While Carrie Underwood is something of a country music veteran herself, she took to the Grand Ole Opry stage to honour those female artists who had come before her, performing a medley of Patsy Cline’s 'Crazy', Loretta Lynn’s 'You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)', Barbara Mandrell’s 'I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool', Dolly Parton’s 'Why’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That', Reba McEntire’s 'The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia', and Martina McBride’s 'A Broken Wing'.
In an historic win, the star shared the award for Entertainer Of The Year, alongside Thomas Rhett.