Jimmie Allen was left nearly speechless after country superstar and ACM Awards co-host Keith Urban surprised him with the news that he won the title of ACM New Male Artist of the Year.
The moment was captured on video for all to see. In the clip, Allen is seen watching a video of Urban delivering the news. As he realizes what’s going down, Allen says, “Stop playin’ bro.”
The singer/songwriter went on to joke, “Do I give my acceptance speech now? Like, what do I do?”
Also nominated in the ACM New Male Artist Of the Year category were Travis Denning, Hardy, Cody Johnson and Parker McCollum.
View this post on Instagram
Gabby Barrett was announced as the winner of the ACM New Female Artist of the Year category on Thursday morning as well.
“We are thrilled to present Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett with their first ACM Award wins. Jimmie and Gabby have experienced tremendous success at both Country Radio and streaming already, and we are proud to recognize them for such an extraordinary start to their careers,” said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. “A huge congratulations to each of them for this well-deserved win, and to all of our nominees for being recognized for their incredible contributions to Country Music. We look forward to welcoming Jimmie and Gabby to the ACM Awards stage on April 18.”
The “Freedom Was A Highway” singer has been added to the star-studded list of ACM Awards performers, which also includes Kelsea Ballerini, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Chris Young, Kane Brown and more.
Co-hosted by 15-time ACM Award winner Keith Urban and New Female Artist Of The Year nominee Mickey Guyton, the star-studded event will air on Wednesday, April 18 (live 8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on CBS Television Network and will be streamed live and on-demand on Paramount+ and CBS All Access.
