Cody Johnson's 'Leather' Wins CMA Album of the Year — Fans Celebrate 'Real Country Music'

Cody Johnson secured a major victory at the recent 58th CMA Awards by clinching the coveted "Album of the Year" award for his album, "Leather."

This triumph coincided with the debut of the extended edition of his album, which hit the shelves earlier this month, following its initial release in November 2023.

With a burst of excitement, Jelly Roll leaped out of his chair and enveloped his friend Johnson in a tight hug as if he had just clinched a game-winning touchdown at the championship game.

Upon receiving the trophy from Don Johnson and Katharine McPhee, Johnson expressed his surprise, exclaiming, "I did not expect that!"

Even though Johnson enjoys immense popularity within the country music industry and among fans, he didn't expect to win anything. Instead, he confidently expressed that the award would go to Chris Stapleton or Jelly Roll.

The country crooner said, per Variety, "I turned to my wife and confidently stated, 'Jelly Roll's got this.'"

He graciously handed the microphone over to the production team before sharing his gratitude for the unexpected honor.

Fans couldn't resist expressing their happiness and admiration for the outcome, as a majority of them are convinced that Johnson's music stands out as "the only real country there tonight."

Other contenders for the "Album of the Year" are Kacey Musgraves' "Deeper Well," Luke Combs "Fathers & Sons," Chris Stapleton's "Higher," and Jelly Roll's "Whitsitt Chapel."

Johnson has consistently exceeded expectations with the number of tracks on his albums, and this trend continued with "Leather." The original version has 12 songs, but the deluxe edition offers even more with 25 tracks, including his collaboration with Carrie Underwood on "I'm Gonna Love You."

Johnson has garnered multiple CMA nominations over the years, winning in the "Single of the Year" and "Music Video of the Year" categories in 2022.

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CMA Awards