Cody Johnson has another CMA Award! The Texan won the trophy for Album of the Year, for his Leather album released last year.
“I did not expect that. I truly expected for Chris Stapleton or Jelly Roll to be announced [as the winners]. I’ll be honest with you, I looked at my wife Brandi and I said, ‘Jelly Roll’s got that.’ There are very few moments in your career and in your life when Ric Flair feels appropriate … There is now way I could have created an album like this without great songwriters, without people that pour their heart and soul out every day on Music Row, that pour their heart into great songs, producers, engineers.”
Johnson was the second most-nominated artist heading into this year’s CMA Awards, with five nominations, topped only by Morgan Wallen, But even if he walked away empty-handed, the father of two said it was still an honor just to hear his name in the list of nominees.
“Having five CMA nominations is incredible,” Johnson said. “Because, for a guy like me that was an independent artist for so long, and for people at the time in the town of Nashville saying ‘You’re really not what Nashville’s looking for. The cowboy hat’s not gonna work. The whole Texas thing ain’t really gonna do it,’ all the years of hard work that went into it, I’m finally invited to the party.”
Johnson also performed his current single, “I’m Gonna Love You,” a duet with Carrie Underwood from his latest Leather Deluxe Edition album, out now.
“Being nominated, especially five times, is incredible, Johnson says. “But I cut my teeth in the bars and honky tonks playing live music. I always enjoy playing at all the awards shows, or if it’s a morning show, anything like that. To get to perform on the CMAs is probably my favorite part of it, because that’s my wheelhouse. That’s when I get to show everybody why I’m nominated five times.”
When Johnson was creating Leather, he didn’t originally plan on following it up with Leather Deluxe Edition, although now he is glad he divided the project in two parts.
“Leather was supposed to be an album to follow up Human: The Double Album, but by the time I got through looking at all these songs that I just could not give up, that I had to have, there was like 24 or 25 of them,” Johnson recalls. “I’m going, ‘Well, I don’t want to do another double album. Like, how do we do this?’”
Johnson will wrap up his Leather Tour in December, and kick off his Leather Deluxe Tour in early 2025. Find Leather Deluxe Edition and all of Johnson’s music and upcoming shows at CodyJohnsonMusic.com.
Photo Credits: Courtesy of the CMA