Oh, to be Toby

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, May 27, 2004 | 8:13 a.m.

Last year's Academy of Country Music Awards show went so poorly for Toby Keith, he left before learning he had taken the night's top honor.

The burly Oklahoman was passed over in seven nominated categories in 2003, endured a series of on-air quips about his public spat with the Dixie Chicks and watched as Chicks' vocalist Natalie Maines took a shot at him by wearing a derisive T-shirt during a satellite hookup.

Keith had no such difficulties in the event's return to the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Wednesday, capturing four ACMs to lead a star-studded field.

The 42-year-old singer/guitarist took album of the year and video of the year honors and was named top male vocalist and entertainer of the year, the latter for the second straight year.

"I always kept hoping this night would come," Keith told a crowd of about 7,000 after winning his final award. "Let's all go party tonight and rock it out here in Vegas."

At a news conference later, Keith estimated that he'd been nominated for more than 30 ACMs over the years.

"We strike out so much, we don't even talk about it anymore," he said. "I was just gonna show up and play. I didn't feel like we had a chance coming in. I'm just shocked."

Keith's night actually started out in familiar fashion, as he watched Alan Jackson top him in the single record of the year category for "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," a duet with Jimmy Buffett.

"I thought, here we go again," Keith said.

But Keith did not lose again. His chart-topping November release, "Shock'N Y'All," beat out discs by Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley and George Strait for album of the year.

Keith, who also performed "Whiskey Girl," a cut off his winning album, called that his biggest win of the night.

"The album is huge," Keith said. "To me, that's the one that's most about the music."

Keith shared video of the year honors with Willie Nelson, his collaborator on 2003 hit "Beer for My Horses."

"I wanted Willie to win that award," Keith said. "He's so deserving of everything he gets."

Nelson was also honored with the Gene Weed special achievement award, named for the longtime television producer who died in 1999.

"I'll be honest with you, when they first told me about this, I thought they said the Green Weed award, so I said, 'All right,' " Nelson, a notorious marijuana advocate, joked onstage. "But the Gene Weed is even better."

Keith and Kenny Chesney performed Nelson's "Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)" with the 71-year-old legend. Chesney flubbed the lyrics to his verse, prompting a big grin and a warm handshake from Nelson.

Other major awards went to: Martina McBride (top female vocalist, Home Depot Humanitarian Award), Rascal Flatts (top vocal group), Brooks & Dunn (top vocal duo) and Dierks Bentley (top new artist).

Douglas Johnson and Kim Williams took song of the year award honors for penning Randy Travis' gospel hit, "Three Wooden Crosses," while Jackson and Buffett's "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" won for vocal event of the year.

In contrast to last year's contentious awards show, during which fans soundly booed any mention of the Dixie Chicks, this year's made-for-TV event was a calm affair.

"We're back to having fun now," Terri Clark, a nominee for top female vocalist, said at a press conference. "We're entertainers. We're supposed to take everyone's minds off that stuff."

Host Reba McEntire did produce a few groans with a series of biting barbs early in the show.

"Winona (Judd) won't make it. She has to walk from Nashville," McEntire said, referring to that country vocalist's October DUI arrest.

Then later, McEntire added: "Michael Jackson was gonna attend, until he heard (child country star) Billy Gilman wouldn't be here."

The Dixie Chicks were conspicuously absent, not only physically but in award balloting. The trio did not receive a single nomination, even though their latest studio album, "Home," topped the country charts in 2003 and their "Top of the World Tour" was that year's highest-grossing country tour.

Also missing from this year's ACMAs were patriotic symbols and references, a central theme during the show's 2003 Vegas debut.

Last year American flags waved on the giant screens behind the stage, performers dedicated songs to the U.S. military and three of the country's former Iraqi P.O.W.s were brought onstage. Presenter Wayne Newton even proclaimed, "Saddam Hussein has left the building!"

On Wednesday the only such mention came from Trick Pony's Ira Dean, who wore a red, white and blue USA hockey jersey to the microphone. "I think these colors go with everything," Dean said.

ACMA organizers packed 20 musical performances into the three-hour broadcast, which ran over by about five minutes. A few highlights:

Loretta Lynn's slightly ragged by still memorable rendition of "Miss Being Mrs." off new CD "Van Lear Rose," backed by Vince Gill on acoustic guitar.

Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss' sumptuous vocal harmonies on "Whiskey Lullaby," a dark tale of alcoholism and death.

Tim McGraw's moving tribute to his late father -- former major league pitcher Tug McGraw, who succumbed to brain cancer in January -- "Live Like You're Dying."

And, in a welcome respite from the tearjerkers, festive back-to-back numbers from "Muzik Mafia" members Gretchen Wilson ("Redneck Woman") and Big & Rich ("Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy").