The CMA Awards Album of the Year trophy went to Cody Johnson at Wednesday night's (Nov. 20) ceremony, but the "Dirt Cheap" singer may have been the second-most excited artist in the room.

Jelly Roll hopped out of his seat and gave his friend Johnson a hug like he'd just scored the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl.

Leather is the name of Johnson's new album, and with the win, Johnson has his first CMA for Album of the Year. He beat out Kacey Musgraves' Deeper Well, Luke Combs' Fathers & Sons, Chris Stapleton's Higher and Jelly Roll's Whitsitt Chapel.

"I did not expect that," Johnson said after taking the trophy from presenters Don Johnson and Katharine McPhee. He then gave the microphone to his production team.

Trent Willmon had one of the strangest lines of the evening when he said, "This is for this cowboy who's been kicking Shaboozey for a lot of years." It wasn't clear if it was meant as a dig at the "A Bar Song" singer, or if it was just a poor choice of words.

The 58th Annual CMA Awards - Show
Theo Wargo, Getty Images
loading...

Johnson has always over-delivered when it comes to album tracklists, and he continued to offer quantity — and quality — on Leather. The original release includes 12 tracks, and the singer doubled that on the deluxe issue, also including his long-awaited Carrie Underwood duet, "I'm Gonna Love You."

The singer's gotten his fair share of CMA nominations in the past, including two wins in the Single of the Year and Music Video of the Year categories in 2022.

The 2024 CMA Awards took place at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning co-hosted the show.

*Remember: The best way to watch the CMA Awards is on ABC with ToC on your phone.

2024 CMA Awards Red Carpet Pictures

Check out the best pictures from the 2024 CMA Awards red carpet.

Country couples and solo stars walked the red carpet ahead of the CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 20). See pictures of the best and worst dressed stars, plus some of the wildest looks. There were certainly some bold hat decisions.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes

50 Greatest CMA Awards Moments of All Time

Taylor SwiftCarrie Underwood and Luke Bryan all make this list of the 50 best CMA Awards moments, but so do legendary acts like Johnny CashLoretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell and Dolly Parton (multiple times!).

2024 CMA Awards Nominations: Biggest Snubs + Surprises, Ranked

Country music fans should be a little angry today. Nominees for the 2024 CMA Awards were announced, and missing are several of the genre's top stars, including two who've anchored the format for nearly 20 years.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes

More From Taste of Country