2 minutes | Thursday, November 6, 2025
Going back to November 6, 2006 – The CMA awards aired for the first time on ABC after the awards show had been on CBS since 1972
That year, Keith Urban won the Male Vocalist of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee Kris Kristofferson presented the inductions for 2006, which included George Strait, who performed his #1 hit "Give It Away."
But the highlight of this year was the controversy around Faith Hill during the announcement of Female Vocalist of the Year, where she appeared to react angrily after Carrie Underwood was announced as the winner
Footage showed Faith Hill (who was nominated) backstage, seeming to react with disbelief when Carrie’s name was announced. And according to reports, she raised her arms, looked toward the camera, and mouthed or shouted “What?!?” before moving out of view.
Her manager and publicists said the reaction was just a joke / playful moment while she was backstage, not an expression of hostility.
After everything happened, Faith released a statement, saying “The idea that I would act disrespectful towards a fellow musician is unimaginable to me … Carrie is a talented and deserving Female Vocalist of the Year.”