Winners of the 2006 Country Music Awards

List of CMA winners as determined by the 6,000 members of the CMA.

Entertainer of the Year: Kenny Chesney
Single: Believe, Brooks & Dunn
Album: Time Well Wasted, Brad Paisley
Song: Believe, Craig Wiseman and Ronnie Dunn
Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood
Male Vocalist: Keith Urban
Vocal Group: Rascal Flatts
Vocal Duo: Brooks & Dunn
Musical Event: When I Get Where I'm Going, Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton
Musician: Randy Scruggs
Music Video: Believe, Brooks & Dunn
Horizon Award: Carrie Underwood

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Kenny Chesney won entertainer of the year at the 40th Annual Country Music Association Awards Monday night. Chesney, who also won the honor two years ago, gave an acceptance speech that sounded like, well, Country Music.

"This year has in ways been the most emotionally satisfying year and also the most emotionally draining year of my life. There have been so many ups and downs, it's been like a huge emotional roller coaster ride." said Chesney. He went through a high-profile marriage and rapid divorce from Renee Zellweger last year.

Brooks & Dunn's Believe won three trophies, including single and song of the year. The gospel-tinged Believe was co-written by Ronnie Dunn and Craig Wiseman, who also co-wrote Tim McGraw's smash Live Like You Were Dying. Both won song of the year honors for Believe. Brooks & Dunn also won vocal duo award, a category they have won every year since 1992, except in 2000, when Montgomery Gentry won.

Aussie country star Keith Urban won male vocalist of the year for the second year in a row. He was absent from the festivities because last month he entered a rehabilitation center for alcohol abuse. And as usual when one of their own finally reaches the outer limits of drug or alcohol addiction and enters a rehabilitation program , the attendees gave a standing ovation to Urban when his name was announced. Ronnie Dunn accepted the award on Urban's behalf, and read a letter from Urban in which he thanked his friends, family, and wife Nicole Kidman

Rascal Flatts took the vocal group award, to top off what what the group's singer Gary LeVox described as an "amazing year."

"I thank God for giving us a stage to stand on and perform on every night," LeVox said.

Brad Paisley, who was shut out last year despite six nomination, won album of the year for Time Well Wasted. He and Dolly Parton also won musical event of the year for their spiritual song When I Get Where I'm Going. It was Parton's first CMA award since 1996.

Other multiple nominees included Chesney and Underwood with four each, and Rascal Flatts and Parton with three each. All three of Parton's nods were for her vocals on Paisley's When I Get Where I'm Going. The song was one of three spiritually themed tunes up for awards, the others being Brooks & Dunn's Believe and Underwood's Jesus Take the Wheel.

George Strait was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Strait, 54, broke onto the charts in 1981.

He sure was a heart-throb in his big white hat!

JWil