2019 ACM Awards: Michael Ray in Disbelief Over New Male Artist Nomination

Michael Ray received his first-ever ACM Awards nomination, for New Male Artist of the Year, a category he shares with Jimmie Allen, Luke Combs, Jordan Davis and Mitchell Tenpenny. As someone who grew up watching, and studying, awards shows, Ray is still in disbelief to see his name among the list of nominees.

“It’s gonna take a second for this to sink in,” Ray shared in a heartfelt post on Instagram, along with a photo of him attempting to play guitar as a child. “I grew up watching the #ACM awards year after year. I took notes in a notebook and kept track of the nominations and winners. Shout out [Jimmie Allen], [Luke Combs], [Mitchell Tenpenny], [Jordan Davis], I feel like a winner just being in the company of artists like y’all.

“From growing up playing in my family’s band in south Florida to being nominated for my first ACM, I know my grandparents are looking down on me right now,” he continued. “Thank you to the #CountryMusic community and the [ACM Awards] for your love and support, from the bars in my home town of Eustis, Florida, to being nominated for an #acm.”

Ray also took time to acknowledge his future bride, and New Female Artist of the Year nominee, Carly Pearce, as well.

“Congrats to my smoking hot fiancée and queen CP!!” Ray wrote. “Thank you Lord for this blessing and showing me it’s all about your time. This is already the best year ever. This is our year #NINETEEN”

Ray is spending the first part of 2019 on his own Nineteen Tour, where he will take the lessons he learned by opening for Old Dominion on their 2018 Happy Endings Tour, and applying it to his own shows.

“All together, those guys have been like older brothers to me, just really taking me in and helping me out a lot,” Ray told PopCulture.com. “Really just helped me find my sound. They gave me a stage on their first arena headline tour and gave me a spot to not only have my moment but to stand side-stage and stay in front of house and watch them do their thing and learn from them. They’re some of the best, not only as musicians but as people, too.

“With hanging backstage, everything about them is just so fun and relaxed,” he continued. “I got so much respect for those guys as artists and writers, and I just was a student for a few months.”

Find a list of all of his upcoming shows on his website.

The 2019 ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Photo Credit: Getty images/David Becker