Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood own the spotlight at the American Country Music Awards

The pandemic has forced many annual awards ceremonies to do things a little different this year, like replacing the red carpet with a green screen, or in-person acceptance speeches with Zoom calls, and last night’s American Country Music Awards also had to switch it up in the name of safety. Most of the country stars were actually present at the Grand Ole Opry in Tennessee; it’s just the audience that was replaced. Hello a thousand blinking lights! It was actually pretty magical.But the brightest, shimmering diamonds of the night were actually the women, because Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Mickey Guyton and *checks notes* Gwen Stefani didn’t come to play, they came to slayyyyyyy. Taylor Swift made a point of doing her own hair and makeup for the show, and she looked the picture of beauty during her performance of “betty,” off of her new folklore album. But it was her transformation over the past 14 years that had Swifties really talking.Seeing as how she hadn’t performed at the ACMs in seven years, fans couldn’t hide their excitement. Posting side-by-side comparisons of the “Shake it Off” singer from her first Grand Ole Opry appearance to today, fans couldn’t hide their pride at the woman Taylor has become.

I blinked!2006 - 2020 #ACMawards pic.twitter.com/GBPm4jDPUI

— Taylor Throwbacks ➐ (@ThrowBacTaylor) September 17, 2020

I’m not crying #ACMawards pic.twitter.com/A94JTxN75M

— rach (@rachelxlily) September 17, 2020

You’ll always find your way back home!!! #ACMawards #BettyIsComing pic.twitter.com/L591OzPb0a

— kaylalore (@blessedswift) September 17, 2020

Then came Entertainer of the Year, Carrie Underwood, who used her time on stage to perform an amazing medley of hits from six of the biggest women Grand Ole Opry inductees of all time in honour of the Opry's 95^th anniversary. Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, and Martina McBride all got the medley treatment, and Carrie even called them her heroes.

Dolly, Reba, Patsy, and CARRIE! ❤️ #WomenOfCountry #ACMawards @carrieunderwood pic.twitter.com/M8TxDJnc3n

— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) September 17, 2020

Going all the way back to the '60s with a soulful rendition of Patsy's “Crazy,” Carrie then picked up the tempo for Loretta's “You Ain't Woman Enough.” Then she jumped ahead to the '80s for Barbara's “I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool,” and when she moved on to Dolly's “Why'd You Come In Here Looking Like That?” Carrie was clearly having a ball up there as she put every ounce of oomph she’s got into her performance. Plus, name a better duo than Carrie and Dolly Parton. We’ll wait.

.@carrieunderwood could literally sing ANYTHING and we'd be happy -- but this medley is ???. #ACMawards

— The Boot (@thebootdotcom) September 17, 2020

If you don’t think Carrie Underwood is one of the absolute best entertainers and vocalists in all of country music....I don’t trust you. #ACMawards

— s. (@alwaysteamluke) September 17, 2020

Then she wrapped things up with Reba’s classic “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” before hitting all the high notes with the finale of Martina’s “Broken Wing,” impressively hanging on to that last note like her life depended on it.

we need to discuss carrie underwood. pic.twitter.com/hxXJnZkUZA

— ???? ☁️ (@sophiarauhls) September 17, 2020

Carrie Underwood leaves me speechless every dang time! #ACMAwards

— SaraBeth (@SBSwags) September 17, 2020

[video_embed id='2038040']WATCH: Keith Urban dominates first ever COVID-era 'ACMs'[/video_embed]If you haven’t gotten used to seeing punk princess Gwen Stefani on the country music charts, her performance last night with the love of her life Blake Shelton will put all your doubts to rest. Performing their latest duet “Happy Anywhere,” which they recorded and released under quarantine together earlier this year (*sigh* Quarantine Couples GOALS), they returned to the Opry stage in the most technological way.

This duet just melted hearts all over America, @BlakeShelton & @GwenStefani ❤️ The #ACMawards are LIVE now on @CBS and @CBSAllAccess! pic.twitter.com/UusFBW57OY

— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) September 17, 2020

“Gwen and I wish that we could be in Nashville tonight, but we couldn’t,” Blake said. He then snapped his fingers and said, “But, through the magic of television, voilà! Welcome back to the Bluebird Cafe, everybody.” Ah, the magic of green screen! So fine, maybe their appearance was fake, but their love of music (and of each other) most certainly is not.

Blake And Gwen... Love all the way around. You can see it in their eyes all the way..

— Jennifer Maldonado (@firenice6779) September 17, 2020

While these wonderful women were out here making headlines, Mickey Guyton was out here making history. Her powerhouse performance of "What Are You Gonna Tell Her?" with host Keith Urban made her the first Black female artist to perform her own music at the ACM Awards. Not only that, the woman performed while simultaneously making a human being! It's no wonder #MickeyMakesHistory was trending after her appearance. We bow. We bow.

If you aren't watching the #ACMawards right now, you're missing out! @MickeyGuyton just gave us a tear-jerking performance at the @opry. Turn on @CBS right now! pic.twitter.com/HGUYP7Q5zk

— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) September 17, 2020

In a tweet after her performance, Guyton wrote: "I just want to take a minute and thank [Rissi Palmer] I would have never had the courage to pursue country music if I had never seen you representing in country music before me. This is all because of you sis. Your courage gave me courage. Love you." And that is the power of representation.[video_embed id='2038035']WATCH: Taylor Swift performs at the ACMs for the first time in seven years[/video_embed]