Jake Owen Wins ACM Top New Male Vocalist

Jake Owen is the recipient of this year's ACM Award for Best New Male Vocalist, beating out James Otto and Jamey Johnson for the coveted title. We just happened to be hanging out with Owen when ACM President Bob Romeo called him with the news.

"I feel like I've finally accomplished a lot of what I set out to do," Owen told The Boot just after the exciting phone call. "At the same time, I feel completely just as worthy as anyone else. Jamey and James, for instance, are my friends. Honest to God, the first time I ever heard Jamey Johnson or James Otto play at Muzik Mafia, I knew I had to do some work, because those guys are so talented."

The fan-voted award came as a bit of a shock to Owen, who acknowledged that both Johnson and Otto's albums sales exceeded his own. "Honestly, with the way that Jamey and James have sold more records than I have ... I just feel like it's finally validation that people are not only believing in what I do, but supporting what I do," he told us. "I feel like all the work I've done for the past four years on the road, opening for Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Sugarland, Brad Paisley ... I've played in front of a lot of people that I've converted as fans of my music. The people that are fans put me where I am right now, and it's really flattering to know. I look up to Jamey Johnson, and I look up to James Otto. But to know that the people that voted look up to me enough to separate me from them as the New Male Vocalist, is probably the best feeling any new artist, or any artist, could feel at all."

For Owen, the award is also a reminder of how far he has come. "I grew up watching awards shows. I grew up wanting to do what I'm doing now. It's really amazing. I remember feeling like a freak of nature when I went back to Tallahassee to make my video for 'Yeehaw.' I couldn't believe that many people showed up to make a video. So to think that almost four years later, people are voting around the country for their favorite new artist, and it happened to be me, is pretty awesome."

Julianne Hough is the winner of Best New Female Vocalist, and Zac Brown Band takes Best New Duo or Group honors. The awards were voted on by fans through GACTV.com. Owen, Hough and the Zac Brown Band will now all compete for Best New Artist, which will be handed out at the ACM Awards on April 9.