Receiving CMT Artist of the Year at such young age, 22-year-old Taylor Swift felt nothing but blessed. The "Speak Now" hitmaker graciously accepted the honor at a special gala in Nashville. Wearing a strapless red gown and lipstick with matching color, she was beaming when collecting the special prize from Faith Hill who called her a "hopeless romantic."
Humbled by the honor, Swift took time to thank fellow winners Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley and Kenny Chesney when delivering her acceptance speech. She gave a shout-out to Aldean's adorable little girls, and recalled the experience of touring with Paisley as well as how thoughtful Chesney to always check in with her.
Swift, meanwhile, told Lady A that she thought their song "We Own the Night" was about a dance party that they had together last year. In response, the trio praised her as "a spectacular role model" who "totally revolutionized and brought the entire world to listen to the kind of music that comes out of Nashville, Tennessee," when it's their turn to take the stage.
The country/pop singer additionally thanked the troops for serving the country, and expressed her gratitude for having an amazing year including performing with Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber in her "magical" tour. Talking about what she has on her sleeve for next year, she said, "I just can't wait for people to hear new music. And hopefully it will be good. Hopefully."
Before the segment was moved to the other honorees, Katy Perry appeared on the big screen to show support for Swift. "I love that you wrote every lyric and every single note off of 'Speak Now', that says tons about you as an artist," the West Coast singer gushed. "You're really aspiring." The "Teenage Dream" singer ended her video message with a joke, "I still want your cat."