Chris Stapleton.Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty
Entertainer of year at the 58thAcademy of Country Music Awardsgoes toChris Stapleton!
The “You Should Probably Leave” singer-songwriter took home the coveted honor at the annual country music awards show, beating out fellow nomineesJason Aldean,Kane Brown,Luke Combs,Miranda Lambert,Carrie UnderwoodandMorgan Wallen.
“Well, I’m shocked — truly. By any imaginable metric I don’t deserve this, but thank you,” said Stapleton, 45, during his acceptance speech. “There’s so many other great people in this category. I stand up, and I play music. That’s what I try to do every night. I write songs, and I make records.”
Check out PEOPLE’s full ACM Awards coverage to get the latest news on country’s big night.
He continued, “I never thought of myself as somebody who’d win this award. I’m so grateful for each and every person who works so hard to make us able to do what we do — my wife Morgane, thank you.”
Stapleton then thanked his record label, management company and “all the guys on the road, touring.”
“I"m really at a loss of what to say, but I want to say, my kids sitting at home, they give up a lot of my time, a lot of my wife’s time so we can do this,” he concluded, dedicating the award tohis and Morgane’s five kids: Ada, Waylon, Macon, Samuel and another son, whose name has not been revealed. “This is for them.”
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The Grammy winner was also up for male artist of the year and song of the year for “You Should Probably Leave” at this year’s show.
Stapleton has previously been nominated for entertainer of the year at the ACM Awards four times — in 2022, 2021, 2019 and 2018. His latest albumStarting Overwas released in 2020 and has spawned two No. 1BillboardHot Country Songs chart singles: “Starting Over” and “You Should Probably Leave.”
source: people.com
