Teenage

Swift (right), 19, also took home awards for Female Vocalist of the Year, Music Video of the Year for Love Story and Album of the Year with Fearless.

"I’ll never forget this moment because at this moment everything that I ever wanted has just happened to me," a tearful Swift said when accepting her award.

"I want to thank every single person here tonight for not running up on stage during this speech," Swift said when picking up her trophy for female vocalist, in reference to the incident where rap star Kanye West, who last month interrupted her acceptance speech at the MTV Music Video Awards by rushing onto the stage and saying that R&B star Beyonce – and not Swift – should have won best female video.

Swift won Entertainer of the Year over some of the biggest names in country music, including Kenny Chesney, who had claimed the honour for three straight years.

Darius Rucker, frontman for pop band Hootie and the Blowfish, was given the CMA’s New Artiste of the Year award for his first country album, Learn to Live.

Last year’s new artiste award winner, the trio Lady Antebellum, picked up two CMA awards this time around for Best Vocal Group and Single of the Year for I Run to You.

Brad Paisley claimed two awards for Male Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for his Start a Band duet with Keith Urban.

Sugarland took home its third consecutive Vocal Duo of the Year award while Song of the Year honours went to In Color, written by Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller and James Otto. – Reuters