When rising country star Devin Dawson woke up Mar. 1, he was already riding a high off of his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon the night before. If that weren't enough, he was then hit with the information that he had scored a nomination for ACM New Male Vocalist of the Year.

Dawson tells Taste of Country Nights' Sam Alex that although he's a "chill guy" by nature, he was totally overwhelmed by the spectacular news. He relates he was still in bed, checking out an email blast from the Academy of Country Music announcing all the nominees, and didn't expect to see his own name on the list.

"I woke up early because I knew [the nominations] were coming out," he explains. "I just wanted to see which one of my friends were nominated."

"For me, my first album just came out, the single's in the Top 5 but hasn't run the bill yet, so it's really early on for me to expect a nomination — there wasn't any expectation at all," he adds. "So I was just going to see what my friends got, and I see my name in New Male Vocalist of the Year, and I was just like, 'What?! Are you serious?'"

"It was one of those caught-me-off-guard, almost speechless moments ... I was scrolling down, and I was like, 'Wait. Does that say Devin Dawson?'"

It did, indeed!

The singer says he's excited to compete against his peers Luke CombsRussell DickersonBrett Young and Kane Brown in the category when the ACM Awards take place Apr. 15.

Dawson additionally chatted with Alex about a variety of other subjects, including his recent appearance on Fallon, and how pop star John Mayer has been a big influence on his music.

Dawson released his debut album, Dark Horse, in early 2017 and delivered a hit single with "All on Me." The rising star will join Brett Eldredge's the Long Way Tour as an opening act when it launches in April.

Taste of Country Nights is a syndicated night show which airs on more than 100 radio stations nationwide. Listen to highlights on iTunes or your Android device.

Watch Devin Dawson's Stunning Performance of "Asking for a Friend

 

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