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By VOA

06 November, 2014

Welcome to American Mosaic from VOA Learning English.

I'm Caty Weaver.

The Country Music Association held its yearly awards Wednesday night in Nashville, Tennesee. Country music stars were out in full force for the event. But the night included rock and pop stars too.

The biggest winner at the event was musician Miranda Lambert. She won four awards, including Single of the Year. Lambert's song "Automatic" was the honored single.

Miranda Lambert also performed a definitively non-country song with the currently very popular singer Meghan Trainor. The two shared the stage for Trainor's song "All About That Bass." The song praises women who have a little extra weight on their bodies.

Kacey Musgraves performing at the CMA Awards in Nashville, Tennessee, Wednesday night.

Artists Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley were hosts of the awards show again this year. The two stars made fun of everything from Tuesday's elections in the U.S. to actress Renee Zellweger's recent cosmetic surgery. The operation greatly changed the movie star's face.

Carrie Underwood said, "We refuse to joke about Renee Zellweger." Paisley agreed and added, "she could be here." Underwood answered with "I mean, how would we know?"

One surprise at the Country Music Association awards was Kacey Musgrave's win for Song of the Year. "Follow Your Arrow," includes references to marijuana use and homosexuality. These are not common themes in mainstream country music.

Taylor Swift's recent break with the country world was also noted at the show. Hosts Underwood and Paisley said the industry was suffering from "PPTSD" or post-partum Taylor Swift Disorder.

Swift was in the news this week for another musical departure. The music star removed her music from the streaming service Spotify. She told Yahoomusic.com that the music industry is changing quickly. She said everything new, including Spotify, seems like a major experiment. The artist said she was not going to provide her "life's work" for an experiment.

Taylor Swift broke another record this week. She became the first artist to have three albums sell one million copies in the first week of release. Her most recent "1989" sold more than 1.2 million. It was released October 27th.

That is Luke Bryan. He won the CMA's biggest award Wednesday night. Country music legend Garth Brooks presented Bryan with the Entertainer of the Year award. It was hard to be sure what the young singer was happier about -- winning the award or meeting Garth Brooks. "Hey Garth," Bryan said, "Can I hug you again?"

I'm Caty Weaver.

Words in this Story

stage – n. a raised platform in a theater, auditorium, etc., where the performers stand

host – n. a person who talks to guests on a television or radio show

cosmetic surgery – n. medical operations that change or improve the appearance of a physical feature

reference – v. to mention (something or someone) in speech or in writing : to refer to (something or someone)

mainstream – n. the thoughts, beliefs, and choices that are accepted by the largest number of people

departure – n. the act of leaving

legend – n. a famous or important person who is known for doing something extremely well

Now it's your turn to use these Words in This Story. In the comments section, write a sentence using one of these words and we will provide feedback on your use of vocabulary and grammar.