Scotty McCreery is celebrating a special first…
The CMT Music Awards have been doled out, with the 30-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer earning his first-ever trophy at the awards show.
Ahead of the 2024 CMT Awards live show, McCreery – who rose to acclaim after winning the 10th season of American Idol – took home an early win for the CMT Digital-First Performance for his performance of “It Matters To Her” (from CMT Stages).
Joining from Zoom, McCreery accepted the award from Raleigh, North Carolina, gushing about his wife and mentioning his excitement for his upcoming induction to the Grand Ole Opry on April 20.
“Thank you CMT, the fans. What a nice little surprise. Thank you very much,” McCreery said.
McCreery won out over a roster of top contenders, including Chase Rice‘s Goodnight Nancy, Dylan Scott‘s Don’t Close Your Eyes, Megan Moroney‘s I’m Not Pretty, Nate Smith‘s Whiskey On You, Stephen Wilson Jr.‘s Year to Be Young 1994 and The Castellows‘ I Know It Will Never End.
McCreery’ wrote the song with Lee Thomas Miller and Rhett Akins. It was released on September 12, 2022 as the third single from his fifth studio album Same Truck.
McCreery told Music Mayhem magazine that the song was inspired by a conversation between him and Akins about their relationships with their wives. He also said that he was inspired by the music of Brooks & Dunn when composing it. McCreery’s wife, Gabi, also appears in the corresponding music video.
“It Matters to Her” peaked at number three on the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated June 10, 2023, becoming McCreery’s first single to miss the number one position since “Southern Belle” in 2015.
Here is a full list of CMT Music Awards winners.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll – “Need A Favor”
FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Lainey Wilson – “Watermelon Moonshine”
MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll – “Need A Favor”
DUO/GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Dan + Shay – “Save Me The Trouble”
COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Carly Pearce feat. Chris Stapleton – “We Don’t Fight Anymore”
BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR, presented by Walt Disney World
Ashley Cooke – “your place”
BREAKTHROUGH MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR, presented by Walt Disney World
Warren Zeiders – “Pretty Little Poison”
CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll – “Need a Favor” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
CMT DIGITAL-FIRST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Scotty McCreery – “It Matters To Her” (from CMT Stages)