Alan Jackson won three awards and fans voted Garth Brooks entertainer of the year at the 26th annual TNN-Music City News Country Awards show Monday night.
Brooks, who has sold more than 17 million copies of his three albums, including his latest, "Ropin' the Wind," had been nominated in five categories but won only entertainer of the year.He wasn't present to accept during the show televised live from the Grand Ole Opry on The Nashville Network.
The winners were chosen by subscribers to the monthly country music publication Music City News who mailed in written ballots, and by TNN viewers who voted by calling a 900 telephone number.
Jackson, co-host of the show, once worked in TNN's mailroom. He was nominated for six awards this year, winning for male artist of the year and album and single of the year for "Don't Rock the Jukebox."
"The last two years I've been real fortunate, and so many people have been involved," Jackson said.
Cowboy star Roy Rogers was honored for his more than 25 years in entertainment with the Living Legend award. Singer Emmylou Harris was honored for her humanitarian work with the Minnie Pearl Award.
Dolly Parton and Ricky Van Shelton, who recorded the hit "Rockin' Years," upset the Grammy-winning New Nashville Cats (Vince Gill, Mark O'Connor, Ricky Skaggs and Steve Wariner) for the vocal collaboration award. The two also won the video award for the song.
Other entertainers held onto strangleholds in their categories. The Statler Brothers collected the vocal group award for the 21st time in the awards' 26-year history. The Statler Brothers last lost in 1983 to Alabama.
"What do we do for longevity - we eat a lot of beans," said Don Reid. "We're very fortunate. The fans like what we do, and they continue to like what we do."
The Judds picked up the vocal duo award for a seventh straight year despite the fact that daughter Wynonna has been working as a solo act since their final concert last December.
Ray Stevens took home comedian of the year for a seventh straight year, and the Chuck Wagon Gang won the gospel group award for the third time since 1988.
Reba McEntire added to her collection with her seventh female artist award in the past eight years, while Gill was named instrumentalist of the year for the second consecutive time.
The show helped kick off the weeklong 21st International Country Music Fan Fair.