Blake Shelton wins single of the year at ACM Awards with ‘God's Country’: ‘Thank You, God’
Blake Shelton’s faith-filled single “God’s Country” took the honor of Single of the Year at the 2020 ACM Awards in Nashville Wednesday night at Music City's Ryman Auditorium.
The country star’s single beat out competing nominees from Old Dominion, Kacey Musgraves, Lee Brice and Lady A. The prestigious award was presented to Shelton by singer Cam during the live broadcast on CBS.
"Holy cow, Single of the Year!" Shelton declared while accepting the award virtually from Los Angeles. "This is a complete shock and an absolute honor. I want to … thank Scott Hendricks for producing this record and bringing this song to my attention. Thank you to Warner Bros. Records for all the hard work you do, the promotion staff, everyone involved. Thanks for continuing to somehow prop me up after 20 years of doing it."
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The popular musician went on to thank country radio for playing his song so much and then shared gratitude to his management, fans and girlfriend, Gwen Stefani.
"Thank you, Gwen Stefani, for continuing to encourage me to keep doing this and keep trying. And being my inspiration. Thank you, God, thank you, everybody. Single of the Year, yes!" Shelton exclaimed.
Shelton performed the single "Happy Anywhere" with Stefani for the award show as well.
The 2020 ACM Awards was originally scheduled to air in April in Las Vegas but was postponed to Wednesday due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A full list of 2020 ACM Awards winners can be found at tasteofcountry.com.
In the past, Shelton has publicly thanked his girlfriend, Stefani, for strengthening his relationship with God and encouraging him to attend church more often.
He told The Tennessean in December that along with creating music with Stefani, she has also been instrumental in the rededication of his faith.
“I believe in God now more than I ever have in my life,” he told the newspaper. “The biggest part of that is just how [Gwen] came into my life and now our relationship.”
“If you take God out of it, it doesn’t make sense. If you put God into it, everything that’s happened with us makes sense,” he added.
The couple, who are both divorced from their ex-spouses — Miranda Lambert and Gavin Rossdale — began dating in 2015 while working as judges on season nine of NBC's "The Voice."
In Shelton's interview with The Tennessean, the CMA winner revealed that Stefani encouraged him to begin attending church on a regular basis. That is what inspired him to “turn a page” in his life.
While Shelton’s relationship with God was strengthened this year, he admitted he still drinks and curses more than he should. However, his new music has been loaded with songs about his faith, including his No. 1 award-winning country hit, “God’s Country.”
