocalist: Taylor Swift
Top new duo or vocal group: Lady Antebellum
Single record of the year: “Stay,” Sugarland
Album of the year: “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” Miranda Lambert
Song of the year: “Stay,” Sugarland (Jennifer Nettles, composer)
Video of the year: “Online,” Brad Paisley (Jason Alexander, director)
Vocal event of the year: “Find Out Who Your Friends Are,” Tracy Lawrence with Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney