When it comes to fashion, country music awards shows can sometimes be a crapshoot.

Luckily, Sunday night’s Academy of Country Music Awards turned out to be a relatively low-key affair, with the stars and nominees opting for subtle looks instead of, you know, fringe.

Among the very best looks: the gold Dolce & Gabbana dress worn by nominee Taylor Swift; and Carrie Underwood’s elegant Naeem Khan gown.

Of course, not everyone hit it out of the park. Case in point: Shania Twain, who arrived looking less modern and more, uh, let’s just say, vintage. (Seriously, we waited 10 years for that?)

Check out our full red-carpet recap in the gallery, above.

Meat is so passé. At least in Hollywood.

More A-listers than ever are sticking to strict vegan or vegetarian diets — and being kinder to animals in general. Among them: Jessica Chastain, Russell Brand, Kristen Bell and Kristen Wiig.

“I don’t want to torture anything — it’s about trying to live a life where I’m not contributing to the cruelty in the world,” Chastain said after being named one of PETA’s sexiest vegetarians. “While I am on this planet, I want everyone I meet to know that I am grateful they are here.”

Chastain’s new menu options have also had an unexpected, positive effect on her waistline.

“I used to think about dieting,” she told Harper’s Bazaar in August 2012, “but I’m vegan now, so it’s not really a problem.”

Click on the gallery above to check out other famous vegetarians.

Then tell us: Are you meat-free, or could you never give up a juicy cheeseburger?

Carrie Underwood is hitting a milestone on Sunday: the six-time Grammy winner is turning the big 3-0. And while she continues her meteoric rise to fame, we hope she takes the time out of her current “Blown Away” tour to, well, blow out 30 candles.

Underwood rose to fame shortly after becoming the Season 4 winner of American Idol in 2005. Since then, she’s sold 15 million albums worldwide plus notched plenty of #1 singles. Among her biggest hits: “Some Hearts,” “Before He Cheats,” “Carnival Ride” and “Undo It.”

But the Oklahoma native’s focus wasn’t always on singing.

Underwood graduated from Checotah High School in 2001 and went on to Northern State University, chasing a degree in mass communications. But the detour was short-lived: she auditioned for Idol in the summer of 2004 and soon found fame.

She also found love: Underwood and her hockey player beau, Mike Fisher, tied the knot in 2010.  The two shared an intimate day before family and friends, Southern-style, at the Ritz Carlton in Georgia.

Now, to celebrate the country sweetheart’s birthday, we’re looking back at her very best red-carpet moments. Click through the gallery to see them — then be sure to tell us which is your favorite.

The news of Mindy McCready’s suicide has rocked through Hollywood and touched some of her closest country music pals.

Everyone from Carrie Underwood to LeAnn Rimes have taken to Twitter to offer their blessings and condolences to McCready’s family.

“I grew up listening to Mindy McCready…So sad for her family tonight. Many prayers are going out to them,” Underwood shared with fans late Sunday evening.

McCready’s music-industry friendshave been paying homage to the late singer through tweets and heartfelt messages since the news broke on Sunday.

Chely Wright tweeted, “I will pray for her children and I hope that people are gentle with her memory.”

The “Ten Thousand Angels” singer was found dead Sunday night due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the front porch of her home in Heber Spring, Ark.

The family home was where her boyfriend, David Wilson, also took his life in January.

McCready is survived by her son Zander, 6, with ex Billy McKnight, and Zayne, 10 months.

Click on the gallery above to check out the latest stars sounding off of McCready’s tragic passing.

Instagram just got a whole lot hotter.

Some of the music industry’s biggest heavyweights just joined the social media platform.

Both Justin Timberlake and Madonna hopped on board with the photo site last week, while Carrie Underwood announced she started her very own page on Wednesday. But a few of our favorite celebs are still MIA from Instagram…

We’d love to see wedding preparations via photos from both Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston.

The two actresses are planning without a doubt what will be the weddings of the year, and we would love to see each step of the process via behind-the-scenes snaps.

We’d also love to check out what Jay-Z’s life is really like. His wife Beyonce is already savvy on Tumblr and Instagram, so it would be a natural progression to get the rapper, and possibly even his best friend Kanye West, on the photo sharing website train.

Click through our gallery above to check out the other stars we want to see on Instagram. Did we leave anyone out? Leave a comment with who you’d want to see below.

A country catfight isn’t underway according to Carrie Underwood.

The Grammy Award winning singer told CBS This Morning’s Gayle King in an interview that she isn’t feuding with Taylor Swift, despite reports to the contrary.

“Not that I know of, at least,” the 29-year-old said.

In fact, the singer even loves a recent song of Swift’s and praises her for her latest album, Red.

“I really like ‘I Knew You Were Trouble,’” she explained. “It sounded a lot different for her. I liked the branching out, trying some different sounds.”

Underwood also spoke to what she believes is the source of all the fictional drama between the two Grammy winners.

“In every magazine, in pretty much every newspaper or on gossip TV shows, they can just get away with saying it by saying ‘a source said’ or ‘an insider said.’ I’ve read the most ridiculous things about myself when people do that.”

Watch the video above to see Underwood addressing the feud rumors.

Nicole Kidman, Carly Rae Jepsen and Florence Welch’s gowns weren’t the only things sparkling on the red carpet at the 2013 Grammy Awards. Along with this year’s more glamorous fashion came a whole lot of bling.

Though Carrie Underwood decked out her neckline in diamonds, necklaces were few and far between, with the majority of baubles located further north or south.

Glittery rings (either a single eye-catching cocktail ring or a series of stunners), bedazzled bracelets (from stacks of bangles to bold cuffs), and dazzling danglers were the night’s big jewelry trends.

She may have played it safe in the fashion department, but leave it to Rihanna to go all out with her bling.

The performer turned heads for more than just her red-hot ensemble — her Neil Lane jewels clocked in at over $2 million.

With such eye-catching extras, stars kept the rest of their accents relatively subdued, sticking to simple metallic clutches. Shoes, on the other hand, offered a bit more pizzazz. Pointy-toe pumps were certainly the most popular style, but Adele and Solange Knowles managed to add some flair to the classic heel. Meanwhile Jennifer Lopez and Kat Von D finished off their looks with fancier footwear.

Check out all the Grammy’s top accessories.

Whose accessories did you love? Share below.

Check out more of the Grammy’s red carpet fashion below.

With American Idol season 12 kicking off, the search begins for the next big star.

While taking the crown on the FOX singing competition can certainly be a singer’s breakout moment, a win doesn’t necessarily spell success.

After each Idol season adjourns, victors venture into the wider world of in the music industry, some making quite a splash — like chart-blazing inaugural champ Kelly Clarkson — while others simply sink.

Sometimes, even as title holders lose that Idol lunar pull as runner-ups — like season two’s second-best Clay Aiken or seventh-place finisher Jennifer Hudson — stand the test of time.

So as the FOX jaugernaut prepares to premiere — revealing a revamped judge’s panel, with pop diva Mariah Carey, raptress Nicki Minaj and country star Keith Urban joining Idol veteran Randy Jackson — it feels only fitting to look back at all the Idol alums who have made a mark on music.

Who has been the most successful Idol of all-time? Take a gander at the gallery, above, to find out who holds the honor.

Then weigh in: Who is your favorite Idol? Explain why in the comments, below.

Hockey is back.

After nearly four long months of negotiation between the National Hockey League and the Players’ Association, a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement has been reached.

“We have to dot a lot of I’s and cross a lot of T’s,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters early Sunday morning after a 16-hour discussion [via NHL.com].

“There is still a lot of work to be done, but the basic framework has been agreed upon.”

“Hopefully within a very few days the fans can get back to watching people who are skating, not the two of us,” NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr added.

Details of when the 2012-13 season will officially start have yet to be announced.

The return of the long awaited hockey season also means famous fans of the game, from Carrie Underwood to Will Ferrell, David Beckham to Cory Monteith, will finally get to return to their seats — and VIP boxes — in arenas across the continent.

Other die-hard hockey fans in Tinseltown include Vince Vaughn, Viggo Mortenson and Elisha Cuthbert, who is engaged to Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf.

Are you excited about the return of the NHL? Check out the gallery of famous hockey fans, above, and weigh in below.

Country chic was the theme of the red carpet at the American Country Awards.

From Carrie Underwood’s shimmery peach dress and Jewel’s hot pink sequined gown to Miranda Lambert’s metallic mini dress, country’s finest glimmered in sparkly dresses.

Hostess with the mostest, Kristin Chenoweth sought to beat Anne Hathaway’s Oscar wardrobe-change record, donning an array of colors and styles throughout the evening.

In addition to sparkly styles, color was everywhere. From cobalt and emerald to hot pink, country’s leading ladies created a red carpet rainbow. Balancing out the brights were LeAnn Rimes and Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott in sexy LBDs.

Cutouts were the night’s other big trend, with Carmen Electra donning two different slitted styles, and Scott, Natasha Bedingfield and Lauren Alaina rocking dresses with cutout necklines.

Check out all the night’s fashion in our American Country Awards 2012 Red Carpet Recap.

Who was best-dressed country star? Share your favorite look in the comments below.

Country Music Television has named its artists of the year!

Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church and Toby Keith each received the CMT title on Saturday night, during a 90-minute special hosted by the Rascal Flatts and Nashville star Hayden Panettiere.

The TV special, which was pre-taped earlier this month, attracted big names like Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, Kenny Rogers and Ludacris.

Morgan Freeman also recorded a special message for Chesney, who was also named CMT Artist of the Year in 2011.

Underwood, 29, has had a huge year thanks to the success of her fourth studio album Blown Away. The album as sold nearly one-million copies since debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in May. Underwood is currently on the North American leg of a tour in support of the album. She’s also set to star on NBC’s live broadcast of The Sound of Music in 2013.

Meanwhile, Lambert has still been riding on the success of her 2011 release Four the Record, which has sold more than 659,000 copies in the U.S. alone. The songstress is set to begin a tour in 2013, with initial dates in South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

For Aldean, this is third year in a row that CMT has honored him with the Artist of the Year title. The 35-year-old’s fifth studio album Night Train had a huge debut in October, selling some 400,000 copies in its first week in the U.S.

Who was your favorite country music artist of 2012? Sound off below.

Cobalt blue is one of the season’s top hues — and don’t expect it to go away anytime soon.

This electric blue has been going strong since its appearance on the Burberry and Pucci fall runways, inciting celebs like Carrie Underwood to abandon the LBD and take cerulean for a spin on the red carpet.

And while it may be the happiest time of the year, our favorite style stars are feeling blue this holiday season, with Zoe Saldana, Kate Middleton, Jessica Alba and Miranda Kerr all jumping on the bright blue bandwagon.

Perhaps its versatility is what ignited this bold blue’s popularity: Worn dressy or casual, day or night, cobalt brings an unexpected pop to any outfit — yet it still pairs well with virtually any hue or neutral.

Now that the holidays are here, cobalt is not only a fashion-forward choice, it’s also a festive one. It’s nearly impossible not to have a good time when clad in the bright blue, and, as one of Hanukkah’s signature hues, it also happens to be a modern alternative to red and green.

Freshen up your holiday look by adding cobalt to your holiday palette. Try wearing a bright blue blazer over basic black skinny jeans to a casual holiday happy hour, or pair a sexy cobalt sheath dress with your favorite heels for a fancier fete.

For totally risk-free way to try this trend, throw on a blue scarf or accessory that will give you a less intense pop of color.

To see cobalt in action, click through the slides below: We’re breaking down some of the most eye-catching cobalt-clad celebs to show you how to wear it best.

What’s your favorite “it” color for the holidays: Cobalt, emerald, or oxblood?

Catch up on more of the latest celebrity style news in the video below.

 Written by Natasha Burton

Carrie Underwood is set to play the iconic role of Maria Von Trapp in next year’s live television broadcast of The Sound of Music on NBC.

While this is a major role to play for the star, this won’t be the first time the Grammy winner has put on her acting shoes. The country superstar has previously made a splash on the big and little screens, most recently in the 2011 feature film, Soul Surfer, where she played Sarah Hill, the church leader who helped Bethany Hamilton overcome obstacles after her shark attack.

She made her acting debut a year earlier on a 2010 episode of the CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. On that episode, she played Tiffany, a pharmaceutical rep that dates Ted (Josh Radnor), whose friends try to convince him is stringing him along.

But Underwood is just one of many American Idol alums who have got into the acting game. Many contestants have appeared on shows as themselves, such as Scotty McCreery on The CW’s Hart of Dixie, but there have been quite a group that has gone even further nabbing major roles of their own.

Most notable, of course, is Jennifer Hudson. Though she placed seventh on Season 3 of American Idol, she went on to win an Oscar for her amazing performance as Effie in 2006’s Dreamgirls. She’s also set to star with fellow Idol alum, Katharine McPhee, on Season 2 of NBC’s Smash.

But did you know that original idol Kelly Clarkson has also popped up on a few shows? And the Diana DeGarmo was on CBS’ The Young and The Restless for four months?

Click through our gallery above to see more Idols who turned actors and find out where they’ve appeared on the big and little screens.

Are you excited about Underwood’s new role? Which Idol alum had the best turn at acting? Sound off in the comments below!

Carrie Underwood is taking on an iconic role next year as the country superstar will be stepping in to Julie Andrews’ shoes and portraying Maria Von Trapp on next year’s live TV broadcast of The Sound of Music.

“Speaking for everyone at NBC, we couldn’t be happier to have the gifted Carrie Underwood take up the mantle of the great Maria von Trapp,” Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC, said in a statement.

“She was an iconic woman who will now be played by an iconic artist,” Greenblatt continued.

The three-hour live telecast, set to air around the holidays next year, will be produced by Smash producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Moran, who are also producing the 2013 Academy Awards.

“We’re thrilled to be presenting the Broadway version of The Sound of Music live,” said Zadan and Meron, “and having Carrie Underwood as the star brings it to a new generation who will fall in love with it for the first time as many millions of people already have. It’s a particular joy to us as producers to see this amazing artist stretch into new territory with this classic musical.”

Underwood’s previous acting credits include a role in the 2011 film, Soul Surfer, and a guest spot on CBS’ sitcom, How I Met Your Mother.

With fans like Madonna, Britney Spears, Ellen DeGeneres and Heidi Klum, it’s little surprise Psy‘s ”Gangnam Style” has taken the world by storm.

On Saturday, it achieved yet another magical milestone: The music video moved past the 803,732,000 YouTube views Justin Bieber‘s music video “Baby” racked up, to become the most-watched video of all time.

“#GangnamStyle just became the most watched video @YouTube!! #History,” Psy tweeted.

Click after the jump to find out 13 stars who’ve been caught “dressing classy and acting cheesy” to pop culture’s latest phenomenon.

1. Britney Spears and Ellen DeGeneres.

2. Madonna.

3. Heidi Klum.

4. MC Hammer.

5. Novak Djokovic.

7. Vinny Guadagnino.

8. Maria Menounos and Mario Lopez.

9. Manny Pacquiao.

10. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.

Turkey is the cornerstone of Thanksgiving dinner — but not everyone will be gobbling it up at the table this year.

Such is true for stars like Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Ben Stiller, each of whom are well-known vegetarians in Hollywood.

Who else will be trading in turkey for tofurkey this holiday season?

Celebuzz has pulled together a list of 15 notable vegetarians and vegans in Hollywood.

Check them out in the gallery, above.

Also be sure to stay tuned to Celebuzz for more Thanksgiving coverage, leading up to Thursday’s big day.

The biggest shock at this year’s American Music Awards wasn’t the on-stage performances or the winners, it was the fashion.

While music awards shows have garnered a reputation for their shocking (and typically, not in a good way) fashion, this year’s red carpet was full of style surprises (the good kind).  The fashion hits abounded and the misses were few and far between — check them out here.

But the real shock was the night’s biggest trend: Glamour with a capital “G.” Even music’s most notorious fashion shockers (ahem, Nicki Minaj and Pink) went glam, mixing up their usual red carpet costumes for elegant, eye-catching gowns.

Going along with the night’s underlying sartorial theme, stars sparkled in perhaps the most glamorous shade of all — gold. Among them: the gilded mini dresses worn by Heidi Klum and Hayden Panettiere, the floaty (short!) frock donned by Taylor Swift and the sleek column gown worn by Elisha Cuthbert.

Though gold was the night’s dominant metallic, other stars like Stacy Keibler, Carrie Underwood, Carly Rae Jepsen and Gwen Stefani rocked glimmery gowns in a range of hues from plum to pink to gunmetal.

Pale pink and purple were popular colors, with Ginnifer Goodwin and Jepsen looking pretty in pink sparkly dresses, and Underwood and Christina Aguilera picked purple dresses.

Though plenty of stars went for the classic red carpet-skimming hemline, above-the-knee was the length of choice, with even Swift showing her stems.

To see all the night’s big red carpet trends, click through our red carpet trends round-up.

Which trends did you like best? Share in the comments below.

 Check out more highlights from the AMA’s in the video below.

It’s the purple reign of Carrie Underwood.

The country superstar stunned in a sequin-embellished, floor-grazing, eggplant-hued gown as she strutted down the red carpet at the 2012 American Music Awards on Sunday.

Letting the intricate creation take center stage, Underwood kept her accessories understated: a metallic clutch and dangling earrings.

Leading up to the big night, Underwood was readying to take the stage at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif. “On stage rehearsing for the #AMAs!,” she tweeted on Saturday. “It’s going to be fun! I heard about some of the other performances…can’t wait!”

Underwood joins a star-studded line-up that includes pop idol Justin Bieber, country darling Taylor Swift, R&B superstar Usher, pop-punk band No Doubt, raptress Nicki Minaj, punk-pop singer Pink and American Idol alum Kelly Clarkson.

Underwood is also nominated for two honors during the ceremony. The singer will go head-to-head with Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert for the Favorite Female Artist trophy; and she will face off against Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan in the category of Favorite Country Album.

Check out all the red carpet arrivals at the 2012 American Music Awards.

Britney Spears did with Ellen DeGeneres. Carrie Underwood did it on the CMA Award stage. Hugh Jackman even did it wearing Wolverine claws.

Now, Madonna has hopped on the bandwagon — breaking out into the iconic dance inspired Korean pop sensation Psy‘s “Gangnam Style.” During her Tuesday night MDNA tour concert in New York City, the Material Girl teamed up with the South Korean singer for a three-song set.

“I have a little surprise for you,” Madge told the 20,000-strong cheering crowd at Madison Square Garden. “A song that I’ve sung for a while,” she said before the first few highly-recognizable chords of Psy’s chart-topping hit played. As she sung the lyrics to a remixed “Give It To Me,” Psy appeared on stage and yelled into the mic, “Are you ready NYC?”

Wearing a crisp red suit and sunglasses, Psy led Madonna and her bevy of backup dancers in his side-stepping horse dance, which shot to worldwide fame from his viral YouTube video, currently at over 720 million likes. Along with “Gangnam Style” and “Give It To Me,” the duo performed Madonna’s hit “Music.”

This isn’t the first time Psy — whose real name is Jae-Sang Park — has schooled a star in his self-described “dress classy, dance cheesy” moves. In September, Ellen DeGeneres invited Psy to her daytime talker to teach Britney Spears how to do the so-called invisible horse dance.

The following month, he popped up on the Sydney set of Wolverine, where he helped Hugh Jackman cut a rug. And just two weeks ago, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley channel Psy’s smooth moves as they hosted the 2012 CMA Awards.

Find out what other celebrities joined the “Gangnam Style” craze – above.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are the latest Hollywood couple to become Mr. and Mrs.

Just a day after saying “I do” in an intimate, hush-hush wedding at the historic Boone Hall Plantation, the couple was spotted basking in newlywed bliss in Charleston, S.C. And with the first glimpse of Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, all eyes were on one sparkling detail of the blushing bride: her engagement ring.

Designed by jeweler-to-the-stars Lorraine Schwartz, the bauble boasts a large light-pink oval stone engagement ring supported by a diamond-encrusted band. And according to one leading jeweler, Reynolds could have splashed out $2 million on the sparkler.

But Lively isn’t the first famous lovebird to flaunt a flashy ring.

There are bank-breaking celebrity baubles — like Kim Kardashian‘s 20.5-carat engagement rock,  Mariah Carey‘s 17-carat emerald-cut stone and Beyonce‘s 18-carat bling — that always will be awe-inspiring.

But many other stars shine bright with their “I do” jewels. From Hilary Duff‘s 14-carat dazzler to Carrie Underwood‘s 12-carat Ashoka-cut diamond, Hollywood nuptials continue to be all about the big-time bling.

Celebuzz is taking a closer look at stars’ biggest engagement sparklers.

Take a gander at the gallery of rocks and weigh in: Which ring is your favorite?