Brad Paisley will remember the 2010 CMA Awards for many reasons, but probably the number-one reason is that he walked home, for the very first time, with the Entertainer of the Year trophy. With the last award of the night, Brad ended as the biggest winner. Overwhelmed by the moment, a tearful Brad recounted how it was his late grandfather who first turned him onto country music and inspired him to start playing the guitar. The speech capped a night of laughs, joyful tears, and great music. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

• After the show, Brad, still in shock from the win, lamented that while it was the 44th time the Entertainer of the Year award was given out, there have not been that many winners. Only 30 acts have received country music’s biggest honor (21 solo male artists, six solo female artists, two groups, and one duo). The late, great Eddy Arnold was the first-ever CMA Entertainer of the Year.

  At one of the CMA after-parties, Brad Paisley reacts to winning the Entertainer of the Year award. (:23)
“This has just been the greatest night, on my gosh, I can’t even tell ya. To be able to be one of the 44 people that have ever won, I guess it’s more than…it’s less people than that even, because guys like Kenny won it four times, you know? So they’ve only given out 44 of these awards, and to have been someone who got it, I’m beyond humbled. And I share this with my fans and everybody that works so hard for me.”