The early 2000s were Alan Jackson's best and most successful years as an artist, and one of his many standout CMA performances was "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" with Jimmy Buffett. The song — one of Taste of Country's Best of the 21st Century — felt as right this year as "Where Were You" did two years earlier.

Country superstar Carrie Underwood, who was not nominated for any Country Music Assn. Awards this year, still made a surprise appearance at the Nashville ceremony to perform with Cody Johnson. The "Before He Cheats" hitmaker joined Johnson onstage to perform their romantic duet "I'm Gonna Love You" in front of a cheering audience inside Bridgestone Arena.

Johnson began the performance alone, completing the first verse before Underwood entered from the side stage to a wave of cheers from the crowd. The "American Idol" judge was absent from the CMA website's list of performers,