CMA continues sexist ways, overlooks Miranda Lambert's achievements

Miranda Lambert had a huge night last night, picking up four Country Music Association awards. She won her fifth female vocalist award, setting a new record in the category. She was nominated twice for vocal event of the year, an award she won with Keith Urban over Carrie Underwood. And she took home the awards for single and album of the year.

Overall, she had a great night. But it could have been a better night. Had she been a man, she probably would have won the night's top prize, entertainer of the year.

Instead, that award that went to Luke Bryan, his first CMA of any kind.

Music awards should be about music, not anything else, including how tight someone wears their jeans or how great their fans look shaking it for him.

Seriously, think about this for a second: Miranda Lambert was the best female artist of the year, had the best song of the year on the best album of the year and had two of the top duos of the year AND she still didn't go home with the association's top prize.

She also received two nominations for music video of the year and a nod for song of the year, an award that goes to the song's writer.

So to recap her year again, solely in the eyes of the CMA judging by her nominations, she wrote one of the best five songs of the year, recorded the best single of the year, was the best female artist of the year, made the best album of the year, made two of the best music videos of the year and sung in two of the top five collaborations last year. But yet, that combined stat sheet wasn't enough to win her entertainer of the year.

She also headlined a major tour, one that saw vocal duo of the year Florida-Georgia Line as an opener.

What more could Miranda have done to have won the award?

Her snub is the equivalent of a college quarterback winning the national title, being named the best QB of the year and the best offensive player of the year and finishing third in Heisman voting. It just wouldn't happen.

But it happens often to women in country music. In 1980, Barbara Mandrell won the entertainer of the year award.

She won it again in 1981, making her the first artist to win it back-to-back. Dolly Parton won it 1978 and Loretta Lynn won it in 1972.

Since then, the same number of women have won it after her as before her: two. Shania Twain won in 1999 and Taylor Swift won 2009 and 2013. (The Dixie Chicks also won it in 2000.)

Since Miranda has been alive (31 years next week), exactly two women have won the entertainer of the year award.

Since she's been alive, she's made five albums. Two of them have won CMAs as album of the year. She's won five female artist of the year awards and awards for the best music video and single of the year. She won her first awards for single and vocal event of the year last night.

She is, with a total of 11 awards, the most decorated female in the association's history. She has as many wins as Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw. Only Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Brooks & Dunn and George Strait have won more.

And yet, she can't get an honest chance at the association's top prize because the association doesn't give it to women. (Unless they are borderline country/pop stars driving huge album sales*.)

*From Shania's Wikipedia page: "Referred to as "The Queen of Country Pop," she is one of the most commercially successful artists of all time, having sold over 85 million records worldwide. She is also the best selling female artist in the history of country music."