One hour into the 2014 ACM Awards, Taylor Swift announced the first winner: Florida Georgia Line for Vocal Duo of the Year. Justin Moore snagged New Artist of the Year. Shelton and Bryan donned helmets and impersonated Daft Punk to announce Miranda Lambert's "Mama's Broken Heart" as the winner of Single Record of the Year.

Lambert raked in a total of three awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year, with which she set an ACM record for five consecutive wins. George Strait went home with the coveted Entertainer of the Year.

“Country’s biggest party,” as Blake Shelton put it, came to a close last night at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay.

Shelton and returning co-host Luke Bryan served as co-hosts; both were nominated for Entertainer of the Year again, along with Taylor Swift, "King George Strait" and Miranda Lambert.

CBS won the night in the ratings, though this year's ACM telecast dropped in viewership from last year's particularly large audience, which had been the highest since 1998; last night's show earned 14.1 million viewers and a 3.3 rating/9 share, the second-best since 2009.

The festivities opened with Republic Nashville's The Band Perry delivering a foot-stomping, fiddle-heavy performance of their new single, "Chainsaw." Labelmates Florida Georgia Line performed their love anthem "Stay." Arista Nashville's Brad Paisley then performed poolside with "River Bank," amidst sunshine and bikini-clad women. Host Blake Shelton played an acoustic ballad with Gwen Sebastian, singing "my eyes are the only thing I don't wanna take off of you." Eric Church got the crowd clapping to "Give Me Back My Hometown" from The Outsiders.

Other performers included Brett Eldredge, George Strait, who's "the only artist in the history of music to have a Top 10 hit every year for 30 years," Shakira with fellow Voice coach Shelton, Stevie Nicks with Lady Antebellum doing "Golden" and Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon," Keith Urban accompanied by three drummers, Luke Bryan, Justin Moore, Kip Moore, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw accompanied by wife Faith Hill, Toby Keith, Hunter Hayes, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts and Dierks Bentley with Sheryl Crow

Merle Haggard was honored with the ACM Crystal Milestone Award (on his 77th birthday) for his 50 years as a country icon, presented by Garth Brooks. Miranda Lambert and George Strait teamed up to perform a medley of the legendary artists’ songs, including “Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down” and “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive.”

Last week, Working Man’s Poet A Tribute to Merle Haggard was released by Broken Bow Records, containing current artists’ renditions of 19 Haggard classics; featured artists include Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Ben Haggard and more.

Other highlights include Justin Moore's big ol' white cowboy hat, the #selfie taken mid-show by Bryan and Shelton, Shelton's Travolta-esque pronunciation of "Bluke Lyran" and Bryan and Florida Georgia Line's performance of their anthemic hit "This Is How We Roll," complete with pyrotechnics and synchronized BMX tricks.

Also, "proud Texans" George Strait and owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, announced that next year's 50th anniversary of the ACM Awards will take place in Texas at the Cowboys' AT&T Stadium.

THE WINNERS

Entertainer of the Year Presented by Ram
George Strait

Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean

Female Vocalist of the Year
Miranda Lambert

Vocal Duo of the Year
Florida Georgia Line

Vocal Group of the Year
The Band Perry

New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s
Justin Moore

Album of the Year
Same Trailer Different Park, Kacey Musgraves

Single Record of the Year
“Mama’s Broken Heart,” Miranda Lambert

Song of the Year
“I Drive Your Truck,” Lee Brice

Video of the Year
“Highway Don’t Care,” Tim McGraw f/Taylor Swift & Keith Urban

Vocal Event of the Year
”We Were Us,” Keith Urban & Miranda Lambert