ACM Awards: Keith Urban Opens up About Winning Entertainer of the Year

Keith Urban took home the ACM Award for Entertainer of the Year, the biggest award of the night. The category, which Urban also won at the 2018 CMA Awards, included Chris Stapleton, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Kenny Chesney – making Urban unsure if he would actually walk away with the trophy.

“I’ve been nominated nine times, so at some point, I’d come to terms and accepted that the nomination is the award,” Urban told PopCulture.com and other media backstage at the ACM Awards. “I don’t know why things go that way sometimes. I love what I get to do; I put everything into it. But I know all the others do too, so thank you God. Really.”

Urban emotionally hugged his wife, actress Nicole Kidman, when he was announced the winner, and she also became the first person Urban thanked when he took the stage.

“Baby girl, I love you so much,” Urban said, while his adoring spouse looked on, beaming. “My team, thank you to every one of you. To the fans out there, you are amazing. You have no idea how much you mean to me. No idea.

“Baby girl, I love you,” Urban reiterated. “Our girls, Sunday and Faith, who are at home watching right now … Country radio, I love you so much. Thank you so much. God bless every one of you.”

Urban later explained that his emotions mostly came from a place of gratitude, and the success he has had, which keeps propelling him forward, in spite of the risks he has taken.

“I guess what it is is the support I get for going on these creative adventures I go on. I feel pulled to particular music when I’m creating, and I don’t know where it goes sometimes, but I just wander along and float, and see where it goes. Sometimes it wanders off to a place I haven’t been before, and I don’t expect that people will support it necessarily.

“So when it happens like that, and I get to make a record like Graffiti U, or particularly Ripcord, those two records, and they get supported the way they have, it’s an incredible feeling, for any artist.”

Urban just wrapped up his global Graffiti U World Tour, and is back in the studio working on new music. He has several fairs and festivals scheduled over the summer, which can be found by visiting his website.

Photo Credit: Getty images/Frazer Harrison