He may have less than a year of professional experience under his belt (buckle), but Scotty McCreery continues to pick up some serious hardware.

The 18-year-old part-Puerto Rican country crooner, who catapulted to stardom after winning American Idol last season, claimed the New Artist of the Year prize at the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. The fan-voted honor marks McCreery’s first ACM trophy.

Asked backstage about his dedicated followers, McCreery replied, “They never cease to amaze me. They’re wild on Twitter, and they’re insane, man. They’ve been by my side since American Idol, and they keep on coming out. I appreciate them.”

McCreery—who won his first award last December at the American Country Awards—sang a portion of his new single, “Water Tower Town,” during the awards telecast.

He told reporters, “To me, that’s the most Scotty McCreery song on the album. That talks about where I came from. That talks about my values and my beliefs. So I’m proud to sing that onstage every night. It comes from the heart.”

Held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the ACM telecast was hosted by Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton and featured performances by Carrie Underwood, Chris Young and Sara Evans.