Wednesday night (Nov. 10) was a good night for Jimmie Allen, as he was named New Artist of the Year at the 2021 CMA Awards.

It certainly was one of the most emotional moments of the night, and Allen himself looked as shocked as anyone when he heard his name called for the illustrious award. After placing a celebratory kiss on his wife, the “Best Shot” singer stepped onstage to the roar of the audience and instantly started to cry.

And for good reason — Allen went on to reminisce about all of the work it took for him to get to this moment, having spent 10 years in Nashville playing small gigs and being short on money, and even living in his car for awhile, just for the chance to be on this stage.

In addition to Allen, the 2021 CMA Awards New Artist of the Year category included Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett, Mickey Guyton and Hardy as nominees. And all of his fellow nominees looked over the moon at his accomplishment when he won, especially considering that Allen’s mother was on hand at the venue to witness it.

Allen was also sure to thank his late father, who had long encouraged his love of music.

The Country Music Association held the 2021 CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville. The show, hosted for the first time by Luke Bryan, returned to the venue — its home since 2006 — after one year at Music City Center due to the COVID-19 pandemic.