Last night Taylor Swift received the American Country Music Milestone award at the 50th ACMs. In a nice touch, the award was presented to her by her mother Andrew Swift.
In an emotional speech Andrea said: "I've watched this milestone artist from the time she was a tangled-hair little girl, growing up on our farm, full of imagination and creativity until right now when she prepares for her next world tour."She said: "Ever since then her favourite thing to do has been to write a song, tell a story, play a guitar or piano."
Andrea thanked Taylor's fans, saying: "I'd like to thank the ACMs for honoring her in this way. But I'd also like to thank the entire music community for taking such good care of her. And [to] the fans, I know you love her as I love her, And for that I thank you eternally."
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She also told a hilarious anecdote to the audience: "Every once in a while, her dad or I find ourselves to be the subject of those songs. Sometimes we're merely the inspiration. Like the time she was 17-years-old and her dad and I strongly disapproved of a young man, and rightfully so. But she was mad, she was real mad, and she went to her room and she closed the door. She came out about an hour later with a song called 'Love Story.'"
In her acceptance speech, Taylor thanked the fans and country music community for staying with her when she released a pop album - 1989. She said: "You truly see who a person is when you give them news that they weren't expecting. And so, to the country community, when I told you that I'd made a pop album and that I wanted to go explore other genres, you showed me who you are with the grace that you accepted that with."
This was Taylor Swift's mother's first appearance since the announcement of her cancer diagnosis. Taylor wrote in apost on her Tumblr page: 'The results came in, and I’m saddened to tell you that my mom has been diagnosed with cancer.' Taylor chose to keep the details of her condition and treatment private, but wanted to let her fans know so they could encourage their own parents to be tested.
See Taylor's style evolution in the gallery below...
1 of 112 Taylor Swift in LA, 14 January 2015
2 of 112 Taylor Swift in Jenny Packham at InStyle And Warner Bros. 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards Post-Party, 11 January 2015
3 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 3 January 2015
4 of 112 Taylor Swift performing on New Year's Eve 2015 In Times Square, 31 December 2014
5 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 26 December 2014
6 of 112 Taylor Swift In New York City, 24 December 2014
7 of 112 Taylor Swift In New York City, 22 December 2014
8 of 112 Taylor Swift In New York, 19 December 2014
9 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 15 December 2014
10 of 112 Taylor Swift at Billboard Women In Music Luncheon, 12 December 2014
11 of 112 Taylor Swift in Reem Acra at Z100s Jingle Ball 2014, 12 December 2014
12 of 112 Tayloor Swift at Z100's Jingle Ball 2014 Presented By Goldfish Puffs, 10 December 2014
13 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 11 December 2014
14 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 10 December 2014
15 of 112 Taylor Swift in Sachin & Babi at the Jingle Bell Ball, 7 December 2014
16 of 112 Taylor Swift in Romona Keveza at KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2014, Los Angeles, 5 December 2014
17 of 112 Taylor Swift at KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2014 Powered by LINE, 5 December 2014
18 of 112 Taylor Swift at The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, 2 December 2014
19 of 112 Taylor Swift at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, 2 December 2014
20 of 112 Taylor Swift at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show - Pink Carpet Arrivals, 2 December 2014
21 of 112 Taylor Swift at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show - After Party Arrivals, 2 December 2014
22 of 112 Tylor Swift in Michael Kors at the American Music Awards, 23 November 2014
23 of 112 Tayloor Swift at the American Music Awards , 23 November 2014
24 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 14 November 2014
25 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 13 November 2014
26 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 12 November 2014
27 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 30 October 2014
28 of 112 Taylor Swift at SiriusXM's 'Town Hall', 29 October 2014
29 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 28 October 2014
30 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 28 October 2014
31 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 27 October 2014
32 of 112 Taylor Swift at ABC's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' , 23 October 2014
33 of 112 Taylor Swift in Los Angeles, 21 October 2014
34 of 112 Taylor Swift, 8 October 2014
35 of 112 Taylor Swift in Paris, 7 October 2014
36 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 3 October 2014
37 of 112 Taylor Swift at iHeartRadio Music Festival, 19 September 2014
38 of 112 Taylor Swift performing at iHeartRadio Music Festival, 19 September 2014
39 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 16 September 2014
40 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 15 September 2014
41 of 112 Taylor Swift, 15 September 2014
42 of 112 Taylor Swift at 'Deutscher Radiopreis 2014', 4 September 2014
43 of 112 Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards, 24 August 2014
