Blake Shelton Wins Third Straight Male Vocalist Honor at CMA Awards

Many observers felt Jason Aldean, Eric Church or Luke Bryan might break through in the Male Vocalist of the Year category at the 2012 CMA Awards, but in the end it was Blake Shelton winning for the third consecutive year, which surprised even him.

When Martina McBride announced his name, Shelton seemed dumbfounded. Noting his big win with wife Miranda Lambert earlier in the evening, Shelton told the crowd, "I've had a few drinks since the Song of the Year announcement." He added, "I was actually sitting there thinking either Jason or Luke had this one, and I wasn't prepared for this."

If Shelton had indeed downed a few shots, he didn't show it -- except maybe when he jokingly thanked Reba McEntire, "Cause you're sitting there looking at me."

Making reference to his gig as a judge on 'The Voice,' Shelton closed by saying, "Country radio, thank you for not forgetting about me. I know I have a side job... country music is still what I do. It's still what I love, and I love my fans."