Looks like Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley are now, officially, good ole boys, so to speak.

Tonight their big ACM wins established the pretty upstarts as part of the Nashville establishment, something that had eluded them both in the past.

That was particularly agonizing for Paisley since his breakthrough took so long. There was a time when the too-good-looking crooner was dismissed as featherweight by the gruff cowboy set. Sure, his music was good from the start of his career, but it was almost too pretty, too, too perfect. Somebody as good-lookin' as Paisley couldn't really be a great songwriter like that, many believed. His early success had to be a fluke, they figured. But the well-crafted music kept a-comin' and a-comin'. As the years rolled on, he proved himself over and over again, but just couldn't, golly gee whiz, seem to win a top Nashville award.

But then he won the best-album award at the Academy of Country Music Awards last year, hurrah, and tonight finally earned a personal hug — the male vocalist of the year prize. That means, as Sally Field informed us, they really, really like him. And finally, finally accept him. As kin. And even as one of their gods, since multiple wins at the ACMs puts him in their pantheon.

Carrie Underwood initially met with some skepticism in Nashville, having been made-for-the-pop-charts by "American Idol." But she was embraced soon enough — and strongly so. Last year when she won best female video and the video of the year awards ("Jesus Take the Wheel") at the CMTs, it was the first, early rumblings of a kudos volcano about to erupt.

Next she won best new female vocalist at last year's ACMs. Then, egads, she beat Faith Hill for the female vocalist prize bestowed by the Country Music Association. Next up she won best new artist and female country vocalist at the Grammys.

Now she not only takes the ACM's top female vocalist's prize this time (she merely won best new thrush last year), but she grabs the crowns for best album and video, too. Call her Queen Carrie of Nashville!

Photo: Carrie performing on the ACMs. When she won the top prize for female vocalist, she said, "I'm crying again 'cause this is what I do at awards shows, I'm sorry." (AP)