Sugarland, Zac Brown Band early CMT winners

Sugarland won the award for duo of the year at the 2009 CMT Music Awards on June 16, 2009.[Agencies]

Rascal Flatts won group video of the year for "Every Day." The band's bassist Jay DeMarcus called country fans "the greatest fans on the entire planet."

In accepting the award for performance of the year, Jackson said he signed his record deal 20 years ago this week.

"I've made I think about 45 country music videos in that time," Jackson said. "CMT and the fans have been with me ever since."

Earlier, Sugarland won duo of the year for their island-themed video "All I Want to Do," and the Zac Brown Band won breakthrough video for "Chicken Fried," their snappy song about life's simple pleasures.

"Thank you for following us wherever we've been going," Sugarland's Kristian Bush said of the soulful song and video, which features singer Jennifer Nettles on a surfboard.

In accepting the award, Nettles said Urban leaned over to her as the nominees were being announced and told her, "I like your odds."

Kid Rock won wide open country video for "All Summer Long," which samples Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" and Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London." The video, set on a lake in northern Michigan, features bikini-clad dancers on a pontoon boat.

"I think this was based on creativity, this award, because what's more creative than a strip pole on a pontoon boat?" said Kid Rock, who hugged Sheryl Crow as he walked up to accept the award. A few years ago, Kid Rock and Crow teamed for the hit "Picture."

The show kicked off with a skit featuring Swift and host Bill Engvall that had Swift rapping with T-Pain, appearing in a "Star Trek" movie and playing for the NFL's Tennessee Titans.

In his opening remarks, Engvall poked fun at Jessica Simpson's lackluster country career, saying T-Pain doesn't wear boots or a cowboy hat "and is still more embraced by country fans than Jessica Simpson."

The comedian also had a few cracks for John Rich of the duo Big & Rich. Rich was recently charged with misdemeanor assault charges. The singer recently told Larry King that he may run for governor of Tennessee next year.

"It's not that he likes politics that much. He just thinks it might be easier asking for a pardon," Engvall said.

Of Swift's video performance with Def Leppard, Engvall found humor in a "girl young enough to be my daughter with a band I was listening to when I conceived my daughter."

There were other lighthearted moments. Dierks Bentley got a big kiss on the lips from actress Melissa Peterman. "I thought that was supposed to be on the cheek. You got me on that one," Bentley told Peterman.

There were also some unusual combinations with the presenters. Ted Nugent teamed with Alison Krauss, Kid Rock joined model Karolina Kurkova, and Naomi Judd paired with Bill O'Reilly.