Great news – platinum selling country singer-songwriter Jimmie Allen has been recognised as the Academy of Country Music Awards New Male Artist of The Year!
Allen was surprised with the news by ACM Awards host and 15 times winner Keith Urban, who also honoured Gabby Barrett as the New Female Artist of the Year.
Allen and Barrett will perform at the annual awards ceremony to be broadcast in the U.S. on CBS on April 18, 2021. Over 25 artists will perform at three iconic Nashville venues: Grand Ole Opry House, The Ryman Auditorium; and The Bluebird Cafe.
The plaudit rewards an artist who has made history from the very beginning; Allen was the first Black artist to launch a career with two consecutive No. 1 hits on country radio.
Allen’s latest single, Freedom Was A Highway (with Brad Paisley) is currently on the prestigious BBC Radio 2 playlist, and it’s number 3 on the Shazam Discovery Chart. The collaboration EP that it comes from, Bettie James, has been streamed over 120 million times (and counting)! The record also features Charley Pride, Darius Rucker, Mickey Guyton, Nelly, Cyrus, The Oak Ridge Boys, Rita Wilson, Tauren Wells & Tim McGraw.
Photo credit: John Shearer