44 of 112 Taylor Swift at Yahoo Taping, 14 August 2014
45 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 14 August 2014
46 of 112 Taylor Swift at Late Night with Seth Meyers, 13 August 2014
47 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 12 August 2014
48 of 112 Taylor Swift at 'The Giver' New York Premiere, 11 August 2014
49 of 112 Taylor Swift at the Teen Choice Awards, 10 August 2014
50 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 6 August 2014
51 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 1 August 2014
52 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 30 July 2014
53 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 24 July 2014
54 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 22 July 2014
55 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 21 July 2014
56 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City , 18 July 2014
57 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 16 July 2014
58 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 14 July 2014
59 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York , 11 July 2014
60 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 9 July 2014
61 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 7 July 2014
62 of 112 Taylor Swift wearing Top Shop in New York, 2 July 2014
63 of 112 Taylor Swift at the 'Charles James- Beyond Fashion' Costume Institute Gala, 5 May 2014
64 of 112 Taylor Swift seen arriving at the after party for Saturday Night Live, 13 Apri 2014
65 of 112 Taylor Swift at the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, 6 April 2014
66 of 112 Taylor Swift at the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, 6 April 2014
67 of 112 Taylor Swift arrives at the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Graydon Carter, 2 March 2014
68 of 112 Taylor Swift at The Weinstein Company's Academy Award party, 1 March 2014
69 of 112 Taylor Swift attends the Clive Davis And The Recording Academy's 2014 Pre-GRAMMY Gala at The Beverly Hilton, 25 January 2014
70 of 112 Taylor Swift attends the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, 12 January 2014
71 of 112 Taylor Swift arrives at the 2014 InStyle And Warner Bros. 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards Post-Party at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, 12 January 2014
72 of 112 Taylor Swift in Stella McCartney at Kensington Palace for the Centrepoint Winter Whites Gala, 26 November 2013
73 of 112 Taylor Swift arrives at the 2013 American Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A., 24 November 2013
74 of 112 Taylor Swift attends the Weinstein Company's holiday party at RivaBella, 21 November 2013
75 of 112 Taylor Swift in Elie Saab at the 47th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena, 6 November 2013
76 of 112 Taylor Swift in Houghton, Honored As 2013 Songwriter Artist Of The Year By The Nashville Songwriters Association International, 13 October 2013
77 of 112 Taylor Swift in Reem Acra at Romeo And Juliet premiere, 24 September 2013
78 of 112 Taylor Swift in Hervé Léger By Max Azria at the MTV VMAs, 25 August 2013
79 of 112 Taylor Swift in Emilio Pucci at The Fragrance Foundation Awards, 12 June 2013
80 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 17 January 2015
81 of 112 Taylor Swift in Zuhair Murad at the Billboard Music Awards, 19 May 2013
82 of 112 Taylor Swift in J Mendel at Met Gala, 6 May 2013
83 of 112 Taylor Swift in Dolce & Gabbana at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards , April 2013
84 of 112 Taylor Swift in J Mendel at Grammy Awards, February 2013
85 of 112 Taylor Swift Kaufman Franco at 40 Principales Awards, Madrid, January 2013
86 of 112 Taylor Swift in Donna Karan at the Golden Globe Awards, January 2013
87 of 112 Taylor Swift in Elie Saab at NRJ Music Awards 2013, January 2013
88 of 112 Taylor Swift in Ralph Lauren at People's Choice Awards, January 2013
89 of 112 Taylor Swift in Oscar de la Renta at the Ripple of Hope Gala, December 2012
90 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, December 2012
91 of 112 Taylor Swift in Kate Spade at the Kiis FM Jungle Ball, December 2012
92 of 112 Taylor Swift at the Jingle Ball 2012, 7 December 2012
93 of 112 Taylor Swift turning on the lights at Westfield, November 2012
94 of 112 Taylor Swift performing at the MTV EMAs, November 2012
95 of 112 Taylor Swift in J Mendel at the MTV EMAs, November 2012
96 of 112 Taylor Swift at the ARIA Awards in Sydney, 29 November 2012
97 of 112 Taylor Swift on The US X Factor, 15 November 2012
98 of 112 Taylor Swift at Westfield Shopping Centre, 6 November 2012
99 of 112 Taylor Swift in Jenny Packham at the CMA Awards, 1 November 2012
100 of 112 Taylor Swift at the CMA Awards Show, 1 November 2012
101 of 112 Taylor Swift at the Radio 1 Teen Awards, October 2012
102 of 112 Taylor Swift at her Red CD launch party, October 2012
103 of 112 Taylor Swift at the ABC Studios in New York, 22 October 2012
104 of 112 Taylor Swift in London, 4 October 2012
105 of 112 Taylor Swift shopping in New York, September 2012
106 of 112 Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Awards, September 2012
107 of 112 Taylor Swift cycling in New York, August 2012
108 of 112 Taylor Swift in Reiss at the BBC teen awards, November 2010
109 of 112 Taylor Swift in Kaufman Franco at the Grammys, January 2010
110 of 112 Taylor Swift, 2007
111 of 112 Taylor Swift at the CMAs, 2007
112 of 112 Taylor Swift at the 41st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, May 2006