Swindell bested fellow nominees Sam Hunt and Thomas Rhett.
In his acceptance speech, he went on to thank the fans, especially since it was a fan-voted honor, as well as the Academy of Country Music (ACM) for the nomination. “This is an unbelievable award show and I can’t believe I’m getting to be a part of it. Thank you Kerri Edwards and Luke Bryan, thank you for being like a big brother to me buddy,” he said graciously.
Swindell subsequently thanked his producer, Michael Carter, and everybody at his record label, Warner Music Nashville, for their support in helping him achieve his prestigious award.
His three radio singles, “Chillin’ It,” “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight” and “Ain’t Worth The Whiskey” all peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot Country charts.
Congratulations to Cole Swindell on this well-deserved ACM honor.