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“It means the world to me,” Top shared.
By
Andrew Wendowski
Andrew Wendowski
Andrew Wendowski is the Founder and CEO of Music Mayhem. As a 29-year-old entrepreneur, he oversees content as the Editor-In-Chief for the independent brand. Wendowski, who splits time between Philadelphia, Penn., and Nashville, Tenn., has an extensive background in multimedia. Before launching Music Mayhem in 2014, he worked as a highly sought-after photojournalist and tour photographer, collaborating with such labels as Interscope Records and Republic Records. He has captured photos of some of the biggest names, including Taylor Swift, Metallica, Harry Styles, P!NK, Morgan Wallen, Carrie Underwood, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Shania Twain, and hundreds more. Wendowski’s photos and freelance work have appeared nationwide and can be seen everywhere from ad campaigns to various publications, including Billboard and Rolling Stone. When Wendowski isn’t running Music Mayhem, he enjoys spending time at concerts, traveling, and capturing photos.
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Posted on April 24, 2025
Zach Top, Photo Provided by ACM Awards
Zach Top was crowned ACM New Male Artist Of The Year ahead of the 2025 ACM Awards.
On Thursday evening (April 24), just before hitting the stage for his sold-out headlining show on the Cold Beer & Country Music Tour in Wilmington, NC, Top received a surprise video message from Brooks & Dunn — the most awarded Duo in ACM Awards history — delivering the exciting news that he had won his first-ever ACM Award.
“Hey Zach, Kix and Ronnie… Man, we just got a call, the ACMs told us that you are the ACM New Male Artist of The Year dude. You got to sing and play to get that, that’s good, congrats man, we’ll see you in Frisco, let’s celebrate!” Brooks & Dunn, speaking together in the video message, said.
There’s nothing like winning your FIRST #ACMawards!
Congratulations, @Zachtopmusic, on winning ACM New Male Artist of the Year! #ACM60 pic.twitter.com/owC4wuLu9N
Zach, a first-time ACM nominee, was all smiles as he received the trophy and shared an acceptance speech. During his speech, he took a moment to reflect on the significance of the award and thank those who’ve supported him along the way.
“I couldn’t be more honored, and I can’t say a big enough thank you to my fans for loving music and loving what we do on the road and listening to the songs every day,” Top said after winning his first ACM Awards trophy. “It means the world to me, I’ve always wanted to just play and sing for a living, and I get to do that now, and it’s cool to be able to get a little trophy every now and then to let us know that we’re doing good doing it. So thank you so much, this is beautiful.”
A post shared by Academy of Country Music (ACM) (@acmawards)
Shaboozey, Bailey Zimmerman, Tucker Wetmore and Gavin Adcock were also nominated for ACM New Male Artist of The Year.
The country star is also nominated for ACM Album of the Year for his debut project, Cold Beer & Country Music, at the coveted awards show. See a full list of the ACM Awards nominees.
Top’s award win follows the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Cold Beer & Country Music, which racked up over 3.5 million streams in its first week alone. His sold-out headlining Cold Beer & Country Music Tour included major stops at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium for two nights, New York City’s Terminal 5, and Boston’s MGM Music Hall at Fenway.
In addition to his headline run, Top is joining country legend Alan Jackson on select dates of his Last Call Tour and will hit the road with Dierks Bentley for the Broken Branches Tour kicking off next month.
The exciting reveal comes just days before the 60th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, where Zach Top will celebrate his big win. 2025 ACM Awards is set to take place on May 8 and will air live from Ford Center at The Star (the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys) on Amazon Prime Video at 8/7c.
Hosted by country music icon Reba McEntire, the 2025 ACM Awards will celebrate six decades of Country music and feature a star-studded list of performances, including Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Lainey Wilson, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Chris Stapleton, Clint Black, Cody Johnson, Kelsea Ballerini, Leann Rimes, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts, Wynonna Judd and more.
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Raj Kapoor serves as executive producer and showrunner, alongside co-executive producer Patrick Menton. Damon Whiteside is the executive producer representing the Academy of Country Music, while Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as executive producers on behalf of DCP. John Saade will continue his role as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
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Andrew Wendowski is the Founder and CEO of Music Mayhem. As a 29-year-old entrepreneur, he oversees content as the Editor-In-Chief for the independent brand. Wendowski, who splits time between Philadelphia, Penn., and Nashville, Tenn., has an extensive background in multimedia. Before launching Music Mayhem in 2014, he worked as a highly sought-after photojournalist and tour photographer, collaborating with such labels as Interscope Records and Republic Records. He has captured photos of some of the biggest names, including Taylor Swift, Metallica, Harry Styles, P!NK, Morgan Wallen, Carrie Underwood, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Shania Twain, and hundreds more. Wendowski’s photos and freelance work have appeared nationwide and can be seen everywhere from ad campaigns to various publications, including Billboard and Rolling Stone. When Wendowski isn’t running Music Mayhem, he enjoys spending time at concerts, traveling, and capturing photos.
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