The ACM Awards surprised fans Tuesday night (May 9) by naming early winners. Ahead of Thursday’s live awards show, the New Male Artist of the Year category winner was named.
History of the New Male Artist of the Year Award
The New Male Artist of the Year award was first handed out in 1966 to Merle Haggard. From its inception until 1977 this award was known as the Most Promising Male Vocalist. In 1978 the category changed to Top New Male Vocalist, a name it held until 2008. In 2016, it took on the New Male Artist of the Year title that still remains today.
Nominees in the New Male Artist of the Year category must are chosen based on strict criteria. Nominees must have “gained initial fame or significantly greater recognition during the promotion of a debut or sophomore album within the eligibility period. The artist must have released a single that reached the Top 40 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs or the Mediabase Country charts. Any albums self-released through an independent label the artist owns and operates may not be counted as a debut or sophomore album, unless it produces a Top 40 single reported by Billboard’s Hot Country Songs or Mediabase Country charts.”
Previous winners in this category include Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Jason Aldean, John Michael Montgomery, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, and Ricky Skaggs.
The 2023 New Male Artist of the Year nominees are: Zach Bryan, Jackson Dean, Ernest, Dylan Scott, Nate Smith, and Bailey Zimmerman.
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The Academy of Country Music announced in a social media post that this year’s New Male Artist of the Year is….ZACH BRYAN!
Congratulations to Zach Bryan!!!
The 2023 ACM Awards will air on Amazon Prime Video May 11. Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks are teaming up to host the event live from Frisco, Texas.
Tune in to see other category winners announced and to see a stellar lineup of performers, including: Keith Urban, Cole Swindell and JoDee Messina, Kane Brown, Jason Aldean, Cody Johnson, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Ed Sheeran, and more.