Taylor Swift wins song of the year at Country Music Awards despite move to pop

Taylor Swift won the big prize of the night at the Country Music Awards, despite transitioning to pop music years ago.

The star, whose new album Reputation is released on Friday, won Song of the Year for penning Little Big Town’s hit Better Man.

Swift shared a video on Twitter expressing her shock at her win, as she watched the ceremony on television during a break from rehearsals for Saturday Night Live.

She captioned the clip: “In NYC for SNL rehearsals. I LOVE YOU @littlebigtown and CMAs.”

The band accepted the award on Swift’s behalf on stage, with singer Karen Fairchild saying: “Taylor, wherever you are, thank you for this beautiful song and for loving songs and loving Nashville.”

Swift was not the only pop music star in the spotlight at the celebration of country music.

Singer Pink attended the ceremony with her daughter Willow and performed a rendition of her single Barbies.

Former One Direction star Niall Horan also made an appearance to sing Seeing Blind with Maren Morris, who was nominated for female vocalist of the year.

The ceremony took place just over a month after a deadly shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas and ceremony hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley paid tribute to the lives lost in the attack, as well as recent incidents in US communities including New York, Sutherland Springs and Charlottesville, as well as those hit by hurricanes in Texas, Puerto Rico and Florida.

Paisley said: “This year’s show is dedicated to all those lost and all those still healing. We love you and we will never forget you.

Later in the ceremony, Underwood sang the hymn Softly and Tenderly in tribute to the country music stars lost in 2017, including Troy Gentry, Glen Campbell and Don Williams before the faces of the 58 victims who were killed in the mass shooting at the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest Festival flashed across the screen in the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Underwood broke down in tears.